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Gather 'round The Watercooler,
an online community for leaders looking to become better.
If you're a manager, executive, or founder who wants to talk candidly about how to build a great workplace, The Watercooler is for you.
Applications go through a review process.
Where do you go to talk about leadership?
Books are one-sided, conferences are expensive and time-consuming, and your go-to mentors and advisers are not always available (nor do they always have the answers you're looking for!).
The Watercooler is the online community of leaders we always wish we had.
Missing a place for leaders to learn through meaningful conversation without being present in-person, we created The Watercooler. In this highly-moderated online community, executives, managers and founders can talk honestly about the challenges of being a leader, and to support one another.
Really impressed with the new leadership community Know Your Company launched. I've shared and learned a lot already.
David Heinemeier Hansson
Creator of Ruby on Rails, Founder & CTO at Basecamp
Who the Watercooler is for
- Business owners who don't have the time (or have never been interested) in attending leadership seminars, but crave thoughtful discussion around how other folks think about leading teams.
- Managers who are having a tough time transitioning into their new role, or feel like they haven’t learned any of the "leadership stuff."
- Founders who've been hiring quickly, and scaling and managing a rapidly growing team is starting to feel overwhelming and a little perilous.
- People who believe that great leaders never stop learning, and continually ask themselves: "How do I become a better leader?"
Topics we cover
News
Books, talks, articles, courses or anything worth sharing and discussing.
Company culture
Organization structure, goals, employee handbook, values, mission.
Individual performance
1-on-1s, feedback, reviews, career growth, check-ins, promoting people.
Hiring & Recruitment
Best practices, salary range, job description, interviews, hiring committee.
Tough Conversations
Inappropriate behavior, body odor, harassment, firing people, conflict.
Benefits
Healthcare, 401ks, paid time off, flexible hours, equity/options, profit-sharing.
Remote Companies
Challenges of building a great remote environment.
More...
Growing the business, product strategy, work-life balance, social events.
It's easy to feel isolated in leadership. The Watercooler is a daily reminder that we're in this together and can help each other.
Chris Powers
Director of Engineering at Sprout Social
Who makes up the community
We value leaders who have a shared commitment to becoming better - those who come from a place of humility and honesty. Upholding those qualities are important and is the only way we can ensure an open dialogue on sometimes tough and personal topics.
As a result, we have a strict review process for members. You can either be referred to The Watercooler by a current member, or you can apply for membership here.
Just $20/month
Or, pay $200/year and save ~15%
We charge a small fee to cover our costs and help maintain a high-quality moderated community. You can cancel at any time.
Don't miss out on the valuable conversation, insights and
learnings from fellow leaders at The Watercooler.
All applications go through a review process.
The Watercooler has become one of my internet pitstops, providing a daily dose of inspiration on how to build great businesses, straight from those doing it every day.
Sean Conner
Managing Director of Marketing at Guerrero Howe
