To choose a peer advisory group, check seven things: who is in the room, whether it is genuinely confidential, the format and accountability, the facilitator model, the cost, the size, and whether you can say the true thing there. For a founder in recovery, that last point is the one that decides everything.

A peer advisory group or mastermind is only as good as the room and the format. Here is how to pressure-test both before you commit.

1. Who is actually in the room?

Fit beats brand. A famous network full of people in a different kind of seat will help you less than a small room of peers at your altitude who understand your specific pressure. Ask who the other members are before you ask anything else.

2. Is it genuinely confidential?

You will only get value if you can be honest, and you will only be honest if the room is closed. Look for a real confidentiality norm or a mutual NDA, not a vague promise.

3. What is the format, and does it force accountability?

The best groups run a repeatable ritual, usually a monthly hot seat, where one member brings a real problem and the room works it. Without a format, a group drifts into networking. Ask how members are held accountable between meetings.

4. Is there a paid Chair, and do you need one?

A facilitator adds structure and coaching but pushes the price into the five figures. A pure peer room trusts the members to be the expertise. Decide which you actually need before you pay for a Chair you will not use.

The bottleneck is you. The right room is the one that can see that clearly and will not let you look away. Brand and price are secondary.

5. What does it cost, and what does the price buy?

Peer groups range from a few hundred dollars a month to $30,000 a year. Higher prices usually buy a facilitator, a brand, or a global calendar. Make sure you are paying for depth, not access you will not use.

6. Is the size right?

Too small and you lose perspective. Too large and nobody gets airtime. Eight to sixteen members is the workable range; ten keeps a monthly hot seat meaningful for everyone.

7. Can you say the true thing?

This is the one that matters most. If you have to leave part of yourself at the door, the best context for how you run your company stays hidden. For a founder in recovery, a room that does not understand sobriety will talk around the most important fact about how you operate.

For founders in recovery, the checklist points one direction

Phoenix Forum is a peer advisory board built for founders in recovery. Ten vetted members, monthly hot seats, $349 a month. Alcohol-free by design, closed under a mutual NDA, with a Founders’ Compass for accountability and a 6 month money-back guarantee. It is built to pass all seven checks for one specific person: the sober founder who wants the whole picture on the table.

How do I choose the right peer advisory group?

Check seven things: who is actually in the room, whether it is genuinely confidential, the format and accountability, the facilitator model, the cost and what it buys, the size, and whether you can say the true thing there. The single most important factor is fit: peers at your altitude who understand your real pressure.

What size should a peer advisory group be?

Small enough that every member gets real airtime and large enough for diverse perspectives. Most effective groups run 8 to 16 members. Phoenix Forum runs ten, which keeps a monthly hot seat workable for everyone.

Does a peer advisory group need a paid facilitator?

Not necessarily. A paid Chair adds structure and coaching but raises the price into the five figures. A pure peer group trusts the members to be the expertise. For many founders, peers who have sat in their exact seat are more useful than a facilitator working from a framework.

What should a founder in recovery look for specifically?

A room where recovery is understood, not managed. That means an alcohol-free environment, real confidentiality, and members who get both the business pressure and the recovery underneath it. Phoenix Forum is built around exactly that.

Written by

Andrew Lassise

Founder of Phoenix Forum. Entrepreneur, tech investor, and recovered alcoholic. He started Phoenix Forum because no other peer advisory board held recovery and business in the same room at the same time.