From founders to CXOs: Inside the powerhouse community of The Builders Club

What if the answer to your startup’s biggest challenge wasn’t just about funding or product strategy but finding the right people who’ve already walked the path?

This philosophy drives The Builders Club, a dynamic community of over 75,000 founders and CXOs worldwide. What began as a humble Discord server during the pandemic has transformed into a thriving ecosystem where entrepreneurs, innovators, and dreamers come together to share ideas, forge connections, and scale their ventures.

Founded by Sohail Khan, a two-time entrepreneur with stints at The Viral Fever (TVF) and Antler Singapore cohort member, The Builders Club has rewritten the playbook on how startup communities operate—blending digital content, impactful events, and hands-on support for fundraising and business growth.

With its latest initiative, The Builders Circle, the community takes a bold step forward, offering exclusive growth-stage mentorship and access to industry veterans who can help founders navigate the complexities of scaling their businesses.

Genesis: Building from the ground up

Great communities often emerge from simple yet powerful ideas. Khan’s journey to creating The Builders Club started during the pandemic—a time when people craved meaningful connections more than ever. As a seasoned entrepreneur, Khan was no stranger to the hurdles founders face.

“During the pandemic, I was at home, wanting to connect with other founders. So, I started a Discord server and hosted audio shows, podcasts, and brainstorming sessions,” Khan recalls. To his surprise, the community grew to over 50,000 members in just a year.

What started as a virtual experiment quickly evolved into a dynamic ecosystem as offline events and meetups gained momentum post-pandemic. The Builders Club soon became a one-stop destination for entrepreneurs seeking guidance, resources, and meaningful connections at every stage of their journey.

A community built on value creation

The Builders Club aims to deliver tangible value to its members. The community is free to join, but its offerings are highly curated to meet the specific needs of entrepreneurs at different phases.

“We have different tracks or different services for people at different junctures of the journey. The community itself is free. We do a lot of events, activations, contests, and content to engage and provide value to the community in some form or the other,” Khan shares.

The club operates on a simple yet profound belief: “Your problem is not defined by the industry you're in but by the phase of your journey.” With this guiding principle, The Builders Club divides members into four distinct tracks: Idea, MVP (Minimum Viable Product), Early Traction, and Growth. Each track provides tailored guidance, resources, and connections, ensuring founders receive the precise help they need. From MVP feedback sourced from their product’s target audience to growth-stage strategies, every member finds actionable support.

One of The Builders Club's standout offerings is its fundraising track. Leveraging a network of 200+ VC firms and angel investors, the club connects founders with potential backers to secure funding. This approach has enabled numerous startups to raise critical capital and scale their businesses effectively.

The Builders Club also boasts an award-winning podcast available on Spotify, featuring interviews with top founders and investors. With over 100 episodes, the podcast delves into the journeys, challenges, and strategies of startup leaders, offering invaluable insights for listeners.

Introducing The Builders Circle

While The Builders Club caters to a broad spectrum of entrepreneurs, its newest initiative, The Builders Circle, is designed specifically for growth-stage founders and CXOs. This closed, offline community addresses the unique challenges faced by startups that have moved beyond the early stages and are now focused on scaling their operations.

Entrepreneurship can often be a lonely journey, particularly as startups grow and begin to face more complex challenges. Recognizing this, The Builders Circle was created to foster a "band of brothers" (and sisters) who can support each other through this critical phase.

Khan elaborates, “The idea is basically to create an offline business referral and support group system for these people. The more serious you become in your journey, the more you progress, you need a band of brothers or people who help you out.”

Tailored specifically for startups with revenues exceeding Rs 1-2 crore or those already funded, The Builders Circle offers a comprehensive support system designed to address the unique needs of growth-stage founders. One of its key features is the CXO Advisory Panels, which provide access to a curated group of industry stalwarts and domain experts. These advisors include the likes of Arjun Vaidya of V3 Ventures, Murali Krishna of Inflexor Ventures, Shreya Bhatnagar of Anthill Ventures, Amit Jain of Bridgegate Advisory, Vinamra Agarwal of Brandhero, and Rishikesh SR of Rapido, among others. These experts offer strategic insights across multiple domains, helping founders navigate the complexities of scaling their businesses.

The Builders Circle also provides a Curated Vendor Directory, a vetted database of service providers that helps members find reliable partners for their business needs. This ensures that founders have access to high-quality resources without the hassle of extensive vetting.

The initiative emphasizes the importance of offline events to foster meaningful connections. Monthly boardroom meetings serve as goal-tracking and support group sessions, while house parties offer a more relaxed setting for members to meet advisors and investors in person. These events are designed to create a sense of community and collaboration, enabling founders to build relationships that go beyond transactional interactions.

Furthermore, The Builders Circle facilitates investor connections, organizing one-on-one interactions with investment partners to help founders secure funding and build relationships with key stakeholders. This holistic approach ensures that growth-stage startups have the tools, guidance, and network they need to thrive in a competitive landscape.

Success stories

The Builders Circle has already proven to be transformative for its members. Founders like Sumit Rastogi of Artinci (featured on Shark Tank) and Rahul Johar of DOBRA have benefitted immensely from the network, reporting increased opportunities for business cross-pollination and accelerated growth.

Debarya Dutta, Co-founder of Upraised, shares his experience: “I have attended many such events in the past, but usually, you network at an individual level. Here, it's different — there is a driving agenda. When it's a small group of curated founders interacting for a few hours, you get to see what they need and how you can fit in. You gain immense value in terms of business and feedback from other founders, which usually doesn't happen at other events.”

Amit Mishra, Co-founder of DazeInfo, echoes this sentiment: “I found a lot more value in this kind of small gathering with a select and expressive audience. You're able to interact with each one, discuss your problems, and immediately get solutions. The ROI is great, and this kind of gathering is much more valuable than many other events. We need more such activities.”

The vision ahead

Khan’s vision for The Builders Club is both ambitious and grounded. Over the next five to seven years, he plans to expand the community globally, starting with a strong focus on Bangalore.

He emphasizes the importance of getting the basics right before scaling. “We are very heavy on offline because we believe that relationships, or rather conversations, real conversations, happen offline. So a lot of focus is on doing these offline. The Builders Circle becomes a major part of it, which we want to open in as many cities as possible. But first, we want to focus on Bangalore to get the experience right.”

Khan's philosophy of giving back echoes throughout the community, making it a vibrant hub of collaboration and innovation. “I always believe that if you give more value, you get more value,” he shares passionately. This belief has become a guiding principle for the community, fostering a culture where founders not only receive but actively support one another, creating a ripple effect of value and innovation.

“Running communities is a serendipitous journey,” Khan reflects. “You meet someone, and they spark an idea or offer a fresh perspective on a problem you're facing. Those moments have shaped our own professional and personal journeys too.”