The Founder Coach to VC-Backed CEOs
I’m on a mission to make Founder Leadership the standard for venture-backed companies. My methods, systems and tools help top tech founders scale with clarity, speed, and control.
Explore CEO CoachingCLIENTS BACKED BY TOP VC FUNDS
I Decided Founder Leadership Needed a Better Playbook
Most leadership coaching wasn’t designed for startup CEOs. It was designed for corporate managers with stable teams and predictable priorities.
But you’re not just managing work—you’re trying to build something truly great.
And you’re firefighting, second-guessing your team, and wondering if you’re still the right person to lead this—all at the same time.
The more you grow, the fewer people there are who can help you.
That’s why I developed the Founder Leadership System™—a system built from the ground up to help startup CEOs lead in a way that’s effective and personal to them.
It’s not about stepping back or “letting go.”
It’s about becoming a better founder—the founder you were born to become.
Trusted by the World’s Top Founders
I’ve coached over 250 venture-backed CEOs—founders navigating the messy, high-stakes transition from startup to scale-up. The average coaching relationship lasts 2.5 years.
Alongside my coaching, I’ve led workshops with over 1,000 founders, helped build companies worth over $5 billion, and reach more than 50,000 entrepreneurs through my newsletter.
Tim Heyl
CEO of Homeward
Raised $501M
Perse Faily
CEO of Tillster
Raised $87M
Malte Kosub
CEO of Parloa
Raised €214M
Jose Velez
CEO of Bold
Raised $105M
Anastasia Leng
CEO of CreativeX
Raised $35M
Tim Guilliams
CEO of HealX
Raised $115M
Sandrine Zhang Ferron
CEO of Vinterior
Raised $20M
Alexandre Remor
CEO of Medway
Raised $15M
How We Can Work Together
As your founder coach, I bring hands-on coaching, practical frameworks, and space to reflect with other top CEOs building iconic businesses.
Coaching for Startup CEOs
I work with ambitious venture-backed founders who want to become world-class leaders and scale their businesses faster.
CEO Coaching Workshops
Learn the unconventional practices that separate the most successful tech CEOs from traditional operators.
VC/PE Partnerships
I run founder summits, retreats and LP days with top-tier VC funds like Partech, Point Nine, and Insight Partners.
Take my Free CEO Assessment
Get a clear picture of your strengths and blind spots as a founder—and what to focus on next.
Take the Founder Scan™“Coaching with Dave has transformed the way I show up as a leader in my business. It’s led to successful fundraising, a more passionate and aligned team, and revenue growth. Dave has a unique ability to uncover what’s important.”
Tim Heyl
CEO of Homeward (Series C+)
Playbooks for Becoming a Better CEO
A great founder needs a great mentor. I write essays that go deep into the psychology, systems, and strategy of leadership at scale. These are the playbooks my clients return to again and again.
The Story: From Founder to Coach
Before I became a founder coach, I was a founder—several times over.
I helped scale Delivery Hero as a late co-founder, and I’ve built companies across Europe and Latin America.
I know what it’s like to raise capital, launch products, build teams, and wrestle with the pressure to grow fast.
Over time, I noticed a pattern:
Founders don’t fail as CEOs because they lack intelligence. They fail because no one teaches them how to lead at scale.
When your company starts to grow, everything gets harder—alignment, hiring, focus, setting standards.
I looked for leadership frameworks that worked in startup environments, but most of what I found came from the world of corporate management.
So, I started building my own.
What began as a few models I shared with clients turned into a full-blown system—refined over thousands of hours coaching some of the most successful CEOs in tech.
It’s called the Founder Leadership System™, and it’s designed to help founders upgrade their leadership faster than their companies can scale.
Where Would You Like to Start?
Ready to scale as a CEO?
Apply to work directly with me and leverage the Founder Leadership System™ in your company.
Explore CoachingTake my Founder Mode workshop?
Join my free workshop, Founder Mode Foundations™, and learn how top startup CEOs lead differently.
Watch the WorkshopWhat CEOs say about me
★★★★★
“Dave helps to clear the fog, squelch the fear, and correct the ship. I'm grateful for the guidance Dave has provided along my journey, often when I've needed it the most.”
Zack Onisko, CEO of Dribbble
Investors: Raised from Tiny
★★★★★
“Dave has been an incredible coach to work with. He has a way of asking questions to dig to the core of challenges, suggesting solutions, and getting actionable commits that drive real change.”
Alan Jiang, CEO of Beam
Investors: Raised $125M from Sequoia Capital, Affirma
★★★★★
“I'll readily admit I was a coaching skeptic when we started, but I couldn't be more of a "fan girl" today. Dave gives me clarity, focus, and a roadmap to being a better CEO that I feel I slowly chip away at with every session.”
Anastasia Leng, CEO of CreativeX
Investors: Raised $30M from Guggenheim, Beringea and Index
★★★★★
“Coaching with Dave has transformed the way I show up as CEO. I've learned how to articulate my vision and strategy with all stakeholders, build a passionate and aligned team, and a galvanized customer audience.”
Tim Heyl, CEO of Homeward
Investors: Raised $500M from Northwest Venture Partners
NEWSLETTER
What Are Top Founders Actually Doing to Scale?
I write a newsletter for startup founders who want to lead better. No fluff. Just honest, hard-won insights from coaching 200+ venture-backed CEOs... and learning lessons the hard way myself.
You can unsubscribe any time.
