Startups & Scale-Ups

How I help

I work with ambitious startups and scale-ups to help them grow with intention. Whether you’re refining your go-to-market strategy, building operational structure, or integrating AI to support lean teams, I bring the clarity, systems thinking, and strategic support that turns potential into momentum. Together, we create the foundations for sustainable growth - so your vision doesn’t just survive scaling, it thrives in it.  

Ready to scale with structure? Let’s talk 

From Vision to Validation

Turn early ideas into credible plans, and make your startup investment-ready.

• Assess the feasibility of your idea - from concept to production-readiness

• Identify gaps in your execution plan before presenting to investors

• Review your full investor pitch - including story, structure, and delivery

• Help align your business model, product vision, and growth assumptions

• Offer strategic feedback on how to strengthen your positioning and anticipate investor concerns

Updated Section: From Fit to First Wins

Find your beachhead market and build repeatable momentum.

• Define and refine your MVP using Design Thinking and customer-centric principles

• Design early product or service experiments to validate real customer value

• Identify and prioritize your initial target market with a strategic lens

• Shape your go-to-market approach to match your audience and vision

• Develop pricing strategy that reflects value while supporting growth

• Clarify positioning in a competitive market - so you're not just different, but compelling

• Help translate early traction into signals that guide product, messaging, and investment strategy

From One to Many

Design the systems that take your business from promising to powerful.

• Define your scaling vision and market expansion strategy - where to grow, and why

• Structure your approach to entering new markets or segments, including risk and readiness evaluation

• Design internal operations that support repeatability - without stifling agility

• Support replication of successful products or services across teams, geographies, or verticals

• Collaborate on org design and workforce planning, defining roles and FTE needs for growth

• Monitor execution and create adaptable structures to manage complexity as you scale

• Because it takes a village to grow a business, I bring in trusted experts when needed - from AI and automation to product design, accessibility, and beyond

Growing the Engine

From one-off wins to a repeatable engine for growth.

• Design lean, scalable structures that support growth without adding unnecessary complexity

• Align go-to-market strategy with operational capabilities, so delivery and demand scale together

• Build integrated motions across teams - marketing, product, sales, customer success - to avoid silos as you grow

• Establish simple systems for tracking progress: KPIs, operating rhythms, and feedback loops that keep execution on course

• Support leadership in transitioning from startup culture to a more distributed, high-performing team environment

• Harmonize workflows and tools across functions, so scale feels natural, not chaotic

Ready to build the systems that support your vision?

Whether you're defining your MVP, structuring your first scale play, or transitioning from hustle to repeatability - let’s make your next stage work smarter, not harder.

Let’s talk 

Testimonials

"Working with Ioana was an experience where vision took shape and purpose. In our conversations about strategic consultancy solutions for young athletes, she brought not only structure and clarity, but also a rare depth in the way she listens and understands. Ioana has a remarkable ability to ask the right questions, hold space for meaningful reflection, and translate early-stage ideas into clear, actionable strategy.

What stood out to me was her balance between empathy and vision, intuition and precision. Each conversation left me with greater clarity, inspiration, and confidence that what we were building had both strategic value and human meaning. She is the kind of thought partner who brings light into complex processes and depth into creative thinking. It was both a joy and a truly valuable interaction - professionally and personally."

Stefana Cazan - Communication Educator and Executive Coach,

EdAlt Intitute

"Ioana has a rare ability to turn visionary ideas into practical, impactful outcomes. She thinks strategically, brings clarity to complexity, aligns teams around a shared purpose, and ensures that bold thinking drives measurable results. Collaborating with her is both inspiring and transformative."

Tudor Scripor, CEO 

The Scripor Alphabet