The Value of Peers

“How many of you own a gun?”

It was a silly question, but one I was really curious about.

No one raised their hand.  Phew…

Lately I have been really leaning into the power of peer groups. Being able to ask a simple question to a group of peers (more than a couple, but less than a room full) can be a really illuminating exercise.

This has arisen organically with my friend group here in LA. Groups of mostly dads getting insight on what it’s like for others in their same shoes.  “Does your kid hate bathing too?”  “How much are you working after bedtime?”  And the list of questions goes on (and to be honest gets a lot funnier - probably not Linked In appropriate).

And what you get from that simple formula - a group of peers and some interesting questions - is amazing.

You get deep conversations about topics that are quite relevant to your life (they are your peers after all).

You get a useful (if anecdotal) data point to compare to your reality. I also don’t own a gun, so I was relieved to hear I was not the crazy one.

Sometimes you get tips on how to do things differently or better. Shortcuts that can save a lot of time and/or pain.

And maybe most importantly, you get the feeling that you are not alone. That others are going through similar challenges.

Where I think this format really gets interesting is when you can bring together peers that are building businesses like yours. I know there are versions of this (YPO, EO etc.) for more established businesses, but I really feel like peer groups in the startup founder space is an underserved opportunity.

What founders have to face day in and day out can be grueling.  And most founders I speak to feel quite alone. There are very few people they can be real with.

A peer circle could be a transformational space for founders.

So… I am starting to tinker in this space.  I would love to hear any experiences you’ve had in an intentional peer circle.  Who ran it? What was great about it? What could have been better?