Sidebar

Peer-driven professional development for top senior leaders.

4.6•11 reviews•

277 followers

Peer-driven professional development for top senior leaders.

4.6•11 reviews•

277 followers

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Sidebar is peer-driven professional development for a highly-vetted group of founders and leaders. We catalyze success by matching members in small groups where they enhance each other's superpowers. Powered by purpose-built technology and expert facilitation.

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Launch tags:Education•Artificial Intelligence•Career

Launch Team

Framer — Launch websites with enterprise needs at startup speeds.

Launch websites with enterprise needs at startup speeds.

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Sidebar

Maker

📌

Hello Product Hunt! 👋 I’m Lexy Franklin, Founder & CEO at Sidebar. I founded Sidebar with the goal of connecting extraordinary people and catalyzing their success through the power of small peer groups. Why peer groups? Humans have always relied on their closest relationships and their shared experiences to guide decision-making and growth. However, leaders today often find themselves on a lonely journey of navigating professional pitfalls without a sounding board. At Sidebar, we believe everyone should have a high-quality, private, and supportive peer group around them at every stage of their professional journey. We’ve developed an advanced matching engine to group peers based on similarities in career stage and goals, while emphasizing diversity of backgrounds, abilities, and perspectives. Using this technology, we expertly curate a small group of 8 people - your Personal Board of Directors. By understanding your goals, superpowers, and skill gaps, Sidebar matches you with the right people to push you forward. The result is a dynamic environment designed to unleash each member’s greatest work. We’re really excited to add this new tool to the toolbox of the most-driven professionals, and provide the Product Hunt community pre-launch access to a high-quality, private network of people to brainstorm, learn, and be accountable with. Take one step closer to growing into the leader you want to become. Apply here 👉https://www.sidebar.com With love Team Sidebar 💜 Special thanks to @imsabakarim for hunting us :)

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3yr ago

Aurascope

Hunter

@lexy_franklin I've said it before and I'll say it again... I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for the people I had in my life supporting me from day one. That's why I'm super proud to hunt Sidebar! Peer-development is a game-changer for personal and professional growth. It helps people realize they're not alone. Some people may have seen my tweet about needing a startup that's building an advisory board but for friends. So I'm glad to see you and the team rise to the challenge. Readers, if you haven't had the privilege to be part of a supportive community, or even access to top leaders, then I'm confident you're going to love Sidebar. Check it out!

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3yr ago

Congrats on the launch @lexy_franklin! Heard a lot of great things about it from friends, will def sign up! What is the story behind Sidebar?

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3yr ago

🔌 Plugged in

Congratulations on your recent launch on Product Hunt, Sidebar team! I must say, I am absolutely thrilled to discover a platform that prioritizes the power of small peer groups in developing a professional network. 😍 Your matching engine sounds impressive, and I can only imagine the quality of connections that can be sparked within a Personal Board of Directors. 🤝 I am curious to know more about the potential use cases for a Sidebar membership. Could you share some real-life scenarios where a peer group has made a significant impact on a member's professional growth? 🤔 Overall, I am excited to see how Sidebar empowers individuals to become better leaders and advance their careers through curated networks. Keep up the fantastic work 🎉🙌🌟

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3yr ago

Sidebar

Maker

@gabriel_nori, thank you for the support and the great question! Sidebar is uniquely built to support your entire professional journey, not any singular challenge. Use cases are incredibly diverse; members have leveraged their group to navigate successful fundraising rounds, make the jump into the C-Suite, get buy-in on big decisions, or better integrate high performing personal and professional lives—often all in the span of a single facilitated session. Privacy is a top value at Sidebar, so we refrain from sharing member’s professional triumphs and challenges without explicit consent—but there is a whole range of testimonials live on our website where members show how they lean on their Sidebar group when it matters most: https://www.sidebar.com/#home-te...

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3yr ago

🔌 Plugged in

Interesting concept. I see so much on exec coaching fronts but when I hear about people feeling supported, I hear mostly from people who have been in coaching "circles" and the value of talking with a small group of people with similar experiences. Love seeing you guys run with this concept. Quick question - do you have instances where employers reimburse the expense of Sidebar for a team member? Or pay for it for them outright? If Sidebar delivers results, I could see this being something companies could be interested in providing for employees.

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3yr ago

Sidebar

Maker

Thank you for the support, Loren! And, great question about reimbursement. Yes, many Sidebar members get their membership fees covered by their employers. Shoot us an email at hello@teamsidebar.com and we're happy to help with the process.

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3yr ago

This looks amazing, great work Lexy! Is the focus more on tech founders or does the platform apply to a wide variety of industries?

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3yr ago

Sidebar

Maker

Greg! Thank you so much for the question! Sidebar’s vision is everyone’s potential unleashed. We believe every leader deserves a supportive and impactful network at every stage of their career - a network that brings out their best work, sparks innovative thought, and catalyzes extraordinary success. Our members are elite professionals from across industries. Sidebar's matching engine curates peer groups based on the peers who will add the most value to your professional journey. By understanding your goals, superpowers, and skill gaps, Sidebar matches you with the right people to push you forward, no matter what industry you are in.

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3yr ago

Congrats on the launch Lexy! Love what you are doing. I'm curious, what happens in between group meetings?

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3yr ago

Sidebar

Maker

Thank you for the support, @msmeredithblack! That's a great question. Sidebar is always on. Between sessions, you stay connected with your group members via the Sidebar app. You can share insights, ask questions, and even schedule 1:1 sessions with a group member or any member or the broader community to dive into a challenge or topic in more detail.

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3yr ago

Congrats on the launch! Love this! Two questions for you all: 1. What is your application criteria? 2. Is Sidebar a mobile app or should we think about it differently?

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3yr ago

Sidebar

Maker

Thank you @rustom_hakimiyan, both great questions! 1. To apply for Sidebar, we require that you are a senior leader with 10+ years of professional experience, have been in a leadership role for 2+ years, and are currently managing a team of at least 10 people. Alternatively, if you are a founder who has started a company that has shown traction, you are welcome to apply. In addition to these criteria, we look for individuals who show a drive for personal growth and are eager to contribute to the community. 2. As for how to think about the platform: Sidebar works wherever you do. You can log in on our website or by using the Sidebar app on your iOS mobile device.

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3yr ago

Hey! Super interested in Sidebar and congrats on the launch! Question for you: Is Sidebar a confidential space?

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3yr ago

Sidebar

Maker

Thanks for the excitement, @ian_dohm1! Absolutely. We maintain a 100% confidentiality policy at Sidebar. Our Rules of Engagement cover everything from confidentiality to communication protocols, attendance, and more. It’s required for all members to adhere to this policy.

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3yr ago

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4.6

Based on 11 reviews

Review Sidebar?

Reviewers mostly say Sidebar works because the small groups deliver practical, honest advice, accountability, and a strong sense of community. Several describe it as more relevant than traditional coaching, with trusted peers who help on tactical, strategic, and emotional challenges. One early reviewer also highlights the structured meeting flow, dedicated facilitator, and clear in-product tools for agendas, milestones, and chat. The main exception is a sharply negative review focused on refund and membership handling, suggesting customer experience can break down even if the group experience is strong.

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Sidebar

Peer-driven professional development for top senior leaders.

Peer-driven professional development for top senior leaders.

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