01
For founders who need one specific decision unblocked. Send context ahead. We dig in, you leave with a clear next step.
Best for: single-question advisory, second opinion, decision review.
Service line · 2 of 3
Startup Mentoring — direct, operator-led.
A thousand mentor sessions logged at Skolkovo Innovation Centre across AI, fintech, deep tech, and education. Winners of World AI Americas and Vivatech Startup Nation came through this practice. The work is direct: one founder, one decision, a clear next step. No frameworks for the sake of frameworks.
Who this is for
Strong fits, particularly strong fits, weak fits.
Honest sorting up front. Saves us both a call.
Strong fits
Pre-seed to Series A founders facing a specific decision.
Building something with technical depth — AI, ML, data infrastructure, robotics, deep tech. Has a real product or product hypothesis. Wants honest feedback over polite encouragement.
Particularly strong
AI-first founders and pre-seed raise prep.
Integrating LLMs, fine-tuning, or building data systems. Preparing a pre-seed or seed raise narrative. Technical founders deciding on CTO hire vs co-founder vs outsource. International founders entering UK/EU.
Weak fits
I’ll tell you upfront.
“Help me find an idea” — wrong stage, wrong person. “Pitch deck rewrite” only — book a deck specialist. “How do I get rich on AI” — not the conversation I have.
How we work
One session. One sprint. One quarter.
Start with the smallest unit. Move up only if value is there. No subscription traps.
02
For founders facing a meaningful transition: raise prep, product pivot, technical hire, AI integration decision. Kickoff session, two work-in-progress reviews, final readout.
Deliverable: written summary + go-forward plan, scoped to the chosen outcome.
03
For founders who want a senior operator in their corner for the full quarter. Six sessions over 3 months + email/WhatsApp access for fast questions.
Best for: post-raise founders navigating year 1, scale-up CEOs, technical founders learning to lead.
Focus areas
What I actually advise on.
Pick one focus per engagement. Sessions try to do everything end up doing nothing.
AI strategy & build
Integration decisions, fine-tuning vs RAG, vendor selection, in-house vs outsource, regulated industries (healthcare, finance).
Fundraising narrative
Story architecture, traction framing, investor selection, common red flags in pitch and data room.
UK/EU market entry
Skolkovo-to-UK route I’ve walked. Visa pathway choices, regulatory checks, local hire and partnership patterns.
Technical leadership decisions
CTO hire vs technical co-founder vs outsource. Build vs buy. Hiring the first 3–5 engineers. Tech debt prioritisation.
Track record
Track record.
I don’t publish a “success rate” — mentoring is one input among many. I take credit for outcomes proportional to what I actually did.
- 1,000+ verified mentor sessions at Skolkovo Innovation Centre (2015–present)
- Multiple Skolkovo hackathon winners came through this practice
- World AI Americas winner among advisees
- Vivatech Startup Nation winner among advisees
- Published author at BitProNews and Forbes on founder topics
- Hosts educational content at SkillFactory (thousands of students reached)
FAQ
Common questions.
Five real ones. If yours isn’t here, the one-off session is the right next step.
Rarely. Only for full advisory board seats with quarterly retainer baseline. Discuss specifically if relevant.
Fine. AI/tech is my deepest area, but I’ve advised non-technical founders extensively. The litmus test is whether you have a specific decision, not your background.
Sometimes. Not as a product. If during a session a specific intro is obviously right, I’ll make it. I do not run “intro packages.”
Yes. Verified profile since 2015: mentors.sk.ru/catalog/mentor/bregman. Practice continues alongside UK work.
English (UK/US) and Russian (native). Sessions in either, your choice.
Book a session.
Start with a one-off if you have a specific question. Move to Sprint or Retainer if you decide the value’s there. No subscription traps.