Building a Volunteer Advisory Board

“𝘿𝙧. 𝙈𝙘𝙆𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙮, 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙧?” “𝙎𝙞𝙧, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚.” “𝘿𝙧. 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙡 𝙈𝙘𝙆𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙮, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙚.” I get messages like these every day. In my comments, replies, emails, and inboxes. And while I deeply appreciate that many see me as worthy of being a mentor, let me share a hard truth: 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡, 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝. Your career is like running a business. In the beginning, you’re a startup: you're testing, failing, learning, and improving. And as you grow, the stakes rise: you’re scaling operations, managing people, and making high-impact decisions. The usual advice? Get a mentor. But let's be honest, mentorship alone has limits. Challenges will come that one mentor alone can’t solve. One mentor won’t have all the answers. They may not even be available when you need them most. What you need is a "personal board of advisors." Just like companies have boards to guide their biggest moves, your career deserves the same structure. Build your board with: - 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨. - 𝙐𝙣𝙗𝙞𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝. - 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣. They don’t need to know they’re on your board. They don’t need to meet. This is informal, but it’s incredibly effective. And as your career evolves, so should your board. Rotate people in and out depending on where you are and what you need. This isn’t about waiting for the perfect mentor. It’s about designing a system of support that’s dynamic, strategic, and built for growth. Stop waiting for the perfect mentor. Build your board and run your career like the CEO of your life.

If I were a first-time ED, here’s how I’d build a strong board partnership. Starting in the first 30-days. 𝟭) 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆. Weekly 30-minute check-in and a monthly 60-minute look-ahead. Weekly = wins, risks, help needed. Monthly = agenda shaping, committee work, upcoming decisions. 𝟮) 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 “𝗻𝗼 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀” 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲. If it could show up in the news, a meeting, or an audit, the Chair hears it first. 𝟯) 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲. List 8–10 activities. Label: Board, ED, Shared. Boards govern(What). ED manages (How). Strategy/budget = shared. 𝟰) 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿. 12 months, key decisions, retreats, budget vote, audit, ED evaluation. 𝟱) 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮. • 1-page ED report (progress, risks, asks) • Red/Yellow/Green dashboard on 5 metrics • Consent agenda for routine items    𝟲) 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝘀𝗸/𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺/𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁. Tag every item before the meeting. Be explicit about what you need. 𝟳) 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝟭:𝟭 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵. Ask: What impact matters most to you? Where do you want to help this year? What would a great year look like for you? 𝟴) 𝗜𝗳 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘀. Finance & Audit (fiscal health) Governance (org health) 𝟵) 𝗖𝗼-𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗿. Two weeks out. Start with mission moment. Add strategy or learning. Timebox decisions. End with commitments. Share with full board a week prior to the schedule meeting so they've time to read/absorb/think through in advance. 𝟭𝟬) 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀. Create a one-page “Board Ambassador Menu”: three introductions, one site visit host, one testimonial. 𝟭𝟭) 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗵𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗺𝘀. Short Friday note to chair (wins, risks, asks). Monthly note to full board. 𝟭𝟮) 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗘𝗗 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘄. Three goals, three evidence sources, one review date. 𝟭𝟯) 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗹𝗼𝗴. Risk, likelihood, impact, mitigation, owner. Review monthly with the chair. 𝟭𝟰) 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. "Here's what we've agreed to." And then outline the discrete actions, timelines, and responsibilities. Capture it. Follow up. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗼𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁: • Doable = Can we carry this with current people/reasources? • Durable = Will it still work six months from now?    Build for both, and you’ll have a board that helps you lead well. ----- Start with doable. Build for durable. Lead well.

5-Step Framework to Launch Your First Advisory Board I’ve served as an advisor to dozens of companies, been on both sides of the table, and now build them for world-class teams at Boardstream. The question I get most often:  How should I think about building my first strategic advisory board? Here’s my take. A great advisory board isn’t just a group of smart people giving opinions, nor is it a glorified referral network. It’s a structured growth tool that helps you make better & faster decisions, gain real insight, expand your network, and stay accountable to your goals. Here’s a simple best-practices framework: 1. Define your objectives What do you actually need help with? Go-to-market? Product direction? Fundraising? Be specific. The clearer your objectives, the better aligned your Advisor profiles will be, and the more valuable your board will be. 2. Recruit complementary expertise Don’t chase celebrity names. Focus on people who fill real gaps in your experience. If you’re great at sales but weak in product or finance, find someone who’s been there - and make sure it’s recent and relevant! 3. Create structure and cadence Set expectations early. Decide how often you’ll meet, how decisions are made, and what prep is expected. Treat it like a serious commitment, not a casual check-in. 4. Keep them engaged Advisors lose interest when they don’t see impact. Share progress, wins, and challenges regularly. Make it easy for them to contribute and feel part of the journey. 5. Avoid the common traps The biggest mistakes I see? Misaligned goals & incentives, unclear expectations, and ignoring their feedback. Keep it focused and purposeful. The more you put in, the more you get out. A well-run advisory board can change everything for a company. It expands perspective, brings accountability, helps you move faster with more confidence, and compounds value over time. Any other recommendations from those who have experienced a high-performing advisory board? #AdvisoryBoards #Founders #StartupGrowth #Boardstream

