CARET Cohort Kickoff is a 4-week live program for people ready to trade their skills, build a verified portfolio, and start working independently. No guesswork. No theory. Just skills, trades, and receipts.
Apply for Cohort 1→Closes when full - no waitlist after cutoff
Most people who want to go independent get stuck at the same wall. They know they're good at something. But when it's time to show clients, all they have is a resume, a LinkedIn, and a vague pitch.
CARET exists to fix that. The Cohort Kickoff turns your skills into verified, traded, documented proof of work - in 30 days.
Not a course. Not a community with 1,000 strangers. A small, capped cohort where you do the work live - trade skills, get verified, and leave with a portfolio card that proves it.
Define exactly what you're selling, who you're selling to, and at what price.
Make your first skill trade inside the cohort - documented and verified by CARET.
Walk away with CARET portfolio cards - proof of work clients can actually trust.
Get matched with pod projects inside CARET's network the moment you graduate.
Each session is live, 60–90 minutes, with async work between calls.
You already have something valuable - we help you name it. In Week 1 you'll map your top 2–3 skills, identify what you want to learn from others, and submit your skill profile to CARET. No fluff, no vision boards. Just a clear answer to: "What do I do, and for who?"
CARET pairs you with another cohort member. You each deliver something real - a template, a review, a 30-minute consult, a strategy session. Both sides document the exchange. Both sides get verified. This is where proof of work begins.
Turn your skills into a service people can buy. You'll write your one-liner, define your deliverable, set your price, and draft your outreach message. CARET hosts review your offer and give direct feedback before you go live with it.
You present your offer to the cohort. Peers give feedback. CARET issues your second verified portfolio card. You're introduced to the CARET Lounge and matched with your first pod project opportunity. This is your launch day.
"I'd been talking about going independent for two years. The cohort forced me to actually trade, get verified, and stop overthinking it. I closed my first client the week after graduation."
"The portfolio card changed everything. Clients stopped asking 'do you have experience?' because CARET verified the work. It's the difference between a resume and receipts."
"I came in with a vague idea of what I offered. By Week 3 I had a one-pager, a price, and two leads from cohort members who wanted to hire me directly."
We're offering Cohort 1 at a friendly founder rate in exchange for honest feedback, participation, and the right to feature your story.
Future cohorts: $497 · Cohort 1 is your window.
20 seats. First-come, first-committed. We'll confirm your spot within 24 hours of applying.
A skill trade is when two people each provide something of value to the other - a consultation, a deliverable, a review, feedback, or a service. CARET documents both sides and issues a verified portfolio card to each participant as proof.
No. Many cohort members are still in traditional roles and using CARET to build the foundation before they leave. You just need a skill you can offer and a willingness to trade it.
One live session per week (60–90 min), plus 1–2 hours of async work (completing your trade, writing your offer, giving peer feedback). Total: roughly 3–4 hours per week.
You keep your verified portfolio cards, retain access to the CARET Lounge, and get introduced to pod project opportunities inside the CARET network. You'll also be invited to mentor future cohorts if interested.
The program only works with a small group. Skill trades require real matches, offer reviews require real attention, and community requires real connection. 20 is the ceiling - not a marketing trick.
Monday, July 7, 2026. Applications close when 20 seats are filled or one week before start, whichever comes first.
Cohort 1 is free. It won't be again. Apply now and we'll confirm your spot within 24 hours.
Apply for Cohort 1→No payment required · 20 seats max · Closes when full