Founder Coaching · 1:1 Sessions with Bubs
Meet you before the next big thing.
Pre-product. Pre-launch. Pre-raise. Pre-scale.
Coaching for early-stage founders, especially first-timers who want to move fast, skip the expensive mistakes, and build something that actually works.
3×
YC Founder
2
Exits
$51M+
Raised
500+
Founders Advised
Darius 'Bubs' Monsef
@bubs
Melbourne, Australia
- Founded Creative Market, acquired by Autodesk, 2014
- Co-founded Sightbox, acquired by J&J, 2017
- Founded COLOURlovers, acquired by Autodesk, 2014
- Led Brave Care from seed through Series B
- Founded Nalukai, a startup camp for early-stage founders
- Angel investor in health, consumer, and infrastructure
YC W10YC S19YC S24The Pre Framework
Wherever you are, there's a Pre.
Most coaching is reactive. Pre is proactive. We work on what comes next, before you've spent six months and $50K figuring it out on your own.
Pre Product
You have an idea. Don't build yet.
The #1 startup killer is building something nobody wants. We do the validation work first so every dollar you spend is earned.
Pre Launch
You've validated. Now build the smallest thing that actually tests your bet.
Ship before you're ready. Learn before you polish. Don't hire contractors yet.
Pre Raise
You have traction. Now tell the story investors actually want to hear.
Deck, narrative, targeting, all of it. We've raised $51M+ across eight rounds.
Pre Scale
You've raised. Now the real pressure starts.
Build the systems, team, and focus that turn a funded startup into a company that doesn't implode.
How It Works
Real advice from someone who's been there.
01
Book a free intro call
10 minutes. Tell me where you are and what's blocking you. I'll tell you whether I can help and what that looks like. No pitch, no pressure.
02
Do the work together
30-minute sessions focused on what actually moves the needle right now. Not frameworks for the sake of it. Practical, specific next steps you can execute this week.
03
Move faster, waste less
Leave every session with clarity on what to do next. The kind of clarity that used to cost founders months of expensive, avoidable mistakes to find on their own.
Book a Session
Let's figure out what comes next.
Start with a free 10-minute intro call. We'll figure out where you are, what's stuck, and whether working together makes sense. No obligation.
Pre got us aligned in a way we hadn't been before. Knowing someone is watching has been a real motivator to hit our targets.
Rob
YC S21 Founder
Bubs is a seasoned startup pro and you'd be lucky to work with him. He will help you level up.
Drew
YC '20 Founder
I've seen Bubs transform messy, meandering pitches into crisp, magnetic stories that make people lean in. Countless times.
Asa
YC S19 & S24 Founder
Intro Call · Free
10 minutes · Video call
A quick call to understand where you are and whether Pre coaching is the right fit. No prep needed, just show up.
- Where are you in the journey?
- What's actually blocking you right now?
- Is Pre coaching the right next step?
Coaching Session · $250 AUD
30 minutes · Video call
A focused working session on your most pressing challenge. Come with a clear problem, leave with a clear plan and specific next steps.
- Customer validation & discovery strategy
- MVP scope & build decisions
- Pitch deck review & story feedback
- Fundraising strategy & investor targeting
- Brand, design & go-to-market
- Post-raise execution planning
Free Resource
The Founder Handbook
Notes, frameworks, and opinions for early-stage founders. Not a course, not a product. Customer validation, first MVPs, how to talk to customers. Reference material from work already done. Free, no signup required.