Owners of smaller software companies and translation agencies often tell me the same thing: “We feel the pressure to transform, but we don’t know where to begin.”
They worry about cost. They worry about theory. They worry about whether any advisor truly understands their business.
I do.
I have worked with many software firms and language service providers up to US$30m revenue. And the patterns repeat: growth bottlenecks, product decisions, pricing issues, capacity limits, founder overload, leadership gaps, missing strategy, unclear roles, and a constant feeling of too much at once.
My work as a Board Advisor is simple:
I Take on Six Clear Roles.
Each role has a practical purpose. Each role creates value you can feel quickly — often within the first weeks.
Below are those six roles, explained in plain language, with examples from real life.
1. Idea & Impulse Provider
When a company feels stuck, a small outside impulse often unlocks movement.
Common examples I see:
- Product strategy feels unclear.
- Two strategic ideas and one focused workshop can remove months of confusion. A team with five conflicting product ideas ends up with two concrete bets — and new energy.
- Marketing and sales talk to the wrong buyer.
- A company may have great messaging but aim it at the wrong persona. With a clear and focussed “Ideal Client Profile” (ICP) definition and an adjusted pricing narrative, pipeline quality improves almost immediately.
My impulses are never theoretical. They are clear, specific and usable the same day.
2. Critic
A friendly critic saves you money, time, and frustration.
Two real situations:
- Entering a new segment looked attractive, but capacity would collapse.
- I asked a few practical questions. The team saw the risks clearly and avoided a very expensive detour.
- Switching to subscriptions without retention thinking.
- I challenged the assumptions and redesigned the model so churn would not destroy the first year.
I do not criticize people. I challenge decisions — so they become stronger.
3. Supporter
Founders and C-level manager carry a heavy load. Sometimes too heavy. I help when the emotional side of business becomes the real bottleneck.
Examples:
- Burnout risk in the founder team.
- Two exhausted co-founders were close to giving up. Structured conversations restored clarity and cooperation. The mood lifted. Productivity followed.
- High potentials who hesitate to lead.
- With calm but challenging weekly sparring, they grow into confident leaders who can handle transformation pressure.
Support turns frustration into energy. And energy drives change.
4. Mirror Holder
“Say what you do. Do what you say.” A good mirror is often the most powerful tool in a transformation. And sometimes shocking and eye-opening.
Typical “mirror moments”:
- Strategy exists only in the founder’s head.
- Sales, product, marketing, and operations follow different plans. Once visible, alignment becomes possible — sometimes in just two sessions.
- Leadership sends mixed signals.
- I point out contradictions politely. With a few agreements, communication becomes consistent. Teams feel more secure and perform better.
Clarity is not optional. Clarity is fuel.
5. Realist
Plans matter. Reality matters more. Build. Measure. Learn.
Two common cases:
- Planning and actual performance drift apart.
- Instead of blaming teams, we examine why, clarify the impact on other teams, and take necessary decisions. In one company, custom deals overloaded delivery. After rebalancing the model, profitability improved quickly.
- Inefficiencies become “normal.”
- A translation agency lived with slow processes for years. We removed unnecessary approvals and manual steps. Costs dropped. Speed increased.
Realism is not negativity. It is the foundation for sound decisions.
6. Driver
Sometimes a company needs gentle pressure — not theory.
- M&A activities stall because nobody has time.
- I structure and drive the evaluation, prepare questions, coordinate calls. Owners get the clarity they need to decide.
- Transformation freezes under stress.
- I install two simple weekly rituals: daily stand-ups (start – stop – keep – blockers) and agile alignment between departments. Execution becomes reliable again within weeks.
This is where I take the lead temporarily:
Driving is not about control. It is about helping the team move.
What Companies Typically Experience after 3-6 Months
Emotional improvements:
- Frustration turns into motivation.
- Paralysis turns into momentum.
- Teams feel aligned and safe again.
Operational results:
- Costs decline as inefficiencies disappear.
- Pipeline quality and reliability improves.
- CAC, NPS and billability move in the right direction.
- High potentials start growing, start acting as a leader.
- Decisions get implemented faster.
The shift is visible and measurable — internally and externally.
How I Work (Clear, Simple, Transparent)
- Fixed-price for workshops and regular Advisory Board meetings.
- Predictable investment. No surprises.
- Coaching and C-level sparring based on time & material.
- Used only when needed. Always transparent.
- Very practical, always actionable.
- No academic frameworks. No theoretical slides.
- Option for performance-based compensation.
- Because I stand by my results.
My value does not lie in talking. It lies in helping you make progress you can feel.
A Quiet, Personal Invitation
If your company faces growth bottlenecks, strategy fog, overload in the founder/leadership team, pricing decisions, capacity issues, M&A questions, or just too much transformation stress, I am here to help.
No pressure. No long sales process. Just a calm, honest conversation about what you want to achieve.
If we both see that we are a good fit, we continue. If not, you still gain clarity.
You are welcome to contact me anytime.
