The discussion focused on a challenge widely shared across professional services, including consulting, legal, and accounting. Growth in these sectors is often tied directly to headcount, which increases operational complexity and limits long-term scalability. At the same time, client acquisition for high-value services remains heavily dependent on personal networks and referrals.
The meetup created space to explore practical ways to address these constraints.
From Expertise to Scalable Products
A central theme of the event was how to turn existing know-how into scalable assets. Participants shared perspectives on approaches such as productized services, internal tools evolving into SaaS products, and niche digital solutions built on top of domain expertise.
Rather than focusing on theory, the discussion reflected real implementation challenges and opportunities that participants are currently addressing within their own businesses.
Key Contributions from Speakers
The keynote by Gidion Peters (Founder & Exit Veteran) offered a practical view on building and scaling an organizational consultancy, including international expansion and preparing a company to operate independently.
The session was complemented by contributions from Tomislav Kostanjevac and Ondrej Dvorak (COPS Solutions),who led a moderated discussion focused on identifying and validating new business opportunities within existing firms.
The event was opened by Lena Pishková and Natália Kocichová from JetBrains, together with Rolf Middendorp from COPS Solutions B.V., who framed the broader context of venture building and its relevance for professional services and startups.
Focus on Practical Exchange
The format of the meetup was intentionally limited to a smaller, curated group of participants. This enabled a more open exchange of experiences, including both successful approaches and challenges related to scaling service-based businesses.
The discussion extended beyond the event itself, with several participants already engaging in follow-up sessions focused on identifying concrete opportunities within their companies.
Opportunity Scan: Next Steps for Interested Participants
As a follow-up to the meetup, COPS Solutions continues to offer a structured 90-minute Opportunity Scan designed for companies exploring scalable growth options.
The session focuses on:
- identifying underserved market segments
- defining potential product or SaaS concepts
- outlining an initial execution roadmap
Due to capacity constraints, only 5 sessions per month are conducted.
Companies interested in this format can reach out directly via:
- email: office@cops.solutions
- or through LinkedIn (Ondrej Dvorak)
About the Venture Builders Meetup
The Venture Builders Meetup is a recurring format aimed at connecting professionals who are actively exploring new business models beyond traditional service delivery. Previous editions have been held in Prague in collaboration with partners such as Microsoft, with the Amsterdam event marking a further expansion of this initiative.
