The problem
A problem that isn't painful enough or isn't specific to a clear customer.
For early-stage founders
Your
StartupMentor.
Building from zero to one?
I'm here for the journey. I bring an institutional capital lens to help you think differently, challenge assumptions and build an equity story investors can understand.
Let's talk
45 minutes. One conversation. Pro bono.
My perspective
I bring an institutional capital lens into early-stage founder conversations.
EUR 13bn
Capital increase experience
20+ startups
Mentored
10+ years
Institutional finance
Investor Relations
Equity story & investor communication
2 ventures
Built from zero
What I believe
Most startup problems don't begin with the pitch deck.
The assumption
Something the founder believes, but hasn't yet turned into evidence.
The business
A solution can work without yet proving who will pay, how much, and whether the model can scale.
The story
The slides may be there, while the causal logic connecting them isn't.
The capital
A fundraising ask can exist without being connected to the milestones it needs to finance.
The deck eventually exposes these problems.It rarely creates them.
I mentor from the problem outward and from the investor backward.
What I see in the room
Different founders. Different sectors. Recurring patterns.
“I keep structured, anonymised observations from my mentoring sessions to understand where early-stage founders repeatedly get stuck.”
Observations from my mentoring sessions. Company identities and confidential information are not disclosed.
What I see
The problem is often broader than the customer.
Founders can explain the sector problem clearly, but sometimes struggle to identify the specific customer experiencing it most acutely.
What I ask
Whose problem is this, exactly?
The shift
Sector problemSpecific customer problem
How I mentor
I don't start with the deck. I start with the question underneath it.
Define
What is the real problem?
Separate the underlying problem from the symptoms and identify who actually experiences it.
Challenge
What are we assuming?
Challenge the customer, market, business-model and growth assumptions behind the startup.
Evidence
What have we actually demonstrated?
Separate what has been demonstrated from what still needs to be tested.
Investor lens
What would someone allocating capital question?
Look at the business from the other side of the table and identify what still needs to become believable.
Better questions. Clearer next steps.
Story framework
The “STORY” Framework
From Problem to Investor Conviction. Five elements every equity story must connect.
ituation
Customer. Problem. Severity. Existing alternatives. Why now.
hesis
Company identity. Solution. How it works. Value proposition.
pportunity
Market. Business model. Value capture. Scalability.
easons to Believe
Proof. Competitive advantage. Team capability.
our Raise
Amount. Use of funds. Runway. Milestones. Timing.
The causal logic
Because this Situation exists, we believe this Thesis can create this Opportunity. These are the Reasons to Believe. This is what Your Raise enables.
Founder Tools
Tools I built for founders.
Built around problems I repeatedly encounter with founders.
01
Explore all Founder Tools Pitchzy
BetaPrepare the story. Pitch it. Defend it.
Practise your equity story against simulated investor perspectives and receive structured feedback.
Enter Pitchzy 02CapTable
BetaKnow what you own. Before and after your next round.
Explore ownership, dilution, option pools, pro-rata participation and new investment scenarios.
Open CapTableFounder perspectives
What founders say
Tunc is the equity story architect!
Pro bono mentoring
Weekend Problem Lab
One founder. One conversation. 45 minutes. Pro bono.
Bring what you're working through
A specific problem, decision or assumption you are trying to work through.
Explore it together
We question the assumptions underneath it and look at the problem from different angles.
Leave with clearer next steps
Turn the conversation into the questions, evidence or decisions that matter next.