FOUNDER COACHING

Founding a startup can break your heart—and your back.

The self-doubt, the isolation, the pressure to always know what to do next. The constant juggle between vision and survival. You write to organize your thoughts, talk to other founders, join communities—yet the deeper questions still echo.

That’s where I come in. As a founder with multiple exits and a Berkeley & ICF Certified Executive Coach, I work with early-stage dreamers and seasoned leaders alike. I don’t offer one-size-fits-all frameworks. I offer a thinking partner who gets it.

You don’t need to do this alone. You were never meant to.

Schedule Discovery Session

Common hurdles my founders face:

 

 

  • Self-doubt, overwhelm and burnout – Even the boldest founders can feel buried by the weight of their vision.
  • Loneliness and isolation of building Your Dream – Chasing a dream no one else can see feels painfully lonely.
  • Lack of product-market-fit – When the market doesn’t meet your product with open arms, it feels like a complete failure. 
  • Complex founder transitions – Evolving as a founders is messy and full of emotional rollercoasters
  • Uninspired team woes – When your team loses spark, you already start blaming your own approach to leadership
  • Overwhelming priorities and lack of focus – When everything feels urgent, clarity becomes a luxury

How I Help Founders Grow and Win:

 

Vision Alignment. This approach helps founders reconnect with their “why” and translate it into a strategic vision and roadmap. Through deep questioning, reflection, and systems thinking, we’ll co-create a north star that guides decisions and inspires your team.

Priority & Energy Management. Instead of just time management, this method focuses on aligning energy with priorities. Using tools like Eisenhower Matrix, task shedding, and somatic awareness, you’ll learn how to operate from a place of clarity—not urgency.

Performance Under Pressure. This coaching focuses on building your mental agility, decision frameworks, and stress resilience. Techniques include scenario modeling, cognitive reframing, and mindfulness practices—so you lead decisively, even in the storm.

Relational Coaching for Founders. Building a company can feel isolating—even when you’re surrounded by people. This coaching creates space for emotional honesty, meaningful connection, and relationships that support you, not just your vision. We work on cultivating peer allies and staying human while leading boldly.

Conscious Leadership & Team Dynamics. We’ll dive into your leadership style, communication patterns, and team dynamics to build trust, accountability, and ownership across your start-up. You’ll leave with better 1:1s, sharper delegation, and a stronger leadership presence.

Operational Clarity & Systems Coaching. Through a mix of coaching and advisory, we’ll define repeatable processes, simplify decision-making, and reduce founder dependence. Think: clearer metrics, SOPs, and smoother handoffs—so your company doesn’t revolve solely around you. 

Strategic Thinking & Decision-Making Coaching. We’ll hone your ability to zoom out and evaluate trade-offs from a systems level—blending intuition with analysis. This is about making smarter bets with less stress and fewer regrets.

Book a discovery call

I have helped hundreds…

I have helped hundreds of leaders cross the gaps of uncertainties and chaos. See what some of them have to say about my services:
Vladimir helped me tap into a methodology to pursue my business ambitions while framing the outcome in a positive light. He is excellent at identifying and explaining the most relevant and helpful concepts relating to entrepreneurship. Highly recommend!

David

Founder, WelnessTech

Vladimir coached me for a year, bringing me clarity and valuable insights. His founder experience and thoughtful questions helped me improve my technical start-up and leadership style. His patience w.r.t my rambling rants and long winded questions was very kind and helpful. His advice often went beyond just the topic being discussed and towards the larger picture.

I highly recommend his services for clear and organized thinking.

Deepanshu

Founder, FinTech

Last four months I was coached by Vladimir. The first sessions were dedicated to goals in general. Then we started discussing my startup. Vladimir helped me to prioritize my goals and activities. Under his guidance, I gained more focus, keeping me on track to achieve the desired results.

Anton

Founder, SocialTech

Vladimir is hands down one of the coolest coaches I’ve had the chance to chat with! He’s got brains, experience, and enough emotional intelligence to handle the impending robot apocalypse (no sweat!). 10/10, would definitely recommend

Alex

Founder, HardTech

Vladimir’s an amazing listener and was able to provide valuable feedback and advice. I usually joined our meetings overwhelmed with decisions and left with clarity and action items. He even reached out with recommendations post meeting. I found what I was looking for and I’d highly recommend Vladimir for coaching services!

Ivana

Founder, FashionTech

 

Check more testimonials

Trusted by Founders and Leaders from Top Startups and Tech Companies

Frequently Asked Questions

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Why hire me as founder business coach?

I offer a mix of directive and non-directive coaching to propel you forward on your leadership journey.

