Ingomu was founded to make coaching more accessible and affordable. The idea was to create a platform where people could access different types of coaching, including life, career and wellness, in a scalable way through group sessions.
We wanted to support that experience with AI, without replacing the human element. The AI acts as a companion, helping users reflect, journal and find the right resources, while keeping human coaches at the centre. Because existing tools were not safe or controllable enough for this use case, we built our own system, Eric AI.
Eric AI was originally created to support Ingomu but evolved into a standalone product and now also serves as a control layer for enterprise AI platforms. It was not the original plan, but through real use and advisor input, it became a natural next step.
Board advisors have played an important role in helping us step outside the founder bubble. Working with advisors gave us an external perspective grounded in real experience, which helped challenge our thinking and highlight gaps we couldn’t see ourselves.
The biggest lesson was knowing what to ask for. Advisors are most effective when you’re clear on what the business needs and where they can add value. Through Connectd, their input has influenced everything from product and UX to how we position, market and talk about the company. It’s even shaped the evolution of Eric AI, with some unexpected but positive outcomes along the way.
The first step is being really honest about what you need help with. As a founder, it’s easy to operate in a bubble, so taking the time to identify where outside perspective would add the most value makes a huge difference. Once that’s clear, set expectations early around what you want from the advisor, how you’ll work together and how much time they can realistically commit.
It’s also important to treat advisors as part of the team rather than a separate layer. Keep meetings focused, agree on clear actions, and hold each other accountable. And finally, be coachable. Advisors are there to challenge your thinking and share their experience, and the relationship only works if you’re open to listening, reflecting and applying what you learn.
A fractional CHRO operates as a genuine member of the leadership team, shaping decisions that affect the entire company's trajectory - and they could be critical to your startup's growth
The panel at Connectd's recent event in Miami drilled down into exactly what it takes to build a portfolio career that pays