You don't need a mentor. You need a board. Here's how to build a personal advisory group that actually moves your career forward: 1️⃣ Identify 3-5 people who fill different roles. 📌 The Connector: Someone with a strong network who makes introductions. 📌 The Coach: Someone who's 5-10 years ahead in your field and gives tactical advice. 📌 The Challenger: Someone who pushes your thinking and holds you accountable. 📌 The Insider: Someone at a company or in an industry you want to break into. 📌 The Sponsor: Someone senior who advocates for you in rooms you're not in. 2️⃣ Don't ask "Will you be my mentor?" That's vague and puts pressure on them. Instead, build the relationship first. Ask for one conversation. Then another. Then another. If it's valuable for both sides, it becomes ongoing naturally. 3️⃣ Make it easy for them to help you. Don't ask, "What should I do with my career?" Ask: "I'm deciding between two roles. Here's what I'm weighing. What would you consider?" Specific asks get better answers. 4️⃣ Give back. Share articles they'd find useful. Make introductions when you can. Celebrate their wins publicly. The best advisory relationships are two-way. 5️⃣ Schedule check-ins quarterly. You don't need weekly calls. But reaching out every 3 months keeps the relationship warm. Share updates. Ask one focused question. Keep it short. 6️⃣ Rotate your board as you grow. The people who help you early in your career may not be the right advisors later. That's okay. Stay grateful, but keep evolving your circle. You don't need one perfect mentor. You need a diverse group of people who care about your growth. That's how you build a career that compounds. Save this post, and let’s improve your job search strategy.

Your advisory board isn't a decoration. It's your cheat code for avoiding the mistakes 1,000 founders made before you. I've sat on boards for 50+ years. The best young CEOs I've backed share one trait: they treat their advisory board like a mastermind group, not a checkbox. They meet monthly. They bring real problems. They listen more than they pitch. Here's what an effective advisory board does: Your board members have scars from every mistake you're about to make. They've scaled companies. They've missed market windows. They've hired the wrong VP and watched teams implode. They've also won. Use that. The structure matters: six advisors is the sweet spot. Diverse perspectives—one financial expert, one sales leader, one product strategist, one investor, one operator who scaled past $100M. Mix backgrounds. Age and experience beat homogeneity every time. But here's the part most young CEOs skip: you have to be coachable. Bring your real problems to the table. Not the polished version. The one keeping you awake. The one where you're not sure what the right call is. That's when an advisor becomes valuable. Most startups fail because the founder wouldn't ask for help. An advisory board only works if you actually take the advice—or at least consider it seriously enough to argue back thoughtfully. The best conversations I've had weren't cheerleading sessions. They were moments where an advisor said, "That's wrong. Here's why. Here's what I'd do." And the CEO listened because they hired people smarter them me in specific areas. Your first move: don't build a board of friends. Build a board of people who will tell you the truth, even when it stings. That's where the real value lives.

I see too many Seed and Series A decks where the "Advisory Board" slide is packed with big logos but very little actual utility. Founders: Don't build an advisory board for credibility theater. Investors check references, and we find out quickly if that "Advisor" actually knows you or just agreed to a coffee once. An effective advisory board is about gap-filling. Here is how to structure one that actually drives growth: ➡️ Audit Your Weaknesses: If you are a technical founder, don't get another engineer. Get a Go-To-Market expert. Advisors exist to rent experience you can't afford to buy full-time yet. ➡️ Strategize the Comp: Early-stage companies might be able to secure advisors for free. Many might want equity. If an advisor requires compensation, be sure you consider the stake and at what point in your growth, cash compensation becomes a more prudent investment. ➡️ Plan for Obsolescence: The best advisors eventually work themselves out of a job because the company grows enough to hire that function in-house. That is a success, not a failure. Read more on structuring this correctly here: https://lnkd.in/eMmZGxfg #StartupAdvice #FounderTips #VentureCapital #AdvisoryBoard