Beyond capital and credentials — how advisory leaders can shape the next generation of founders through clarity, courage, and questions.
Startups don’t need saviours. They need sparring partners.
That’s not just a phrase — it’s my lived truth. With over three decades of building businesses, investing in startups, and mentoring founders, I’ve learned that startups don’t grow by avoiding failure — they grow by learning from it.
As I wrote in Achieving Success by Failing More:
“Success is paradoxically about growing from failure to failure without losing courage.”
This article is for founders, investors, enterprise leaders, and board advisors who want to unlock the true power of mentorship, especially during times of transition and turbulence.
The Trade Show That Lost Its Signal
I was part of a promising business media and events startup in the maritime sector. Our first two international trade shows were successful. However, the three co-founders soon began to drift apart. Leveraging the trade show success:
