Full Profile
Ben
Sheppard
Founder, Inside Startups. Fractional Operator. Business Coach. 4× Founder, 1 Exit.
Based in Barcelona. Working globally.
The Numbers
4
Client companies taken to $1M ARR in the last 24 months
5
Successful turnarounds in the last 12 months
$1M+
In new sales generated across 4 client companies in the last 12 months
20
Technology grants secured for clients in the last 3 months
4.9/5
Coaching satisfaction rating sustained across 15 years
$1B+
In government and private sector deals advised across infrastructure and M&A
The Full Journey
The Full Journey
I have spent 20 years building, scaling, and turning around companies — across four continents, multiple sectors, and every stage from early concept to exit. That includes raising $2.2M pre-seed for my own company, navigating a full pivot under pressure, and reaching $1M ARR within twelve months of that pivot. I have also helped the founders I work with raise millions across investment rounds and grant funding.
Before coaching and operating full-time, I spent a decade closing deals that most people never get near — infrastructure financing between governments and private institutions, transactions worth hundreds of millions, negotiations with multilaterals, development banks, and Fortune 500s. That world taught me how large institutions think, how they move, and how to get them to yes. It is why I am effective at enterprise B2B, why founders bring me into their biggest commercial conversations, and why I have been able to build a network of 30,000 across the industries that matter. I am not a strategist who advises from the sidelines. I am a deal maker who gets in the room and moves things forward.
The common thread across everything I have built and every client I have worked with is execution under pressure — and the judgement that comes from having done it yourself, repeatedly, across different contexts.
I am also a HYROX competitor. That is not a footnote — it is relevant. I am at my most effective when I am moving, not at a desk. My best thinking happens on a long walk or in the gym, not in a spreadsheet at midnight. Understanding that about myself changed how I work. It is also why Inside Startups is built around brain, body, and business as a single integrated system — because I learned the hard way that the human running the business is not a constant.
Areas of Operation
Where Ben Operates
Strategy and commercial direction
From first principles to execution-ready plan. No generic frameworks; applied judgment from someone who has run the plays.
Fundraising and investor narrative
Raise preparation, pitch positioning, cap table structure, SAFE and round mechanics, and the conversations that happen before the deck lands.
Go-to-market
How to find the first customers, build the engine, and scale it without breaking the business in the process.
Pivots and turnarounds
When the current direction is not working and something needs to change. Ben has navigated this from the inside, not as an outside observer.
M&A and exit preparation
From early positioning through diligence, negotiation, and transition. Currently active in this process with Silta.
Fractional leadership
COO, CCO, CPO. Embedded operating roles with real accountability for outcomes, not just advice.
Commercial growth partnerships
Generating leads, building pipeline, and creating commercial momentum for retainer clients through Ben's platform, network, and content.
The brain, body, business framework
Ben's philosophy of founder performance, built from two decades of operating experience and the work of Inside Startups. Available as a keynote, workshop, or embedded coaching programme for founding teams and leadership groups.
Client Reviews
What Clients Say
"Excellent mentor, strategic advice and team management. Every single suggestion Ben has made to plan my business and help me grow and manage my team has proven on point and very effective. He was able to see things clearly where I could not and give me mature, balanced advice that I could action and was well perceived with the team. I highly recommend."
Guillaume D
Founder, ASP
"Our profit margin was -97%, our client satisfaction survey was 15% and we were $50k in debt. Ben dove in and helped us to surgically resolve all the root causes and stabilise the company. Now our company is profitable."
Hassan M
Founder, Enigma
"Ben is truly remarkable; he consistently brings fresh and innovative ideas to the table. He also offers invaluable assistance in developing new concepts and serves as an outstanding mentor. He encourages you to think outside the box, a crucial quality for excellence."
Peter W
Founder, W-ITC
"I had the pleasure of speaking with Ben, and it was an incredibly insightful experience. His perspectives and advice were invaluable."
Abdul R
Founder, We Better AI
"Ben has a rare ability to listen deeply and respond with clarity that cuts through complexity. His guidance helped me see challenges from new angles and make decisions with more confidence and precision. Thoughtful, honest, and consistently useful. He is someone I have trusted at key moments, and for good reason."
Juanita C
Founder, Jool
"Ben has provided me with valuable insights and knowledge around fundraising, pitch deck development, the structuring of cap tables, and SAFEs. He has also been a great sounding board for strategic planning and go-to-market."
Michail A
Founder, Roam Network
"Ben is a brilliant person to work alongside. Incisive, deeply experienced, very hard working, and just a joy to be around. He brings energy and dedication to most everything he does and I'd recommend bringing him on to a project every time."
Shiv M
Founder, Pathaka.ai
"Ben brought a wealth of knowledge and critical thinking to his mentoring role on our project. His advice was invaluable, ranging from idea development and market placement to fundraising advice and cap table structure. Ben's professionalism and dedication to our project were evident in his commitment to our team's success. He consistently went above and beyond, delivering support that surpassed our expectations."
Travis H
Creative Director, 7 Bridges Brewing Co
"Ben has been a great mentor. First of all he is very responsive. His insight of business has taken my ideas and initiatives to the next level. He also has been able to change my mindset during challenging times."
Hiba K
Sales Consultant
"Ben provided exceptional mentoring that was instrumental in helping me settle in my first tech director role. His insights and guidance were invaluable, and I highly recommend his services to anyone seeking to advance their career."
Stephanie I
Director of Information Protection and Compliance, Age UK
"You predicted a 3-month window for inbound leads to begin converting. I launched in January, and by March your logic was validated — I am now converting inbound leads into real clients. The framework you provided was the catalyst for the institutional momentum I now have, including holding the front page of IPWatchdog as a correspondent."
Timothy Bright
Founder, Brightline IP
Featured & Spoken At
How Ben Thinks About Performance
The
Philosophy
Most founders I work with assume that the pressure is the problem. It is not. The pressure is the job. What breaks people is not the hours or the stakes — it is going into those conditions with a brain, a body, and a business that are not designed to absorb them.
Einstein took long walks. Jobs walked fields with people to solve the problems that built Apple. I narrate into a voice memo on the coast. The thinking is the same: the best work rarely happens at the desk, and the world now has AI to pick up what the desk used to demand.
Inside Startups is built on the conviction that you can work at full intensity, sustain it over years, and come out the other side intact — if you build the right foundations underneath the work. That is what we help founders do.
Get in Touch
Work With Ben
If you are building something ambitious and want a sparring partner who has been through it — the pivots, the raises, the exits, the hard decisions — book a call. The first conversation is focused and honest. You will leave with something useful, or your time back.