Venture Builders Meetup: The Scalable Boutique

NOTE:
Event is for the C-level and Partners only. Limited to 30 participants. To request an invitation fill the form on our website.

Following five successful editions in Prague, COPS, in partnership with JetBrains, is launching this format in the Netherlands.
We are shifting the focus to professional service providers seeking to transition from traditional billable hours to scalable, recurring revenue models.
As we move through 2026, the traditional service growth model is facing two primary challenges:

• A chronic shortage of senior talent in the Dutch market, creating a hard ceiling for headcount-driven growth
• Rapid commoditization of manual work, putting increasing pressure on billable-hour margins

This session focuses on how boutique firms are addressing both by converting internal know-how into digital assets that scale independently of people.

### Key Discussion Points

Decoupling Revenue from Headcount
How firms are breaking the 1:1 link between staffing and growth to increase margins without additional senior hires
Institutionalizing IP
Turning “people-based” expertise into proprietary digital tools that remain a long-term asset of the firm
From Internal Tool to Market Offering
How to transition from internal automation to client-facing products — without turning your firm into a software agency

### Event Agenda:

17:30 – 18:15
Registration, welcome drinks & informal networking

18:15 – 18:30
Opening remarks by COPS & JetBrains
Introduction to venture building and the emerging opportunities in the consultancy sector

18:30 – 19:00
Keynote by Gidion + fireside chat
From building a consultancy to navigating the startup world

19:00 – 19:30
Interactive workshop & moderated discussion
Practical perspectives on scaling expertise into digital assets

19:30 onwards
Open networking & peer exchange