How to Build a Dream Advisory Board for $90 a Month

Most founders I talk to want advisors. They just don't know how to get them without giving away equity.. or how to make them useful once they do.

Monica Bozinov had the same problem. Then she cracked it.

The answer was not expensive. It was not complicated. It was $90 a month and a calendar invite.

Here is what she figured out.. and what it means for your business.

The Advisor Trap

The traditional advisory board model is broken. You offer equity. The advisor says yes. Nothing happens.

They are busy. You feel awkward asking. The relationship drifts. Six months later you have a name on your cap table and zero strategic insight.

This happens to almost everyone who tries it the traditional way.

The reason is simple: equity creates a long-term relationship without a short-term structure. There is no reason to show up unless you build one.

The $90/Month Fix

Monica's approach is different. Instead of equity, she uses a small monthly retainer and a very clear structure.

$90 per month. One 45-minute call per month. One ask per session.

That is it.

Why does it work? Because it is professional. Because both sides know exactly what they are getting. Because the advisor feels respected... not exploited. And because the clarity makes it easy to say yes.

Most high-caliber advisors are not motivated by small amounts of equity in early-stage companies. They are motivated by interesting problems and respect for their time. $90 and a clear agenda does both.

The Three Advisors You Actually Need

Monica is very specific about who to bring in. You do not need ten advisors. You need three.

First: someone who has already done what you are trying to do. Not a generalist. Not a thought leader. Someone who has been in your specific situation and navigated it successfully. They give you pattern recognition.

Second: someone with distribution. A connector.. someone who knows your buyers, your partners, your market. They open doors you cannot open alone.

Third: someone who will push back. Every founder has blind spots. You need one person in the room who will say "I disagree" without flinching. That person is worth more than any other advisor you will ever hire.

One of each. That is your board.

How to Run the Sessions

Structure kills ambiguity. Each session has three parts: a 5-minute update on what happened since last time, a 30-minute deep dive on one specific problem, and 10 minutes for their question.

The one-ask rule is critical. You only bring one thing to solve. Not three. Not a list. One. This forces you to prioritize.. and it respects the advisor's time.

Between sessions, you send a one-page summary of where things stand. Advisors hate surprises. The summary keeps them oriented without burning a full session on catch-up.

The Result

Monica's clients who use this system report two things consistently: they make faster decisions, and they feel less alone.

That second one matters more than people expect. Founders carry a lot. Having three trusted people who know your business.. who are paid to engage, not just to cheer.. changes how you operate.

And $90 a month is less than a dinner out.

Build the board. Run the sessions. Watch what happens.

If you want the full playbook, Monica walks through it step by step in this episode. Watch it here:https://youtu.be/IrDxK8hiIF8

keep rolling, Simon & The Sprinters