Leopard.FYI’s mission is to make the tech industry more inclusive, starting in software engineering where it’s desperately needed. We run a free community & hiring platform for women & genderqueer software engineers, where we work with thousands of senior software engineers on their job searches. We also partner with hundreds of people, talent and engineering leaders to help them diversify their candidate pipelines.

For the Leopard Slack community to be effective and supportive, we ask everyone to help keep this space professional, growth-focused, and welcoming.

Channel Posting Guidelines 👋

Community Members use Leopard to feel less alone in their work-related experiences, personal learnings, and frustrations. Remember these are usually bids for connection or support, and advice is not always the right solution.

When someone shares a challenge, lead with empathy. Helpful responses include:

• First-person experiences (“I went through something similar—here’s what helped me”)

• Sharing resources that were genuinely useful

• Kind, experience-based advice (when appropriate)

• Simple support (“I hear you and I’m here for you”)

If you’re adding negativity, do so thoughtfully and in a way that supports the person sharing. Avoid hate, vitriol, or mob-style pile-ons.

General Slack Channel Etiquette 👍

• Keep posts relevant to the purpose of each channel to help conversations stay focused and useful.

• Avoid cross-posting the same message in multiple channels. Duplicate posts create noise, make conversations harder to follow, and reduce the chance of getting thoughtful responses.

• If you’re unsure where something belongs, post once and ask for guidance in #c-leopard-faqs instead.

• Use threads for replies whenever possible to keep channels readable.

• Avoid tagging large groups or multiple people unless it’s truly necessary.

• Respect channel boundaries around promotion, recruiting, and job-related posts.

  
  

Safe Space Guidelines 🫶:

• Please respect the privacy and trust of the community. Do not share screenshots, member information, compensation details, or private discussions outside the community without consent.

• Public disparagement of members, employers, candidates, partners, or Leopard staff is not permitted. If there is an issue, concern, or conflict, please escalate it privately to the Leopard team so we can help address it constructively.

• Members are encouraged (but not required) to share pronouns. Use stated pronouns and names. Mistakes happen—acknowledge, correct, and move forward. Deliberate misgendering or name misuse is not tolerated.

• Hate speech or derogatory comments related to race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or similar characteristics will result in immediate removal

• Please stick to language that is inclusive and considerate of others’ backgrounds and experiences.

• Personal attacks, derogatory remarks, or hostile language are not acceptable.

• If someone flags your language, treat it as an opportunity to learn, not a personal attack.

• Leopard acknowledges systemic inequalities in the tech industry and is committed to open dialogue, learning, and action to address them. Undermining or opposing diversity, equity, and inclusion is not welcome in our channel.

Venting Guidelines 🤬

• This community has thousands of members. Do not share sensitive personal information or confidential company details that could get you trouble.

• Try not to focus only on hopelessness or despair in public channels, as it can unintentionally discourage others.

• Full, unfiltered venting is better suited for private conversations or a study buddy rather than large Slack channels.

• If you want a venting partner, connect with someone directly and take it to DMs.

Whisper Network Guidelines 💬

• The Whisper Network is for awareness and informed decision-making, not shortcuts. Our goal is to protect candidates, companies, and the credibility of the Leopard community while helping members navigate their job searches responsibly.

• Cheating, misrepresentation, or helping others cheat is not allowed. This includes sharing or requesting live interview questions, take-home assignments or solutions, exact technical exercises, internal rubrics or evaluation criteria, or guidance meant to game or bypass a company’s process. Content that enables cheating will be removed, and repeat violations may lead to restricted access or removal from the Leopard Slack.

• We do encourage sharing high-level signals and patterns that help another Leopard member understand what to expect and decide whether to move forward with a company. Examples include general interview structure (such as recruiter screen → technical → onsite), areas of emphasis (like system design, debugging, or communication), pace of the process, expectations around in-office or remote work, team size or seniority mix, and cultural or logistical context that affects fit.

• Information that includes exact interview questions, take-home prompts or solutions, internal evaluation criteria, or step-by-step guidance should not be shared in the Whisper Network. This includes screenshots, copied prompts, “here’s exactly what they asked me,” or advice intended to game or bypass the process. If someone asks for that level of detail, do not provide it. You may move the conversation to DMs only to keep responses high-level and contextual, not to share disallowed content. Moving a conversation to DMs does not make prohibited information acceptable to share.

• The Whisper Network is intended for sharing insights and context, not just venting if you had a bad experience interviewing at a company. If someone posts about a role they’re actively exploring, avoid immediately dismissing or trashing it unless there’s a serious and relevant concern worth flagging.

• When sharing a negative experience, keep in mind that members come from different backgrounds and are optimizing for different things. What felt like a dealbreaker to you may be acceptable (or even ideal) for someone else based on factors like visa needs, compensation goals, location preferences, seniority level, team structure, risk tolerance, or career stage. Share your experience as your perspective, not a universal truth, and leave room for others to decide what’s right for them.

Community Session Guidelines 📆

We want Leopard-hosted sessions, including office hours, study groups, and community events, to feel supportive, productive, and respectful for everyone involved. To help make that possible, please come to each session with the following in mind:

• Join hot seats, resume office hours, mock interviews, and feedback sessions with a growth mindset and a genuine willingness to engage with support

• Participate in a respectful and collaborative way

• Allow space for others to contribute and be heard

• Be mindful of how you use the time of hosts and fellow members

• Take time between sessions to implement feedback before seeking the same type of support again

• If you ask for feedback, be prepared to receive it in good faith, even when it may be difficult to hear, and respond with accountability and professionalism

Please do not:

• Dominate the conversation or take up space meant for the group

• Interrupt, dismiss, or speak over other members, hosts, or speakers

• argue publicly about feedback, coaching, or facilitation (please switch to DM or a 1:1 conversation outside of the group session)

• Attend repeated sessions without taking time to apply the feedback, make changes, or reflect on prior guidance

Volunteer Moderator & Facilitator Guidelines 🫶.

