Startups don’t succeed in a vacuum. Ideas evolve faster when they’re challenged, shaped, and sharpened through conversation. Strategies get stronger when you can test them against lived experience. And founders build more resilient companies when they have access to the right support - exactly when they need it.

That’s the spirit behind the Office Hours initiative at Puzl CowOrKing Budapest.

Each month, we open our doors to the ecosystem with a series of focused, small-scale Office Hours sessions, hosted by experienced professionals in venture capital, legal, and marketing. These sessions are of course free, open to both our members and the wider community, and designed to offer meaningful, timely input to founders, builders, innovators, entrepreneures, team members or to anyone trying to bring an idea to life.

We know how early-stage work feels: everything’s urgent, your time is stretched, and you can’t always afford the luxury of a full consulting engagement, legal retainer, or marketing strategist. But the questions you face are still real—and the consequences of delaying or guessing can be costly. That’s where Office Hours come in.

No gatekeeping. No information herding. Just access.

Let’s take a closer look at the three Office Hours we currently host at Puzl's Budapest office - and why they matter.

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💸 Venture Capital & Investment: OUVC Office Hours

Hosted by the team at Óbuda University Venture Capital (OUVC), this Office Hour is a rare opportunity to speak directly with practicing investors about your startup, pitch, or fundraising strategy in an informal, approachable setting.

Imre Hild, Managing Partner at OUVC, describes the format beautifully:

“The 'office hours' format turned out to be a successful new setup to interact with people interested in us. Probably the key in this format is that it is simulating an informal coffee-table chat, without any prerequisites or assumptions – just come and talk about what you have on your mind with regards to innovation or entrepreneurship. It is telling that there were 7 projects pitched to us during the first 2 office hours. One of these has already been approved by our Board and we are already in the process of investing 50M+ HUF in it.

Another welcome result of this format is that people who came to talk to us ended up talking to each other – thus, sharing ideas and experiences, creating micro-ecosystem circles, which are the foundation of any well-functioning ecosystems. I am looking forward to all the future Office Hours and I can only recommend to everyone to give it a try - Puzl CowOrKing is really an ideal environment to host such an event.”

This is exactly what we love to see: not just direct outcomes (like funding!), but connections between people who might not otherwise cross paths.

⚖️ Legal Office Hours with Dr. András Szabó

Legal questions often feel opaque, intimidating, or “too early” to deal with - until they become urgent. András Szabó, a startup-friendly legal expert, is on a mission to break down those barriers with this new series of Legal Office Hours. And even in its early days, the impact is clear:

“We’ve only just launched the legal clinic in the spring of 2025, but even at this early stage, their value is already clear.

Startups often face legal questions at pivotal moments - signing their first customer contracts, onboarding early employees or interns, or negotiating an initial investment. These issues can seem complex, but the right conversation at the right time can bring clarity and direction.

One common mistake that’s already surfaced: IP transfer is often not properly addressed in agreements between school cooperatives and startups. Many founders assume the startup automatically owns the output of interns or student contributors (employed via school cooperatives) -but without clear contractual terms, that assumption can lead to serious problems down the line. Legal office hours offer a chance to identify these blind spots early, before they become costly.

And this is exactly why legal office hours matter. They’re not just more approachable - they’re genuinely more accessible. No fees. No gatekeeping. Just practical, focused advice tailored to the real-world challenges startups face.

There’s also a broader principle at play: the pay-it-forward mindset. Sharing legal know-how, especially in those early moments when founders don’t yet have a full legal team, helps strengthen the entire startup ecosystem.”

This kind of clarity - offered early and freely - can make the difference between a founder who’s guessing and one who’s confident enough to move forward.

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📣 Marketing Office Hours with Innomaker Partners

Marketing is where so many startups get stuck. You know your product is great - but how do you explain that to the right people, in the right way, at the right time? The founding team from Innomaker Partners is here to help founders untangle those questions.

Here’s how Kamilla Straussz, Partner at Innomaker Partners, describes the experience:

“I believe it’s incredibly valuable for companies to be able to quickly and purposefully discuss specific questions with experienced professionals. Many startups or small teams simply can’t afford full-scale consulting services, yet they still face important questions ranging from brand building, to setting up their first campaigns, to designing their sales funnels.

Often, people aren’t necessarily looking for a brand-new solution in these sessions; rather, they want a professional to either confirm or challenge the direction or thought process they’re currently following. And to be honest, the expert themselves can learn a lot from these conversations - like identifying the recurring bottlenecks most companies are struggling with.

What companies should pay more attention to: Perhaps the most important thing: don’t try to do everything at once. One or two well-chosen focus points, like a target audience, a specific offer, or one main channel will get you much further than a scattergun approach. This is the only way to maintain consistent effort, which is essential if you want to draw any meaningful conclusions about the effectiveness of your activities.”

These sessions don’t just answer tactical questions, they build marketing maturity! They help teams understand what matters most now, and how to stay focused on what actually moves the needle for the future.

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Why Free Advice and Collaboration Matter?

The startup journey is full of complexity. But too often, access to expertise is gated behind paywalls, formalities, or unspoken rules about who’s “allowed” to ask.

We believe in breaking those gates.

Founders need support when they’re not sure what is the best way to go forward. Or when they operate outside of their core expertise. When the product’s still half-formed. When the team’s too small. When the budget’s too tight.

That’s exactly when advice is most valuable - and exactly when it’s hardest to get.

By offering these Office Hours for free, we’re not just helping individual companies. We’re feeding a culture of trust, accessibility, and mutual support. When experienced professionals choose to give back without expecting anything in return, it creates ripples that strengthen the entire ecosystem.

Whether it’s spotting a legal blind spot, refining a go-to-market approach, or exploring an investment conversation - these moments can change a founder’s direction, or unlock a new path.

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Come Join Us!

If you’ve got questions, challenges, or ideas that need a sounding board, we’re here. Check out the upcoming Office Hours sessions, drop in for a chat, and let’s keep building this community together.

No pitch deck required. No ego.
Just smart people, useful conversations, and shared momentum.

Your desk is waiting.

✉️ Have an idea for a future Office Hour topic? Let us know — we’re always listening.
📆 Keep an eye on our LinkedIn page for upcoming sessions.

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