Why I'm not your typical startup speaker
I've been there: 500 Startups-backed, built Cathedral Studios to 40K wishlists in 48 hours, managed 30-person teams. Not theory—lived experience with scars to prove it.
I blend Eastern philosophy with Western startup culture. Growth isn't just about tactics— it's about sustainable systems, human-centered design, and building with consciousness.
I almost died from pushing too hard. I talk about burnout, failure, and the dark side of hustle culture. No toxic positivity—just real, honest talk about building businesses.
My speaking style: No slides full of buzzwords. No "10X your growth" nonsense. Just honest stories, practical frameworks, and philosophy-forward thinking that challenges how we build companies. Your audience will leave thinking differently—not just taking notes.
Speaking topics
Choose a ready-made talk or let's craft something custom for your audience.
I almost died chasing growth the wrong way. This talk shares the frameworks I now use to help entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses—focusing on the 20% that drives 80% of results.
Key Takeaways:
- • The 80/20 principle applied to startup growth
- • Systems over heroics: building repeatable processes
- • Energy management for sustainable performance
- • Evidence-based decision making frameworks
- • Values-aligned growth strategies
Best for: Startup conferences, founder communities, accelerator programs
Everyone's talking about AI. Few are using it effectively. I share the frameworks I used to localize Cathedral Studios to 30+ languages and automate workflows that saved weeks of work.
Key Takeaways:
- • Identifying high-leverage AI use cases
- • Simple systems that compound over time
- • Maintaining brand voice with AI content
- • Ethical AI implementation principles
- • Real case studies with specific tactics
Best for: Tech conferences, SaaS events, innovation summits
How we launched Cathedral Studios to 40K wishlists in 48 hours using platform-specific growth hacking, community-driven tactics, and systematic experimentation. No paid ads. No viral stunts. Just strategy.
Key Takeaways:
- • Platform-specific growth strategies (Steam, Substack, etc.)
- • Community-driven growth tactics
- • Launch strategy & preparation frameworks
- • Rapid experimentation methodology
- • Metrics that actually matter
Best for: Gaming conferences, product launches, growth marketing events
From my 500 Startups experience: fundraising is about relationships, not pitches. I share how to cultivate genuine investor connections, negotiate favorable terms, and maintain control of your vision.
Key Takeaways:
- • Building genuine investor relationships
- • Pitch narrative crafting & storytelling
- • Term sheet negotiation strategies
- • Alternative funding models (revenue-based, community)
- • Maintaining values during fundraising
Best for: VC events, accelerator programs, founder communities
Why we named our studio "Cathedral Studios"—because we're building something that outlasts us. This talk blends Eastern philosophy with Western startup culture to explore what it means to build with consciousness.
Key Takeaways:
- • Journey > destination: the philosophy of building
- • Creating value vs. extracting value
- • Long-term thinking in short-term culture
- • Balancing profit with purpose
- • Building businesses that enhance humanity
Best for: Leadership events, conscious business conferences, retreat workshops
Running a 30-person team taught me: culture is your competitive advantage. This talk shares frameworks for hiring based on natural strengths, not credentials, and creating environments where people thrive.
Key Takeaways:
- • Hiring frameworks based on strengths, not resumes
- • Culture design for sustainable performance
- • Remote team management principles
- • Leadership for first-time founders
- • Creating psychological safety
Best for: Leadership conferences, HR events, team retreats
Custom Talk
Have a specific theme or challenge for your audience? I can craft a custom talk that blends any combination of these topics—or something entirely new based on your event's needs.
Discuss Custom TalkFormat options
45-60 minute presentation for your main stage. Thought-provoking, story-driven, with actionable frameworks attendees can implement immediately.
Best for: 100-1000+ attendees
Moderated discussion bringing diverse perspectives on growth, AI, or conscious entrepreneurship. I ask questions that matter—and give honest, unfiltered answers.
Best for: 50-500 attendees
90-120 minute deep-dive session with hands-on exercises. Smaller groups, more interaction, deeper implementation guidance.
Best for: 20-50 attendees
Past appearances & testimonials
"Jonas brought a refreshingly honest perspective to our founder community. No hustle culture BS, just real talk about building sustainable businesses. Our members are still referencing his frameworks months later."
— Sarah Mitchell, Community Director @ TechStars Copenhagen
"We invited Jonas to speak at our AI conference. He cut through the hype and gave practical, implementable strategies. The audience rating was 9.2/10—one of our highest-rated talks ever."
— Mark Chen, Event Director @ AI Innovation Summit
"Jonas's talk on conscious entrepreneurship resonated deeply with our community of mission-driven founders. He blends philosophy with practical business advice in a way that's both inspiring and actionable."
— Lisa Rodriguez, Founder @ Conscious Founders Collective
SPEAKING HISTORY INCLUDES:
Booking information
✓Pre-event consultation to customize content
✓Professionally designed slides (if applicable)
✓Recording release rights (for your event)
✓Social media promotion to my audience
✓Q&A session with attendees
✓Post-event resource sharing with attendees
📍Location: Based in Copenhagen, travel globally
🎥Virtual: Available for online events & webinars
⏰Lead Time: Book 4-8 weeks in advance (minimum 2 weeks)
💰Fee: Varies by event type, audience, travel
🎓Non-profits: Discounted rates for mission-aligned orgs
📱Response: I personally review all speaking requests
Ready to book?
Share details about your event, audience, and ideal topic. I'll respond within 48 hours with availability and a custom proposal.
Speaker kit includes: Bio, headshots, past talk videos, testimonials, technical requirements