Collection: Board work (SUP)

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A collection of sources and best practices that helps you plan and execute valuable board meetings.
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Written by Sebastian FuchsJun 23, 2025

Here are some popular sources to get the most out of your board when running a startup.

YC notes: How to create and manage a board

Source: https://www.ycombinator.com/library/3w-how-to-create-and-manage-a-board
- BOARD COMPOSITION
- Managing Your Board
- Leveraging Your Board & Navigating Issues

Sequioa notes: Preparing a Board Deck

Source: https://articles.sequoiacap.com/preparing-a-board-deck

  • Prepare just enough

  • Focus on calibration

  • Take a step back

  • Don’t overthink it

  • Share materials early

  • Structure the meeting

  • Example agenda and slides

SUP board deck template

An example simple board deck used at SUP for 1h hour meetings
- Agenda
- Dashboard
Template: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1YR7HV3q6cjTFmtqlLVtjr3Xg6tDkFFOtUcKN6bMOSCU/edit#slide=id.g8aa7a6ff9b_0_5

StartupTools useful resources

  • Share register and issue

  • Subscription and Shareholders agreement

  • Articles of Association

  • Fundraising

  • QESO

  • Per capsulam

  • Board meetings

  • Making meeting minutes official

  • Type of board members and reserves

Source: https://startuptools.org/se/board-articles/

Startup Board Meeting FAQ

A useful blog post that asks the right questions when navigating board work in a startup.
This blog post assumes that the relevant corporation is governed by the Canada Business Corporations Act. Only take what makes sense for your startup and your context.

Source: https://medium.com/@Torys/startup-board-meeting-faq-a705675733e1

  • Board role

  • Who should be at the board

  • Scheduling

  • Emergencies

  • Topics

  • Agenda

  • Meeting package

  • Preparations

  • Starting, Running & post-work

  • Resolutions and voting

  • Board approval

  • Legal matters and who should be involved

Tillväxtverket board guidelines

Tillväxtverket, The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, shared "Styrelsetrappan", a PDF report (2019) with some useful thoughts on how to think about board work to comply with laws but adapt your board work to the size and maturity of your business,

Full PDF guide: https://tillvaxtverket.se/download/18.6855bfcf184896002ffb2c/1668765802835/Styrelsetrappan%20version%203.pdf

📶 The Four Levels of Board Work ("Styrelsetrappan")

  1. Passive Board

    • Common in solo businesses and small family companies.

    • Focus: formal administration.

    • Few or no external board members.

  2. Simple Board (popular among startups and scaleups)

    • Small companies (2–10 employees), often knowledge-intensive looking to expand and grow fast.

    • Focus: start thinking as a team, bring in external knowledge (e.g. advisory board).

    • Not required to have a clear ownership directive — but helpful.

  3. Active Board

    • At least 10 employees, >10M SEK in turnover.

    • Clear role separation, external board members, focus on strategy and growth.

    • Hiring an external CEO is often recommended.

  4. Professional Board

    • For larger or listed companies.

    • External chair, clear ownership directive, professional recruitment.

    • Market analysis and board diversity are important.