Pros
1. Authentic support from a community that champions growth mindset and figuring out the hard problems. Everything seems possible here because people are asking the hard questions and not settling for the easier answers. From wanting to cure cancer to find new ways to 10x sustainable energy solutions, there's always an exciting conversation to be had or something new to learn.
2. Helping change the lives of the kids coming into the program. Having no prerequisites for specific backgrounds or accomplishments, this program is truly life changing for teenagers who are curious problem solvers. Their growth is exponential, and it's fulfilling to play a major role in them helping them reach their potential while running a city program.
3. Independence and freedom to run a city in the best way that fits the director team and the local ecosystem. There is a ton of support coming from central HQ and empowerment to localize the program in each city, which is a refreshing take on scaling to support more students. The founders care a lot about everyone involved, both their team members and the kids in the program, and their commitment shows in how much they do to continuously improve the experience for everyone based on direct feedback.
Cons
1. With Olympic level training comes Olympic level expectations. This is not a traditional 9-5 and there is no one size fits all to get it done. It's on the individual city teams to manage their time and schedule to figure out what works best. This openness may be daunting for some.
2. As a startup with a figure it out mindset, there are still things to be figured out, such as benefits, which is to be expected at an earlier stage.
3. Virtual team. With a geographically distributed team, most communication will be virtual. May be a con for some, but the upside is a chance to travel to interesting places for the occasions that do bring the different city teams + students together.