• Share accurate information about session goals, expectations, timing, format, and community norms, and help create a welcoming, collaborative, and low-pressure environment by encouraging good-faith participation, making space for quieter members, keeping sessions balanced and on schedule, welcoming new members, and gently redirecting conversations that become disruptive or overly dominating.

• Be consistent, transparent, and accurate when describing study groups, events, resources, or initiatives connected to Leopard

• Please accurately represent the relationship between Leopard and any study groups, events, resources, or initiatives you organize, facilitate, or participate in. Do not describe Leopard-affiliated or Leopard-supported initiatives as fully independent or personally owned in ways that could create confusion about affiliation, ownership, sponsorship, or organizational involvement.

• Escalate serious concerns, harassment, safety issues, or repeated boundary violations to the Leopard team rather than attempting to handle them alone.

Please do not:

• Share screenshots, recordings, private session discussions, member information, or community materials outside Leopard without permission.

• Use moderator or facilitator access for personal recruiting, sales, lead generation, coaching businesses, or outside services unless explicitly authorized by Leopard.

• Use Leopard’s name, branding, logos, screenshots, member lists, relationships, or community reputation in a misleading way or in ways that could confuse members about affiliation, sponsorship, ownership, or endorsement.

• Present yourself as speaking on behalf of Leopard, promise jobs/referrals/outcomes on Leopard’s behalf, or promote parallel offerings in ways that blur the line between personal projects and official Leopard initiatives.

• Independently handle serious safety concerns, harassment issues, or repeated boundary violations without involving the Leopard team.

If these guidelines are violated, Leopard may take action depending on the severity, frequency, context, and impact on the community.

Possible actions may include:

• A private reminder or clarification of expectations

• A request to stop or correct specific behavior

• Removal of moderator/facilitator responsibilities

• Restrictions on hosting sessions, events, or community initiatives

• Removal of posts, branding, or public references that create confusion about Leopard affiliation

• Temporary suspension from Leopard spaces, events, or programs

• Permanent removal from the Leopard community in cases of serious, repeated, misleading, retaliatory, unsafe, or trust-breaking behavior

Leopard reserves the right to act when behavior creates confusion around representation, harms member trust, violates privacy, disrupts community safety, or misuses Leopard’s platform, reputation, or member network.

Not every situation will result in immediate removal. Whenever possible, Leopard will aim to address issues through clarification, conversation, and course correction first. However, serious safety concerns, harassment, retaliation, intentional misrepresentation, or misuse of community access may result in immediate action.

Employer Partner Intro Guidelines 🤝

Every interaction you have with a recruiter, hiring manager, or interviewer affects Leopard’s reputation and our ability to help future members get jobs there. To help protect that trust, please keep the guidelines in mind when interviewing:

• Communicate respectfully and professionally with recruiters, hiring managers, and interviewers at every stage of the process

• Come prepared to speak thoughtfully and honestly about your background, interests, and what you are looking for

• Ask questions with curiosity, respect, and genuine interest in the role and team

• Be specific about your impact, the business context, and the scope of your work

• Approach interviews and feedback with a growth mindset and openness to learning

• When discussing setbacks, focus on what you learned, how you adapted, and what you would do differently next time

• Speak about previous roles, managers, and challenges with accountability and reflection

• Receive feedback, rejection, and process updates professionally

Please don't:

• Accept an interview if the role clearly does not meet your stated criteria, such as industry, stage, compensation band, location requirements, level, visa support, or role scope, or if you already know you would not seriously consider the opportunity

• Show up clearly unprepared, such as not knowing the role, company, or why you are interested

• Ask questions in a way that feels combative, entitled, or disrespectful

What is Not Allowed ❌

External Job Posting 🔎

Posting jobs directly in Leopard Slack channels is not allowed. This includes sharing job descriptions, links to open roles, or requests for applicants in public channels or DMs unless explicitly approved by the Leopard team.

If you’re an employer, recruiter, or hiring manager and would like to share a role with the Leopard community, please get in touch with the Leopard team first. We work closely with companies to distribute roles thoughtfully, ensure alignment with the community, and protect members from spam or low-signal postings.

To request distribution of a role, reach out to the Leopard team or email lexi@leopard.fyi

Sales, Promotion & Solicitation 📢

Selling, pitching, promotion, or solicitation — including cold outreach, DMs, lead generation, or directing members to paid services — is not allowed unless a channel is explicitly designated for it or prior approval is given by the Leopard team.

Health & Medical Advice 😷

Giving medical advice in Leopard Slack is not allowed. Most members are not licensed professionals, and sharing medical advice can cause harm and legal risk. Please direct members to qualified healthcare professionals.

Reporting & Enforcement

Please report harassment, discrimination, or unacceptable behavior as soon as possible. Leopard leadership and the community review board will take appropriate action to protect the community and reduce future risk.

Periodic Review

Leopard reviews the Code of Conduct annually to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the community. Feedback is always welcome and can be sent to Leopard’s CEO, Lexi, at lexi@leopard.fyi