We need more diversity in the ecosystem: “There are many people who have something to contribute, even if they don’t see themselves as startup types”
In the startup ecosystem, it’s still the big exits and household names that get the most talk. But behind the scenes are people like Andreas Stensig, who haven’t stood at the top of the podium yet, but still play an important role for the startups that are taking their first steps.
Andreas Stensig works as a Customer Success Manager in the Danish scaleup product. But he is also co-founder of the robot startup Kangaroo Robotics and sits on advisory boards for both Aarhus Business Academy and the Aarhus startup Team Driver. And he wants more. For him, it’s not about becoming startup famous, but about making a real difference in the early ecosystem.
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“I see myself as a time angel rather than a business angel. I can’t bring money, but I can bring my time and experience,” he says.
Advisory boards provide space for learning
Even though Andreas Stensig hasn’t sold companies worth millions, he insists that he still has something to bring to the table. Not least on advisory boards, where many startups typically look for heavyweight profiles with investor capital or impressive track records.
“There’s a narrative in the industry that you have to have helped build a billion-dollar company in order to sit on an advisory board. I think it’s a shame if that’s a prerequisite,” explains Andreas Stensig.
He continues:
“You can be on an advisory board and say: I don’t bring all the answers – but I bring the questions.”
Because in the early stages – before funding, before the team is full and before the strategy is fully in place – a different kind of advice is needed, based on operational understanding, honest feedback and a willingness to ask the uncomfortable questions. This is where Andreas Stensig sees his own strength. And this is where he believes more people like him – with experience from the startup world, but without exits – should offer their services.
Doesn’t have to be all or nothing
Instead of betting everything on one startup, Andreas Stensig has chosen a more balanced model. Alongside his full-time job at prduct, he engages in his own projects and as a sparring partner for others. This provides both stability and the freedom to contribute where he feels it makes sense.
“I have a lot of respect for those who go all in. But I also think we lack a language for how to be involved in other ways,” he explains.
He is convinced that you don’t have to be a founder to be part of the ecosystem. And he believes that more people could and should get involved at the same time – especially people from scaleups, larger companies or the public sector, who often have knowledge and networks that startups lack. It’s just about creating space for that type of engagement.
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“There are many people who have something to contribute. They just don’t know it because they don’t see themselves as startup types.”
Provides value in the early phase
There are many people who want to get on board once a startup has received funding and publicity. But it’s in the beginning that the need for support and sparring is greatest, but also where the willingness to take risks is lowest. That’s why Andreas Stensig seeks out the projects that are taking their first steps.
“I like that messy stage where you don’t have the answer yet, but you’re trying to find it,” he says.
His involvement in advisory boards for both Team Driver and Aarhus Business Academy is not driven by prestige, but by a desire to be there while ideas are being formed. He contributes feedback on pitch decks, activates his network and shares experiences from his own startup journey. And although he doesn’t call himself an expert, he knows he can make a real difference.
“I’ve been in that place where you think: ‘If only someone could help me with this’. And I try to pass that on now.”
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