Incubator Blogs — Mentor Vesa Lindroos: Curiosity, simplicity and the power of finding your “So what?”

Welcome to another edition of our interview series introducing the mentors behind the University of Helsinki ’s entrepreneurship programmes. This time, we're meeting Vesa Lindroos - SME business consultant, mentor extraordinaire, and metaphorical racer.

In the topsy-turvy world of entrepreneurship,?Vesa Lindroos believes that founder teams should ensure that they are focused on solutions for a problem and not solutions looking for a problem. This means getting clarity of purpose. “Ideas are cheap, so there really needs to be solid, refined answers to the question of so what?“ he says.

“Maybe asking, therefore, what? sounds nicer, but refining ideas to their core essence and then being committed requires blunt honesty”, he adds diplomatically.

Curiosity as the engine of innovation

Lindroos likens his approach to that of a racer - let’s go with Formula One for maximum analogy velocity. He says that racing consists of team effort and the motivation to push beyond the limits “Excess weight in the car costs performance, and every lost second may cost the race. This mindset is very applicable to how we should conduct business.”

Lindroos has always been driven by curiosity, and the desire to explore new fields has been the primary driver of his career.

“I grew up around motorcycles and cars,” he says, recalling his childhood fascination with mechanics, which set him on the path to studying mechanical design. “I chose to study mechanical design because I wanted to design parts for cars or motorcycles. As I went on, I realised there's deeper knowledge to be had in design than just understanding the materials. You should understand how different materials react to your design,” he adds.

Over time, in addition to getting a bachelor’s degree specialising in mechanical design, and a master’s degree specialising in materials science, Lindroos opted to study design thinking as part of Stanford University’s globally accessible programmes, “Stanford opened my eyes to not just what I was designing but who I was designing for,” he explains.

Lindroos says design thinking is about understanding the human element in products and services. This shift from purely technical knowledge to a more human-centric approach has since become the basis of his mentoring philosophy.?

From chemistry to consulting

After completing his studies in mechanical design and industrial management, Lindroos began working as a researcher at Aalto University . He explored materials chemistry and worked on high-stakes projects like researching spent nuclear fuel storage. His research focused on corrosion phenomena in copper, a critical issue for long-term storage solutions. This experience enabled him to extract practical, actionable insights from complex problems.

However, his research time wasn’t just about solving technical challenges. Lindroos found himself drawn to the broader question of how to turn scientific research into something that could be commercialised. “I started to wonder how I could take this knowledge and make it into something that creates value in the market,” he explains.

This question would shape the next phase of his career as he transitioned from academia into consulting, combining his expertise in engineering with business strategy.

Today, Lindroos applies his vast experience in engineering, research, and management to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups navigate their unique challenges. “No two start-ups are the same,” he says, “but there are usually common patterns of communication issues, strategic blind spots, and the need for clarity in vision. My role is to help them identify these and help them refine their approach.”

Simplify, simplify, simplify!

One of the key lessons Lindroos brings to his mentoring is the importance of simplicity.

“Researchers, engineers, and founders all struggle with the same thing,” he explains. “They often try to prove how smart they are by using complicated language. But complexity can be a barrier. If you can’t simply explain your idea, how do you expect anyone else to understand it?”

He recalls his own experience during his research days when his professor constantly reminded him to make his papers more understandable. “My professor would tell me, ‘Vesa, you need to write this simpler. Make it accessible.’ I carry that with me in all my mentoring work to this day.”

In the pursuit of accessibility, Lindroos gets founders he mentors to think about their solutions and ask themselves, “So what?”?

It’s a deceptively simple (and some may say blunt) question that forces them to cut through the noise and get to the heart of their ideas. “Every founder has lots of ideas. The trick is figuring out which ones actually matter. Asking ‘so what?’ helps them identify the core of their business and its true value.” Elaborating more, the mentor explains that this question is designed to uncover why the product is meaningful to the customer and what steps are necessary to deliver that value.

According to Lindroos, the ability to refine and focus on what truly matters separates successful start-ups from those that get lost in the weeds of over-complication. “The fewer words you use, the clearer your message becomes,” he explains. “That’s when you start to see the proverbial golden egg of your solution.”

Previously, Lindroos has served as a mentor at the Founders Institute Global Food Ecosystems Accelerator but opted for a change when the chance of mentoring in the Helsinki Incubators Tremor programme came up.

Currently, he is guiding four teams: Activate!, Gagalingo, Keepos, and Theory 4 Action. While he says each team is different, his approach remains the same: to help them refine their ideas, define their value proposition and test their assumptions through real-world feedback.?

Lindroos says he is particularly attracted to teams that share his curious nature and are willing to learn and step outside of their comfort zone. “What I enjoy most about mentoring is seeing teams grow through refining their ideas. They come in with raw enthusiasm, but through mentoring, they start to see what works and what doesn’t. That’s when real growth happens.”

One of the unique aspects of the Helsinki Incubators program, Lindroos points out, is its blend of academic theory and practical business advice, “Unlike the Founders Institute programmes that I took part in, which are focused on launching companies within a fixed time frame, Helsinki Incubators offers a more exploratory environment where founders can take their time to hone their ideas.”

“However, it’s not just about starting a company,” he stresses, “The University of Helsinki programmes are also about helping the founders become stronger and more resilient leaders.”

Growth from the booms and busts of entrepreneurship

For Lindroos, the world of entrepreneurship is an emotional rollercoaster with the occasional bit of fun. “There are ups and downs,” he says, “You go from the high of a breakthrough idea to the low of seeing it fail in the market. But that’s part of the process.”?

He compares entrepreneurship to music: “Just like in music, there are people with a natural ear for harmonies, but even the most talented musicians need to practice. Start-up founders are the same. You should practice your craft—refine ideas, build teams, and navigate the market,” he explains.

This emotional rollercoaster is something Lindroos understands deeply, having experienced it himself. But for him, it’s also what makes entrepreneurship so exciting. “The energy, the passion,the drive—it’s infectious,” he says. “That’s why I keep coming back to mentoring.”?

The University of Helsinki's?entrepreneurship programmes, the Helsinki Incubators?provides support and opportunities for bold thinkers in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area interested to take their ideas and turning them into impactful ventures. Interested in taking part in our pre-incubators and incubators??Subscribe to our newsletter ?for updates on when the next calls open.

• Read more mentor interviews here!

Text by: Mark Fletcher

Interview by: Lis Vila Rosas