I show up to every founder coaching session ready to listen to what you’re working on and prepared to help guide you through your own decision-making process. And, when it makes sense, I’ll provide relevant recommendations.

I bring a diverse mix of experiences to each session as I’ve been in the technology field for 20+ years and have worked with a range of technology leaders and companies across different sectors. I have led large and small teams as a technology executive, and have delivered over 200+ coaching hours to clients with a variety of backgrounds from all over the world.

I have been certified as an executive coach by the Haas School of Business, Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute at UC Berkeley. I have been a CTO/CIO at fintech and spacetech companies. I have been a regular mentor at various business schools and accelerators like TechStars, NSF I-corps, Cornell eLab. I am also a graduate of Columbia’s Greenshouse and Techstars Space Programs.

How can my clients quickly solve a critical business challenge or leadership roadblock?
As a founder, you’re constantly making high-stakes decisions—whether it’s about fundraising, hiring, product strategy, or scaling operations. When you hit a roadblock, getting expert input fast can mean the difference between a setback and a breakthrough.

🔹 How a coach helps: A founder business coach offers a listening space free from judgement to help you cut through complexity and take decisive action. By co-thinking on identifying blind spots, challenging assumptions, and providing battle-tested strategies, a coach helps you move forward with confidence and clarity.

What strategies will help my clients scale their startup without burning out?
Scaling a business isn’t just about revenue growth—it’s about building a strong team, optimizing operations, and ensuring you don’t get trapped in daily firefighting. Founders often struggle with delegation, hiring the right people, and creating systems that allow the company to grow sustainably.

🔹 How a coach helps: An executive coach helps you through guiding questions to design a scalable structure, refine your hiring strategy, and shift from working in the business to working on it.

How do my clients successfully pivot startups without losing momentum?
Startups evolve—markets shift, products need to change, and sometimes, entire business models must be reworked. A pivot can be risky, but done right, it can unlock new growth opportunities and save your business from stagnation.

🔹 How a coach helps: A founder business coach helps you determine whether a pivot is necessary, develop a clear transition strategy, and manage investor and team expectations.

What topics can I expect to have conversations on during the sessions?
✔ Mission/Values Review
✔ Milestone Based Go-to-market Strategy (GTM)
✔ Business Development Strategies
✔ Fundraising Traction
✔ Cleaner and Meaningful Deck
✔ Effective Team Structure and Communication
✔ Improved Conflict Resolution Approaches
✔ Prioritization Strategies
✔ Risk Assessment and Mitigation Plans
✔ Competitive Landscape Analysis
✔ Continuous Learning and Team Development Programs
✔ Efficient Resource Allocation
✔ Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Set-Up
✔ Value Proposition Clarification
✔ Customer Retention Strategies
✔ Internal Processing (Stress and Life Management)
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What does a founder business coaching session look like?
Every session is a mix of self-examination and establishing tangible steps towards progress. I meet with all my clients virtually via Zoom for one-hour sessions where we focus on addressing a particular entrepreneurship topic.

The goal is to move you forward with an opportunity you’re considering or a challenge you’re up against. You set the stage by explaining the circumstances, I ask a series of questions, explore viable options, and finally, we’ll create a plan of action.

What results should I expect from collaborating with you as my entrepreneur coach?
Depending on the coachee, I’ve helped individuals optimize their go-to-market strategy, define business development process, increase fundraising reach and traction, clean up pitch decks, restructure teams, and improve mission orientation of the company.
How can my clients make better, faster decisions as a founder?
Every day, you’re making decisions that affect your team, your customers, and your company’s future. But second-guessing, fear of failure, and information overload can slow you down—or lead to costly mistakes.

🔹 How a coach helps: A leadership coach equips you with proven decision-making frameworks that balance speed with strategic thinking. They challenge your biases, act as a sounding board, and help you develop confidence in your ability to make tough calls under pressure.

How do my clients become stronger leaders and get their team fully aligned?
A great product isn’t enough—your success depends on how well you lead your team. Founders often struggle with delegation, managing conflict, and ensuring that everyone is rowing in the same direction.

🔹 How a coach helps: A leadership coach helps you refine your leadership style, improve your communication skills, and create a high-performance culture. They’ll coach you how to motivate your team, hold people accountable, and handle difficult conversations without damaging relationships.

How do my clients stay focused and accountable while growing their company?
When you’re running a startup, it’s easy to get distracted by urgent fires and lose sight of long-term priorities. Without accountability, you risk working hard but not necessarily working smart.

🔹 How a coach helps: A coach acts as an accountability partner, keeping you focused on high-impact activities and helping you avoid distractions. They provide goal-setting frameworks, milestone tracking, and structured check-ins to ensure you’re making real progress—not just staying busy.