What does Michael Batko's coaching cover?

Michael works across three layers: Strategy (defining direction, stress-testing against reality, building prioritised roadmaps), Business Operations (getting everything out of your head into a single source of truth - processes mapped, knowledge captured, documentation your team can find), and Personal Operating System (redesigning how you personally work so chaos becomes a system).

Who does Michael Batko work with?

Founders scaling past product-market fit, executives stepping into bigger roles, and senior leaders building something that matters. Very few engagements - deep, not wide.

What is Michael Batko's track record?

2x founder (both acquired). 6 years as CEO of Startmate, Australia's most active accelerator. Backed 300+ startups worth $4.5B in combined portfolio value. Top 5% global fund returns. 228 first cheques written. 3,500+ jobs created.

How does Michael Batko's coaching work?

Flexible cadence - fortnightly, monthly, or ad hoc. Live coaching sessions mixed with async deep work where Michael builds alongside you. Not someone who tells you what to do - someone who does it with you.

What is Hourglass AI?

Hourglass AI is Michael Batko's main focus - an Australian company he co-builds that reworks 10-80 person businesses around AI. The method is Diagnose. Build. Automate.: map every workflow, build the foundation that makes AI understand the business, then hand the team working systems they own. Book a call at thehourglass.ai.

How can I contact Michael Batko?

For Hourglass AI, book a call at thehourglass.ai. For coaching, DM Michael on LinkedIn (linkedin.com/in/batkomichael). He responds to every message personally.

Michael Batko - executive coach and startup advisor

Michael BatkoYou don’t have an advice problem.
You have a doing problem.

2x founder (both acquired) · 8 years running Australia's most active accelerator · 300+ startups · $4.5B portfolio → My story

Now I work with a handful of founders - not from the sidelines, but in the weeds.

I help you work things out, then go as deep as you need - all the way to setting up your operations. Fundraise deck done and practiced. Budget lined up. CRM set up. Workflows flowing.

Everyone loves talking. I love doing. Whatever needs to happen right now - we do it together.

DM me on LinkedIn WhatsApp me

Currently coaching 4 founders. Taking on 1 more this quarter.

Hourglass AI · My main thing

Every company gets rebuilt around AI.
I make sure yours is rebuilt by design.

60 minute call with a CEO of a 400+ person company last week.

His board wants AI.

He can't name one problem it solves.

That gap is exactly what Hourglass AI closes.

Diagnose.

We sit with your team, map every workflow, and rank what AI can take off your plate by hours saved.

Build.

The foundation that makes AI understand your business, then the agents and automations on top.

Automate.

Your team owns the system from day one. No strategy decks. No chatbots. Working systems.

40%

admin costs cut

Integr8

80%

service benchmarks up

Integr8

8 hrs

back every week on reporting

Integr8

75%

admin hours cut

Voyagin Australia

“The early results from the project are incredible. Our admin hours have quartered since working together.”

Toby Chilver · Founder, Voyagin Australia

We work with 10-80 person Australian businesses where what your people know IS the business. Across:

Venture capital & fundsPropertyProfessional servicesRecruitmentManufacturingLogisticsTravel & tourismHealth & wellnessSportNon-profit

We open the books every month.

Revenue, wins, stuff-ups - no investors, no spin.

Get the Monthly Update >>

Book a Discovery Call the full story >> thehourglass.ai

Coaching

Tuesdays, I coach.A handful of founders, in the weeds - strategy, ops, fundraise.That's the whole allocation.

If that's you >> DM me on LinkedIn

“To say Batko left Startmate in a better place than when he took the reins would be an embarrassing understatement.
Batko literally re-founded Startmate, and Australia thanks him for it.”