“The FourthBox bootcamp gave me unvarnished feedback from operators who've been there. I left with concrete changes I actually implemented. We restructured our ABM strategy to focus on tier 1 accounts, killed a major product line that was distracting the team, and changed how I was making hiring decisions. The value wasn't just in feeling motivated it was in having experienced operators help me hold up a mirror in a safe space with a ton of other CEOs going through a similar transition.”
— Ross McNairn, CEO WordSmith.ai
“Those few days had a profound impact on me. I was so impressed by the mentors and their leadership style -confident, clear, yet humble and empathetic.
I came back with a clear message: I don’t want to build a small company. I want to build a category leader with a transformational product and a deeply unique culture. I owe that to the people who believed in us, our investors and our employees who left comfortable jobs to take this leap with us.
Since the bootcamp, we’ve doubled our ambition. We have a term sheet for our Series A, and are ready to scale. We simplified our culture, mission, and product vision, set clear goals, and hired specialists who can help us scale to $10M in the next 12 months. We’ve become religious about ROI in everything we build and focused on partnering with Tier 1 enterprises and law firms, which has been a forcing function for building clear business cases.
— Wiem Gharbi, co-founder Ankar
“I've been to founder events of many different forms over the years, but the time, energy, and intentionality that Clint, Marten, Zack and team put into the FourthBox bootcamp put this event in a class of its own. FourthBox is a rare and unique opportunity to spend serious time with a team of world-class practitioners who have been in the shit and truly understand the founder experience, while bonding with your fellow founders in a special and profoundly beautiful environment.”
— William Morgan, CEO, Buoyant.io
“The CEO bootcamp was a great programme and experience. Being forced to take a step back to reflect on your responsibilities and work as a leader was incredibly useful. The coaches combined with the other participants helped provide perspective I otherwise would not have gotten.”
— Max Junestrand, CEO Legora
“The retreat was exactly the reset I needed. The trip to Finland was worth it and spending a few days on this small island created the perfect space to step back, think clearly, and refocus.
What made it especially valuable was being surrounded by other CEOs at the same stage, all facing similar challenges. The conversations were raw, practical, and immediately relevant, from scaling and hiring to sustaining high performance. There was no posturing, just honest exchange with people who truly understand the pressure and the pace of building a startup.
The coaches were exceptional. They pushed us to think harder about what it means to build high-intensity teams and lead with purpose. Their frameworks and questions forced clarity and focus.
I came back sharper, clearer, and more grounded. And I left with a few relationships that I know will matter for years.”
— Michel Tricot, CEO, Airbyte
“During the early days of my startup, Clint was a steadfast ally, standing by me through the ups and downs when customer traction was still uncertain. His generosity in opening up his network and providing unwavering support was instrumental to our success.”
— Simon Chan, founder Prediction.io
Acquired by Salesforce
“Working with Marten, Zack, and Clint at MySQL was a transformative experience that shaped my career and who I am today. They weren’t just leaders—they were mentors who genuinely cared about every individual, creating a culture where every idea and voice mattered.
Early in my career, they took the time to coach me, breaking down complex decisions and empowering me to grow with confidence and clarity. Their open-door policy and people-first approach made them incredibly accessible and fostered collaboration and innovation at every level. I can say with absolute certainty that my career and personal growth wouldn’t have been possible without their guidance, and if you have the chance to be coached by them, don’t hesitate—it’s a rare and invaluable opportunity.”
- Oliver Plattner, CEO of Battle Creek Games
“Marten is razor sharp, and every time we interact, I’m struck by his ability to tackle my rapid-fire questions. The topics may be complex challenges spanning sales, recruitment, product, people, technology, and leadership. He illuminates perspectives I hadn’t considered, often reframing or inverting problems in ways that open up entirely new avenues of thought.
His guidance is always rooted in a genuine desire to see me succeed as a founder. He understands people extremely well and has given me great advice around how to lead in a remote environment. Marten’s impact on my journey as a founder and a CEO has been transformative, and I feel incredibly fortunate to have had his wisdom and support throughout the years.”
— Jenny Wolfram, CEO, BrandBastion
“I was fortunate to meet Zack early in our startup journey and he helped provide not only operational guidance, but also advice on hard management issues, all the way through our acquisition by Datadog and beyond.”
- Pierre Betouin, CEO of Sqreen.io
Acquired by DataDog
“Throughout the most challenging phases of my startup journey, Clint was a steady, confidence-building presence—offering everything from practical day-to-day operational guidance to high-level strategic counsel. When our acquisition was on the horizon, he ensured every step was approached with both diligence and intention, balancing the needs of our stakeholders with deep empathy for our team.”
— Nick Handel founder of Transform
Acquired by dbt Labs