Member Onboarding Flow

9.0 Philosophy#

Onboarding is the community’s first impression. The goal is not to process members - it is to make someone feel that they made the right decision and that there is a real place for them here. Every step should feel human, intentional, and low-friction.

The standard for successful onboarding at The AI Fellowship: a member who completes onboarding should know one person by name, understand the community’s mission and norms, and have participated in at least one activity.

9.1 Pre-Join: Discovery and Application#

How someone finds The AI Fellowship#

• Word of mouth (primary channel): A friend or colleague who is already a member invites them.
• Event attendance: Someone attends a chapter hackathon or meetup and is invited by the Director.
• Social media: LinkedIn post, Instagram story, or Twitter/X thread leads to the website.
• AI World Cup: Competitors discover the Fellowship through competition.
• Direct search: theaifellowship.com organic discovery.

Two paths to membership#

Path A - Chapter-Level Join The most common path. A Chapter Director or member invites someone directly. The person applies through the chapter’s local intake form (or in person at an event).

1. Person expresses interest → Director sends intake form link (or paper form at in-person event).
2. Person completes intake: name, email, city, background, what they hope to contribute.
3. Director reviews (informal; no formal scoring at chapter level) and approves within 5 business days.
4. Director sends Slack invite and CC’s [email protected].
5. Global Slackbot triggers the onboarding flow automatically.

Path B - Direct Join (No Chapter) For people in cities without a chapter, or those who want global community access.

1. Person submits interest form on theaifellowship.com.
2. Central team reviews and approves (typically within 7 days).
3. Central team sends Slack invite and assigns a “global member” status.
4. If a chapter launches in their city, they are invited to join it.

9.2 Step 1 - Welcome Message#

Option A: Slackbot DM (preferred for Slack-first onboarding)#

Subject / DM Header: Welcome to The AI Fellowship, [First Name]

---

Hi [First Name],

Welcome - we're genuinely glad you're here.

The AI Fellowship is a global community of people who care about where AI is headed and want to shape it alongside others. Whether you're a researcher, a builder, a designer, or just deeply curious - there's a place for you here.

Your first three moves:

1. Introduce yourself in #introductions. Tell us your city, what you're working on, and what brought you to the Fellowship.

2. Sign the Member Pledge - it takes 2 minutes and is how we agree to treat each other well. [Link to Pledge form]

3. Join your chapter channel #[city]-general (if you have one), or hang out in #general for now.

Your Chapter Director, [Director Name], may also reach out directly. Don't hesitate to reply here if you have questions - a real human monitors this.

Welcome to the Fellowship.

- The AI Fellowship Team

Option B: Email Welcome (for pre-Slack application path)#

Subject: You’re in - welcome to The AI Fellowship

---

Hi [First Name],

We're excited to welcome you to The AI Fellowship.

You're joining a community of people across [X] countries who are building, experimenting, and learning with AI - and who believe that the people working on this technology should know each other.

Here's what happens next:

1. Accept your Slack invite (link below). Slack is where the community lives - conversations, events, projects, and all the good stuff happen there.

2. Sign the Member Pledge (takes 2 minutes). [Link]

3. Introduce yourself in the #introductions channel - tell us who you are and what you're working on.

Your Chapter Director for [City], [Director Name], will be in touch within 48 hours to say hello and help you find your footing.

If you have questions at any point, reply to this email or message us in Slack.

We're glad you're here.

Warm regards,

The AI Fellowship Team

theaifellowship.com

9.3 Step 2 - Pledge Signing Flow#

What the Pledge covers#

The Member Pledge is a short, values-based commitment - not a legal contract. It covers:

• Respectful conduct
• Honest attribution of AI-assisted work
• Support for other members
• Commitment to the community’s mission
• Acknowledgment of the Code of Conduct

Technical flow#

1. Form: Hosted on a Google Form or Typeform (Central manages). Fields: Full name, email, chapter (if applicable), date, checkbox: “I have read and agree to the Member Pledge and Code of Conduct.”
2. Confirmation: On submission, a confirmation email is auto-sent to the member with a copy of what they agreed to. Subject: “Your AI Fellowship Pledge - confirmed.”
3. Record: Responses feed into a Google Sheet (or Notion database) maintained by Central. This is the authoritative membership record.
4. Slack update: A Zapier/Make workflow marks the member as “Pledge signed” in their Slack profile (via custom field). Chapter Directors can filter by this status.
5. Non-completion follow-up: If pledge is not signed within 7 days of Slack invite, bot sends a reminder (see Onboarding Bot Message 2 in Document 8). After 30 days, Director is notified and prompts the member manually.

