Supercharged through external advice: How to not build your business alone

From Entrepreneurship Week 19-23 Jan 2026
Day Four Panel Highlights

The Myth of the Solo Founder

The session opened by directly confronting the idea that entrepreneurship is about control and pushing through alone.

Rather than a lack of ambition or ideas, many founders struggle because they carry responsibility on their own for too long — delaying the introduction of external perspective, professional governance, and support structures.

“The need is to dare to bring in the external support. So as soon as possible get a mentor that is not involved in the company. So they can help you from the outside.” — Petra Dalunde

Why Boards Matter for Growth

From a governance perspective, the discussion highlighted boards not as administrative requirements, but as strategic tools for accountability, innovation, and long-term value creation.

“The companies that have active boards and also with external board members have more growth.”
— Emelie Meurk demerud 

The role of a professional board was described as holding founders accountable for strategy, execution, and goals — while also supporting decision-making as complexity increases.

“As a founder, as a CEO, you are accountable for your actions, for your strategy, for your execution.”
— Emelie Meurk demerud

A key insight from the discussion was the importance of neutrality in board work — and the risks of mixing roles.

While founders and investors often sit on boards, the panel stressed that professional board work requires a shift in mindset — from ownership or investment interests to what is best for the company itself.

Advisory Boards First, Boards With Ambition

For early-stage companies, advisory boards were highlighted as an effective way to bring in external competence early — without formal governance overhead.

“As soon as possible get a mentor that is not involved in the company.”
— Petra Dalunde 

As ambitions grow, however, so does the need for formal structures.

“If you have really high ambitions with your company… put in a professional board early.”
— Emelie Meurk demerud

Raising Capital Is Also About Preparation

The second half of the session turned to fundraising and pitching, led by Jenny Lindblad, who shared patterns from coaching more than 1,400 companies.

“The people that plan ahead and do their work and practice, they are the ones who succeed.”
— Jenny Lindblad 

She emphasised that fundraising takes time — often much longer than founders expect.

“A fundraising can take as long as a pregnancy, nine months.”
— Jenny Lindblad

Investors Invest in People, Not Slides

Beyond numbers and slides, the session stressed the human dimension of fundraising.

“By the end of the day, it’s you that they invest in.”
— Jenny Lindblad 

Authenticity, self-awareness, and team dynamics often outweigh even the strongest ideas.

“I’ve seen companies with brilliant ideas who haven’t gotten a dime because the team wasn’t good.”
— Jenny Lindblad 

No Meeting Is Ever “No Strings Attached”

One of the most practical takeaways was a reframing of networking and investor meetings.

“There’s nothing that’s called no strings attached.”
— Jenny Lindblad 

Every meeting should have intention, preparation, and a clear goal — because founders are always representing their business.

“You are running a business. So you need to think about every single meeting you have.”
— Jenny Lindblad