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    Low-touch · Workshops

    Workshops for founder teams.

    Focused sessions for founders and their teams — designed to unblock the conversations that matter and turn them into shared language you can use the next morning.

    What you get

    How we work together

    1. 01

      Scope

      A short call to understand the team, the moment, and the outcome you want.

    2. 02

      Facilitate

      I run the session on site or remote, balancing structure and space for honest talk.

    3. 03

      Land it

      A written debrief and a few concrete next steps the team owns.

    Example themes for workshops

    • Founder narrative & positioning
    • The Scientist's Ownership Mindset
    • Feedback and hard conversations
    • Purpose, performance, and balance

    Featured case · Workshop

    The Scientist's Ownership Mindset

    Avenue Bio Sciences · 90-minute session for Life Science PhDs

    LinkedIn post by Nicolas Dolenc about the Avenue Bio Sciences workshop — From Academic Researcher to Startup Builder

    LinkedIn · "From Academic Researcher to Startup Builder" workshop recap

    A fast-paced session designed to shift the mindset from "Academic Researcher" to "Startup Builder" — empowering teams to own their impact without waiting for instructions.

    View the LinkedIn recap→

    The mission

    Empower teams to own their impact without waiting for instructions.

    The why

    Shake off "university dust" and replace critical reflexes with a "Yes, and…" builder's mindset.

    The how

    Storytelling, group improv, and Rapid Feedforward advice sprints.

    Key outcomes

    • ✦A "Monday Morning" concrete action plan.
    • ✦Social accountability via a "Buddy Lock" follow-up.
    • ✦A business case for your most scientific growth.
    • ✦Modelling "action over reasoning" in the startup world.

    Featured case · Workshop

    Crafting Your Authentic Narrative

    Founder narrative & positioning · 2-hour online session for those early in their career, and new to their leader roles

    The Just About Life — Monk: a robed figure beneath a red-leafed tree contemplating the moon

    Just About Life #2 · "Finding Balance" — the spinner, not the scale.

    Leadership, legacy, and personal branding for early career researchers — built around the spinner model of balance: Liike on Lääke, motion is potion.

    Read the full story→

    The mission

    Close the "qualification gap" — help individuals step into leadership without shedding who they actually are.

    The why

    Authenticity is the antidote to imposter feelings when leaders move into communication, advocacy, or founder roles.

    The how

    Ikigai calibration, a Purpose Statement, the L.I.F.E. blueprint, and peer storytelling circles.

    Key outcomes

    • ✦A drafted personal Purpose Statement.
    • ✦A L.I.F.E. document: Learnings, Ideals, Feelings, Expressions.
    • ✦A 2-minute professional pitch tested with peers.
    • ✦A 12-month cadence of trackable personal milestones.

    Common questions

    Related thinking

    Let's talk.

    The best way to find out if this fits is a short conversation.

    Book a callnicolas@afoundersfriend.com