9.4 Step 3 - Chapter Assignment and Introduction#

If a chapter exists in their city#

1. Director receives an automated notification: “New member [Name] has joined and completed the pledge. Please introduce yourself within 48 hours.”
2. Director DMs the new member with a personal introduction (see Director Introduction Template in §9.8).
3. Director adds the member to chapter Slack channels: #[city]-general, #[city]-announcements, #[city]-events.
4. Director or a designated chapter “buddy” schedules a 15-minute intro call within the first two weeks (recommended, not required).

If no chapter exists#

1. Central team sends a personal note: “We don’t have a chapter in [City] yet - but you’re not alone. Here’s how to stay connected as a global member…”
2. Member is added to #general and #introductions as primary channels.
3. Central notes their city in the membership record. When 5+ members from the same city are present, Central proactively reaches out about potentially starting a chapter.

9.5 Step 4 - First 7 Days Checklist#

To be shared with the new member by their Director or via bot (Day 7 message):

New Member - First 7 Days Checklist#

• [ ] Accepted Slack invite and logged in
• [ ] Posted introduction in #introductions
• [ ] Signed the Member Pledge
• [ ] Joined chapter channel(s)
• [ ] Read the Code of Conduct (pinned in #code-of-conduct)
• [ ] Connected with at least one other member (replied to their intro, or messaged someone from the chapter)
• [ ] Checked out #projects-showcase
• [ ] RSVP’d to or attended an upcoming event (if one is scheduled)

Director’s role in Week 1: Check in on the new member’s progress. If they haven’t posted an intro by Day 5, send a personal (not automated) message encouraging them.

9.6 Step 5 - First 30 Days Engagement Milestones#

The goal of the first 30 days is to move a new member from “stranger with an invite” to “active community participant.”

The “graduation” moment (see §9.9) is considered complete at the end of 30 days if at least 4 of the 5 weekly milestones are met.

9.7 Director Introduction Template#

This is what a Chapter Director sends to a new member within 48 hours of their joining the chapter.

DM from Director:

Hey [First Name]! I'm [Director Name], the Chapter Director for [City].

Really glad to have you here. I wanted to personally say welcome and give you a quick lay of the land.

Our chapter has [X] members and we usually run [meeting cadence - e.g., "monthly meetups and one major hackathon per year"]. Our next event is [event name] on [date] - I'd love to see you there.

A few things that might help right away:

- Our main chapter channel is #[city]-general - that's where most of the conversation happens.

- If you have questions about anything local, feel free to message me directly anytime.

- If you're interested in contributing more - volunteering at events, leading a study group, anything - just say the word.

What are you currently working on? I always like to know what new members are building.

Welcome to [City] chapter - we're happy to have you.

9.8 “Graduation” Moment - When Is a Member Fully Onboarded?#

A member is considered fully onboarded when they have:

1. Signed the Member Pledge
2. Joined their chapter channel (or #general if no chapter)
3. Posted a public introduction in #introductions
4. Attended at least one event (virtual or in-person)
5. Completed 30-day feedback survey

When all five are complete, the member is:

• Added to #onboarding-alumni channel automatically
• Marked as “Fully Onboarded” in the membership record
• Optionally: Chapter Director gives a public shout-out in #wins-and-shoutouts

There is no badge or certificate at this stage (though one could be introduced later). The “graduation” is about the community knowing that this person is settled in - and that person feeling it.

9.9 Metrics: What Does Successful Onboarding Look Like?#

Per-member metrics (tracked by Director)#

• Time to pledge signing (target: within 7 days)
• Time to first introduction post (target: within 7 days)
• Time to first event attendance (target: within 30 days)
• 30-day survey completion rate

Community-level metrics (tracked by Central, reviewed quarterly)#

Flagging for intervention: If a member has been in the workspace for 14 days without posting an introduction or signing the pledge, the Chapter Director is automatically notified and should send a personal (non-automated) outreach. Members who have not engaged at all after 45 days are reviewed by the Director and may be removed from the workspace to maintain community quality (with an option to re-apply).