Closed Beta — Founding Phase
Aiming to close late 2026 · After that: monthly membership only · No lifetime access  ·  No Founder badge  ·  No numbered membership  ·  No founding pricing
Free Builder Programme

Build your community.
Earn your place in something built to last.

Join free. Get full Builder access for 60 days. Bring your people to ETC and keep it free forever — or get paid up to £299 cash for going further. What this community generates, this community keeps — including your reward for helping build it.

10 members Keep your free membership permanently
25 members We pay you £99 cash
50 members We pay you £299 cash
How it works

Full access. Sixty days. Your call.

The Free Builder programme is for men and women who want to bring their existing community or audience to ETC — and who want to earn their place rather than pay for it upfront.

1

Apply and pay a £25 refundable commitment deposit

To protect the community from bad-faith applications, we ask for a £25 deposit when you apply. This is not a charge — it is a commitment signal. It is returned in full when you reach your 10-member target. Why we ask for this →

2

Get full Builder access from day one

No watered-down trial. You get the complete Founding Builder feature set: multiple marketplace listings, course creation and monetisation, events with ticketing, analytics, CRM tools, scheduling, group management, API access and everything that comes after. Full access. Sixty days.

3

Invite your people — every member you bring counts

Share your personal invitation link with your existing community, audience, network, or following. Every man or woman who joins ETC through your link and becomes an active member counts toward your target. You are not just hitting a number — you are helping build something sustained by community, built for generations to come. You have 60 days from your start date.

4

Hit your target — keep free access and get paid

Reach 10 members and your membership is free forever — plus your £25 deposit is returned. Reach 25 and we pay you £99 cash. Reach 50 and we pay you £299 cash. You also keep all the benefits of the Founding Builder tier for life.

5

Day 61 — if you haven't hit 10 members

If you reach day 61 without bringing 10 active members, you have a choice: pay £299 to convert to a Founding Builder and keep everything, or your account is closed. Please read the full terms before applying — this outcome is rare but real, and it is important you understand it.

What you earn

The more you build, the more you earn.

Your rewards scale with your contribution to the community. Every member you bring is a real man or woman you have personally vouched for. This is what genuine community looks like: generating something real, putting it back in, and letting it grow.

Minimum target
10
members brought in
Free, forever

Keep your full Founding Builder membership at no cost — for life. Your £25 deposit is returned. All future features included. Founding badge on your profile.

Maximum reward
50
members brought in
£299 cash

We pay you £299 — the full Founding Builder price — in cash. Free membership for life, deposit returned, and a community of 50 people you've personally helped build.

📌

Members must be active and vouched in through your link

Targets are measured on active members who join through your personal invitation link and complete onboarding. Members who leave or are removed within 30 days do not count. You are personally vouching for every man or woman you bring in — that accountability is part of what makes this programme worth doing.

The commitment deposit

Why we ask for £25 upfront

This is the question most people ask. Here is the full answer.

ETC is built on trust — sustained by community, built to carry its own weight. We need its builders to show the same.

ETC is a Private Members Association — not a platform, not a product, but an association that exists entirely for the benefit of its members. When you join, you are agreeing to the community's own guidelines and policies. Disputes are resolved by a jury of your peers. Governance voting rights are held by founding members from day one, growing in active use as the community develops. What being a PMA member means →

The Free Builder programme offers something genuinely valuable: full platform access, the chance to earn real money, and a free lifetime membership — all without paying upfront. It is designed for people with real communities and genuine intent to build.

Without a commitment signal, a programme like this attracts the wrong people: those who sign up on a whim, never engage, and disappear. That wastes everyone's time and dilutes the quality of the community we are all building together.

The £25 deposit is not a fee. It is a signal that you are serious. It costs nothing if you follow through — it is returned in full the moment you reach your 10-member target. It is simply a way of saying: I intend to do what I'm promising.

Every founding member of ETC is vouching for the people they bring in. This deposit asks the same of the builders who want to come in through this route. That is not an accident — it is a reflection of what this community is.

If you miss the target

Read this before you apply.

The Free Builder programme is rewarding for those who follow through. The consequences for those who do not are clear and significant. We are telling you now, not later.

⚠️

What happens if you reach day 61 without 10 active members

💷

You must either pay £299 or your account is closed

At day 61, if you have not brought in 10 active members, you will be offered one option: pay £299 to convert to a Founding Builder membership and keep everything. If you do not pay, your account is closed and access is removed.

🚫

You are not able to reapply for 12 months

If your account closes, you are not able to apply again for 12 months. This is not a soft limit — it is a firm one. It protects the community from repeated bad-faith applications and keeps the programme available for genuine builders.

