The ones who shape the future won't be the fastest, but the clearest about what they're building and why.
I'm a business and life coach for founders and creators building in the AI space.
I help ambitious people grow with more clarity, direction, and purpose — without burning out or losing themselves in the process.
Based in Lisbon. Working with clients worldwide.
"I feel that I have grown professionally as well as personally in ways that I never expected. There are lessons that I've learned in communicating with Jan that I trust will serve me for years to come, and frankly, you could not put a price on these services."— Alex Nicita, Entrepreneur + AI Builder
It's also one of the most demanding.
New models, new tools, new competitors, new use cases - every week. The culture here rewards speed and celebrates the ones who move fastest.
Most people just keep up. Or try to.
83% of founders experience high stress. In the AI space, this number is probably even higher.1
There's no natural pause point, no milestone that feels stable enough to stop and ask how you're doing. With so much demand and opportunity it's easy to fall into a reactive pattern.
Some try to do too much at once. Others get so overwhelmed they can't move at all.
The people who thrive long-term aren't the ones who moved fastest. They're the ones who knew what they were actually building, and why, and could hold that steady when everything around them kept shifting.
I value contribution, freedom and autonomy.
I've never had a traditional job.
After I finished my physics degree, I co-founded a social startup. It was exciting and fun… until it wasn't.
The biggest realization I had after I left: Happiness has to be the fuel, not a reward.
In 2018 I found my passion in coaching and dedicated myself fully to it.
Since then I've worked with over 100 clients across the world. These days most of them are building in the AI space.
I continuously invest in my own development, learning from the best coaches in the world.
Since ChatGPT launched I've been deeply exploring the AI space, staying on top of every major shift, vibe-coding tools for myself, and working closely with the people educating and building with AI.
I've done 2 Vipassana retreats, multiple plant medicine ceremonies, an 8-day darkness retreat and many other retreats and experiences that helped me heal past trauma and become more free.
I grew up in Stuttgart, Germany in a middle class family. I have 2 younger brothers. I play lots of different sports, I love adventures and nature. I read a lot, for fun and for personal development.
I'm based in Lisbon since 2023. Today I work primarily with AI founders, educators, and creators - people who have moved fast and are genuinely excited about what this technology makes possible, and who want to build something meaningful without burning out or losing themselves in the process.
I live here with my wife, Diara and our 2 cats Luno and Koda.
I only work 1:1, no group programs. I support only a small number of clients at any given time. We go deep and far together, over several months, with bi-weekly sessions and support in between.
The work is holistic by design. We look at the whole picture — your business, your mindset, your energy, your patterns, your vision. Strategy without inner work only goes so far and inner work without practical direction stays theoretical.
Sessions happen over video call or over audio while we're both outside walking in nature. The best conversations don't always happen sitting down.
I'm selective about who I work with. When I work with someone, I'm all in to support them and their mission and their life, so I choose my clients as carefully as they choose me.
Building in the AI space means your attention is naturally pulled outward - new tools, new opportunities, new decisions every week. That matters, and you'll have my full support there. But lasting progress requires looking at the full picture - your business, your mindset, your patterns, your vision.
We move between the following areas as needed. Some weeks it's strategy and priorities. Others it's the deeper internal work.
Most founders are so deep in the day-to-day that they've lost sight of what they're actually building and why. We start by getting radically clear on your vision. Not just the business goals, but the life you want to be living while you build it. Clarity at this level is the foundation.
We turn your vision into a focused, realistic strategy that works with your energy and strengths, not against them. You'll always know what to focus on next, and you'll make consistent progress one step after another.
This is where most growth actually happens. Every founder has patterns — avoidance, procrastination, self-doubt — that quietly slow everything down. We work on these in real time, week after week, so they stop disrupting your momentum and keeping you from the progress you're capable of.
This includes accountability — checking in week after week so you stay on track, don't get distracted, and the things that really matter actually get done.
The stories we tell ourselves shape the experience we have. The meaning we attach to what happens in our business — with cofounders, investors, employees — drives how we feel and how we respond. This work is about becoming aware of those stories and learning to relate to them differently.
When we want to get to a new level in our business, that usually comes with a shift in identity. Maybe it's learning to delegate, stepping back from micromanaging, or letting others step into leadership. When our identity shifts, our behavior and actions naturally follow — rather than trying to force different results while staying the same person.
"Jan has a holistic approach. He doesn't just focus on business strategy, but also on identifying core fears, limiting beliefs, and the deeper issues that can hold you back. I came into our work together feeling lost, confused, and uninspired. Over time, with his guidance and accountability, I gained clarity and momentum again. I wholeheartedly recommend Jan!"
I've worked with high-level leaders of big corporations like Apple and Amazon, award-winning actors, solopreneurs, artists, professors, resourceful students, mothers and other human beings who had a project they wanted help with.
The biggest group of people I've worked with are founders. I love working with impact-driven founders, and currently I'm especially excited to support businesses in the AI space, education, climate and mental health.
You can find some of my past clients on the client love page.
Most clients meet with me 2–3 times a month for 90 minutes. That rhythm tends to offer a good balance of spaciousness and momentum.
Between sessions, I'm available for ongoing support, whether it's going deeper into what we've explored in the last session or navigating something time-sensitive. You can reach me by text or voice memo whenever something meaningful arises.
Coaching engagements range between $5,000 and $50,000 depending on the length and intensity of the coaching agreement.
After we have had a first coaching conversation and are both excited about the idea of doing some great work together, we will discuss what coaching engagement makes the most sense.
And I will only offer you to work with me if I know I can help you and I trust you will get a positive return on your investment.
No. Part of the transformative nature of this work is stepping into it with full commitment. So under no circumstances will you get a refund.
This is why I take enough time in coaching conversations with you to give us both the chance to figure out if we are all in or not.
If you are unsure if you want to work with me, or if you have what it takes to create an amazing return on your investment, you are not ready.
In the past two years, my wife Diara and I built a business together providing exactly that. The focus is on helping consultants and service-providers get their first or next clients on LinkedIn.
At the core of everything we do, we are focusing exclusively on B2B business coaching.
So if you are specifically looking for help growing and getting leads on LinkedIn, Diara is your person.
