Hey there, this is Emily from Red Brick. Welcome to our “Mentor Stories” series, where we celebrate and showcase our mentors who are a big part of how we support startups in Red Brick Accelerator. We hope you enjoy reading them!
Laurent Notin, seasoned mentor, business coach and CrossFit enthusiast, has dedicated his career to helping entrepreneurs succeed through tailored guidance and motivated support. With years of experience mentoring technical founders as well as managing his own enterprises, Laurent has been deeply invested in the growth of leaders and aiming to unlock their full potential, making him also known as “The Bottleneck Coach”.
Laurent’s career began in Southeast Asia and later brought him to Finland, where he now works with technical founders and scale-ups generating revenue and aiming to scale further. His unique athlete-approach to mentoring and coaching is what allows him to guide teams and businesses through critical growth stages. In this article, we dive deeper with Laurent on why he does it, what makes a good mentor, and founder advice.
Mentoring is not about telling others what to do according to Laurent. “The mentoring session is not about me. It’s about the founders. What do they want, what are their issues right now, how can I help them?” he says. “A mentor’s role is not to dictate but to understand and facilitate. If you’re acting as a mentor, understand what they are trying to solve. Ask the right questions, and it will often be sufficient for the founders to find the answers by themselves.”
In every mentoring session, Laurent’s goal is simple yet profound: to ignite the sparkles in their eyes. He finds satisfaction in knowing he’s made a meaningful impact. “When I get a founder telling me, ‘Wow, that was so great, I’m so inspired’ it’s the best reward I can get,” he says. A clear line should be drawn between mentoring and advising: mentoring requires understanding the founder’s unique challenges, while advising is about providing direct solutions based on personal expertise. “If you’re acting as an advisor – great, tell them what to do. But if you’re a mentor, follow their agenda, not yours.”
“Seeing the spark in someone’s eyes when they realize their potential—that’s the ultimate reward.”
Laurent’s approach to life and business emphasizes balance and well-being. He observes that many entrepreneurs sacrifice their health for the sake of their businesses. “Founders need to think like athletes. It’s the race of your life,” he says, advocating for physical and mental discipline, adequate rest, and a focus on personal well-being.
“What’s the point of building a business if in the end you burn out?” he asks. “The best athletes know the importance of physical and mental discipline. If you’re not at 100% physically and mentally, your company won’t be either.”
Laurent’s advice extends to the general entrepreneurial ecosystem. He believes accelerators and incubators can play an important role if they fulfill their purpose of truly accelerating a startup’s journey. He warns against programs prioritizing equity over value, urging founders and teams to choose their accelerators carefully and focus on building customer-centric businesses before seeking external funding.
Beyond his professional expertise, Laurent’s personal motto, “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity,” reflects his outlook on both life and business. He is inspired by thought leaders like Jim Collins and Simon Sinek, as well as books like Trillion Dollar Coach, which provide valuable insights into leadership and coaching. An avid CrossFit enthusiast, he trains five times a week and credits the discipline with transforming his life.
Whether he’s mentoring entrepreneurs, coaching technical founders, or practicing CrossFit or Padel in his free time, Laurent brings a sense of purpose and optimism to everything he does. Known for his directness and for digging fast into the nutshell of the challenges, Red Brick founders remember Laurent’s mentoring sessions as the path to re-discover their WHY and empower their journey forward with a strong meaning.
Red Brick thanks Laurent for his heartfelt dedication to others’ success, setting him apart as a mentor and coach in the world of Red Brick startups. Laurent has been mentoring our founders since 2020, making him one of our most valued mentors. We’ll see Laurent at the next Padel tournament in Helsinki, and until then, happy new year! 💚 Has this inspired you to mentor a startup team? Get in touch, we are always looking for new mentors to join our family!
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