📅

When you return, founding pricing is no longer available

After the 12-month waiting period, you may reapply — but only on the standard from £4/month recurring membership model. The founding window will have closed. The one-off founding prices of £99 or £299 will not be available to you. There is no way to re-enter the founding phase once you have left it through this route.

💰

Your £25 deposit is not returned if you miss the target

The commitment deposit is returned when you reach your 10-member target. If you do not reach it, the deposit is retained. This is stated clearly here and in the application process. It is part of what makes the deposit a genuine commitment signal rather than a formality.

These consequences exist to protect what we are building together. What this community generates, this community keeps — including its standards. The men and women who build ETC are vouching for every member they bring in. A programme that has no real consequences for non-delivery would attract people who are not genuinely committed — and that would harm everyone who is.
Free Builder vs Founding Builder

Two paths. Same destination.

Both routes give you the full Founding Builder membership. The difference is how you get there.

🌱 Free Builder

£25 deposit · 60-day trial · targets required
Full Builder access for 60 days
Bring 10 members → free forever
Bring 25 → earn £99 cash
Bring 50 → earn £299 cash
£25 deposit returned on success
Requires 10-member commitment
12-month reapplication wait + no founding pricing if you miss
Best for those with an existing network to bring

🏗️ Founding Builder

£299 one-off · immediate · no targets
Full Builder access from day one
No targets, timers or pressure
All future features included for life
Numbered founding membership
Permanent Founding Builder badge
Invitation to quarterly events from 2027
Governance voting from day one
Best for those ready to commit now
Not sure which is right for you? If you already have 10+ people you know would join ETC, the Free Builder programme is a straightforward way to bring them in — and potentially get paid for it. If you want certainty and no obligations, pay £299 and it is yours for life with no conditions attached.
Questions

What people ask before applying.

Does the 60 days start immediately when I apply, or when I'm approved?
The 60-day window starts from the date your application is activated — which is when you receive your personal invitation link and your access is switched on. It does not start from the date you submit your application.
What counts as an active member for my target?
A member counts toward your target if they join through your personal invitation link, complete the onboarding process, and remain active for at least 30 days. Members who join and then leave within 30 days do not count. Members must be real men and women — bots and fake accounts are immediately removed and your entire account would be at risk.
Can I extend the 60-day window if I'm close to my target?
There is no automatic extension. The 60-day window is firm. If you are close at day 61 and have been genuinely active, you may contact us — but extensions are granted at our discretion and only in exceptional circumstances. Do not apply expecting an extension to be available.
When and how are cash rewards paid?
Cash rewards are paid by bank transfer within 14 days of your target being verified. You will need to provide bank details for the transfer. Rewards are paid in GBP to a UK bank account. If you are outside the UK, contact us before applying to confirm arrangements.
I have a newsletter / podcast / audience — does that count?
Yes — anyone you can reach and personally invite is eligible. The key is that your invitation link must be how they join, and they must go through the standard ETC onboarding (which includes being vouched for). You cannot bypass the trust and vouch system for members you bring in through this programme.
What happens to the members I've brought in if I miss my target?
The members you brought in keep their accounts regardless of what happens to yours. Their membership is their own. Your account closing does not affect them. They would simply lose you as their direct connection on the platform — but their membership, trust level and activity all remain intact.
Can I upgrade to Founding Builder during my 60-day trial?
Yes — at any point during the 60-day window, you can choose to pay £299 and convert to a Founding Builder. Your £25 deposit is applied as a credit toward the £299. Your access continues uninterrupted and the target obligation is removed. This is a good option if you decide you'd rather not manage the target pressure.
Is the Founding Builder badge and numbered membership included?
Yes — if you successfully complete the Free Builder programme and reach your 10-member target, you receive the full Founding Builder status, including the permanent Founding Builder badge and your numbered founding membership. You are a founding member in every sense.
Apply to the Free Builder Programme

Find your community.
Let's build something that lasts.

Tell us about you and how you plan to bring your community to ETC. We'll be in touch with your activation link and deposit payment instructions.

Application received ✓

We'll review your application and be in touch with next steps — including your £25 deposit payment link and your personal invitation link once you're activated.

If you have questions in the meantime, contact us at hello@etcapp.net.

⚠ Use your real name. This is the name your community will know you by — once you join, your name and email are permanent identifiers and cannot be changed. False or fake names are grounds for removal from the Private Members Association.
Please do not skip this if someone introduced you. Without a referral code: the man or woman who told you about ETC will not receive their £4 referral reward, and you will join at probationary trust level rather than as an introduced member. If you have lost your code, contact the person who referred you or email hello@etcapp.net before submitting.