What changes when a pilot grows?
The program idea stays the same. The coordination load does not. Four jobs grow with every participant you add.
| Job | In the pilot | At scale |
|---|---|---|
| Matching | One person pairs people from memory and a spreadsheet. | The same criteria are applied to every pair, in every cohort. |
| Follow-up | The coordinator checks in with each pair. | Reminders and goals run on a schedule the pair can see. |
| Intervention | The coordinator spots a quiet pair. | Inactive matches are flagged so someone can nudge them. |
| Reporting | Totals are built by hand for one sponsor. | Progress is available before each expansion decision. |
What are the steps to scale a mentoring pilot?
- Write down how the pilot ran. Record who matched people, how pairs were reminded, who noticed problems and how you reported.
- Count the manual work per pair. Track the hours a pair costs the coordinator each month. That number sets your limit.
- Set the next cohort size to that limit. Grow in stages. Mentor supply sets program size, so recruit mentors before you open mentee intake.
- Standardize matching. Choose the criteria once: skills, goals, seniority and availability work for most programs.
- Standardize check-ins. Choose a cadence that both people can sustain. Monthly meetings are a practical minimum to test, and every two weeks can be a useful starting point when schedules allow.
- Move the repeated work into software. Matching, reminders, goal tracking and reporting are the jobs that repeat.
- Report before each stage. Show your sponsor program progress, then ask for the next group of participants.
Which jobs should move into software first?
Move the jobs that repeat for every pair: matching, reminders and reporting. Keep the judgment calls with the program owner, such as who joins a cohort and when to step in. Software lowers the coordination cost of each extra pair. It does not decide the program for you.
How does MentorStack support each stage?
- Start. The Free Pilot covers up to 10 participants with no time limit.
- Match. PAIR scores skills, goals, seniority and availability on every plan.
- Follow up. The product detects inactive matches, and an admin can send a one-click nudge to both participants.
- Report. Admins see program health. Report generation and export start on Starter, and scheduled reports start on Growth.
- Run the next intake. Cohorts are dated intakes. An admin can prepare the next one from a launched cohort and reuse its setup.
What does software not do?
MentorStack does not re-pair participants on its own or recover people who drop out. It shows you who has gone quiet, and you decide what to do. Plan for that follow-up in your cohort budget.
What should you read next?
Program in a Box gives a 30-day launch plan, and the complete guide covers program design. The cost guide helps you budget the next stage.
Common questions
- How do you scale a mentoring pilot?
- Start by naming the work that grows with every new participant: matching, follow-up, intervention and reporting. Then set a cohort size you can support, standardize how you match and check in, and move that repeated work into software. Add participants in stages and review progress before each stage.
- Which mentoring work grows with each new participant?
- Four kinds of work grow with participant count: matching people, following up on meetings and goals, stepping in when a pair goes quiet, and reporting to leaders. A lean team feels this first, because the same coordinator carries all four by hand until the program reaches its operating limit.
- How should I add participants to a growing program?
- Add participants in stages rather than all at once. Set a cohort size the team can support, run the stage, and review matching quality, engagement and goal progress before opening the next stage. Dated cohorts in MentorStack let each intake keep its own start and end and its own results.
- What does MentorStack add to a pilot that is outgrowing a spreadsheet?
- MentorStack applies matching criteria the same way to every pair, flags inactive matches, and lets the owner send a one-click nudge. The Free Pilot covers up to 10 participants. Paid plans start at $12 per active participant per month, or $10.20 billed annually, and add reporting and export.