Founding Cohort Forming Now
The first Collective Edge cohort is being convened for Summer 2026. Founding members shape the format, are priced differently than steady-state members, and gain status that does not transfer to later cohorts.
8 seats · Boston metro · B2B SaaS / vertical software, $5–50M revenue
The Council
Collective Edge — CEO Council
A peer-advisory council for Boston technology CEOs.
Collective Edge convenes a small group of technology CEOs in Boston who lead growth-stage B2B SaaS and vertical-software companies. Members meet on a regular cadence to work through the strategic decisions that define their companies — organizational design, capital allocation, market positioning, executive transitions, and the moments in between.
The setting is confidential by structure. The composition is intentional. The objective is straightforward: better decisions, stronger leadership, and companies built to last.
What Members Gain
What members get from Collective Edge
Decisions made better. Assumptions tested before they become commitments. A room of operators who have sat in the same seat.
A small room of peers who have carried the same load
Eight technology CEOs leading B2B software companies at comparable stage. Pattern recognition is dense. The advice you get is grounded in what your peers have actually done — not what the framework says.
Time and structure for the decisions that matter
Each session is built around a real decision a member is carrying. The format is disciplined. The conversation is focused. No panels, no curriculum, no general-purpose advice.
A confidential complement to your board
Your board is governance. The council is counsel. The same operator can hold both — and most CEOs benefit from doing so.
The Context
The decisions you are actually carrying
Not the ones in the strategy deck. The ones in your head on the drive home.
The executive you hired who isn't going to make it
You see it. Your team sees it. Replacing them is expensive, slow, and politically loaded. The decision is yours and it is not going to get easier next quarter.
The co-founder who has stalled out
Same person who started this with you. Same loyalty. Different stage. The conversation you need to have is not one the board can have for you.
The customer concentration risk you are minimizing
The customer is paying, the relationship is good, the renewal looks fine. You also know what happens if they consolidate vendors. The math is in your head; you have not put it on a slide.
The term sheet, the offer, the exit conversation
The decisions whose consequences land on you alone. The ones you cannot rehearse with your team and cannot fully share with your spouse.
Structure
How the council works
A disciplined format designed for substantive peer exchange.
Each cohort brings together a small number of technology CEOs who meet on a regular cadence to work through the real challenges of leading their companies.
- —8 technology CEOs per cohort (founding cohort: forming for Summer 2026)
- —Confidential by structure — Chatham House rule, no recordings
- —Monthly in-person roundtable in Boston
- —Quarterly individual business review meetings with the moderator
- —Optional individual coaching at a member rate
Sessions are structured around member-presented issues. Each CEO receives focused time for peer analysis and constructive challenge.
Moderation
Jeff Lortz
Council Moderator
Jeff Lortz
Council Moderator
Collective Edge is moderated by Jeff Lortz, a former technology CEO and 25-year operator across SaaS, marketing technology, and growth-stage software. Jeff has led companies through scaling, executive transitions, and investor-backed growth — and has advised founders, CEOs, and boards through the decisions that follow.
He writes on operator leadership at The Agile Operator and hosts the Margins & Mandates podcast, where he interviews CEOs and operators about the decisions that define their companies.
The role of the moderator is not to advise. It is to ensure the collective intelligence of the room is brought fully to bear on each member's situation.
Community
A network of technology operators and leaders focused on the discipline of building companies well.
Collective Edge operates within the broader Agile Operator community — a network of experienced operators, advisors, and technology executives.
The community shares leadership perspective, operating frameworks, and experience drawn from leaders who have built and scaled technology businesses. Council members benefit from both the depth of the cohort and the breadth of the wider network.
Recent Perspectives
Why Technology CEOs Need a Peer-Advisory Council
Discover how a peer-advisory council can guide technology CEOs in navigating challenges and making informed decisions
Specialization, Trust, and the Discipline of Scale
Listen to the latest episode of Margins and Mandates.
Under Review: The CEO’s Guide to Balancing Brand vs Demand in Marketing Spend
How should SaaS CEOs balance brand vs demand generation? This article offers a practical framework for marketing budget…
Membership
Who should join
The council is designed for technology CEOs who recognize that sustained effectiveness requires honest counsel from peers who understand the role.
- —CEO or founder-CEO of a technology company in Boston metro
- —B2B SaaS or vertical software, typically between $5M and $50M in annual revenue
- —Navigating a period of growth, transition, or strategic complexity
- —Values candid exchange and peer accountability
- —Willing to commit to monthly in-person participation and confidentiality
Cohort size is intentionally limited to preserve the quality of discussion and depth of relationship among members.
Inquire
Apply for a Founding Seat
The founding cohort is limited to eight Boston-area technology CEOs. Selection is based on fit with the room — stage, posture, and willingness to contribute.
Apply for an introductory conversation. We respond personally within two business days.