01 · Idea → Validation
Shaping the idea, problem/customer fit, early discovery, pivot or persevere
Trusted by 14+ Startup Programs
A 4x founder, in front of your cohort.
Workshops, mentoring, speaking, and judging. The full journey for your founders, from idea validation to fundraising and beyond.
4x
founder
14+
programs
worldwide
worldwide
⚡ No sales pitch. I'll reply within 2 working days.
Working with leading startup programs
What I cover
One mentor across the whole founder journey, from first idea to closing a round and beyond.
02 · Building → Early Traction
Product scoping, MVP decisions, first 10 customers, co-founder dynamics, equity splits
03 · Traction → Scale
Growth patterns, team hires, operational rhythm, avoiding the classic scaling mistakes
04 · Fundraising and Beyond
Seed and later rounds, term sheets, board dynamics, operating post-raise, scaling leadership
How I show up
Workshops, mentoring, speaking, and judging. Pick one or combine them across a cohort.
COHORT SESSION
Workshops for Cohorts
Live sessions for your full cohort, shaped to where they are in the program.
Half-day, full-day, or multi-session. In-person or remote.
ONE-TO-ONE
1:1 Mentoring Hours
Office hours with founders in your cohort. Scheduled blocks, repeat cadence.
Virtual or hybrid. Hour allocations flex to how your program runs.
STAGE
Speaking & Presentations
Keynotes, panels, and fireside chats at demo days, kickoffs, graduations, or industry events.
Length: 20 to 90 minutes. Topic and format shaped to your audience.
FEEDBACK
Judging & Pitch Feedback
Selection panels, pitch practice, demo day judging, investor readiness reviews.
One-off judging or recurring feedback across a cohort. In-person or remote.
What program operators say
Feedback from one of the program operators I work with.
Charles is a pleasure to work with: responsive, friendly, and very easy to collaborate with. His workshops are engaging and highly practical. In fact, the feedback we received consistently included requests for one-to-one sessions with him, which says a lot about the value he brings.
Ilana Taub
Stakeholder Manager, Biotope
Common questions
What program operators usually ask before booking.
On average, 2 to 3 weeks works well, though I've run sessions with shorter and longer notice. Let me know your dates and we'll figure out what's workable.
Send a brief
Tell me about your program and what you need for your cohort. I reply within 2 working days.
What to include in your brief
- Your program and where your cohort is in the journey
- The session or series you have in mind
- Format: workshop, mentoring, speaking, or judging
- Dates, location, or any constraints I should know
What happens next
- I read your brief and will reply within 2 working days
- If there's a fit, we have a call to talk format, dates, and fees
- If the timing or scope is off, I'll tell you straight
Prefer email? Write to charles@yourstartupadvisor.com.