Peter Merc is a startup mentor who helps startups address legal and strategic challenges—before they turn into costly mistakes. His support covers legal documentation, intellectual property protection, business compliance, and, most importantly, preparation for investment and entry into the venture capital world.
Back in high school, he faced a key dilemma: law or economics? Capital markets intrigued him, but not the numbers. Law was the logical choice, but he never became a “classic lawyer.” After graduating, he joined the treasury department at NLB, where he was the only lawyer among 25 economists. For two years, he barely understood what they were saying. Then the job became interesting.
Practical advice that saves a lot of headaches
Today, he mentors startups as they face critical decisions: How should we draft contracts? How do we protect our idea? How do we prepare for investors? His first legal wisdom he shares with startups:
“Everything can be fixed retroactively—except bad long-term contracts and tax mistakes.”
That’s why he advises: don’t sign long-term contracts lasting several years, even if they look good on paper, and consult a tax expert from the start.
As a mentor, he’s not just analytical and precise, he’s also curious, open-minded, and extremely knowledgeable. His leadership style is thoughtful but direct. He takes his time when making decisions. He doesn’t act impulsively, he checks the facts, asks questions, reads. That’s why startups working with him often gain a broader perspective, not just legal advice.
LEGO, fencing, and Tivol
In his free time, Peter dedicates one hour a week to chess, even with a coach. The English saying “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” hits a bit bittersweet, but he approaches it with perseverance. He plans to revive his second childhood passion—fencing—after a 20-year break. And his third passion is still alive: LEGO. His office is decorated with two LEGO cars, and he's currently assembling a massive LEGO crane.
Despite all his hobbies, his priorities are clear. After the birth of his daughter Hana, he consciously reduced his work hours:
“Instead of endless hours in front of a computer, I'd rather be in Tivoli with Hana. There are no compromises here.”
The lesson: 110% or nothing
When reflecting on his biggest failures, he highlights a missed opportunity—a call for proposals where he didn’t give 100%. “For something you truly want, you have to give 110%.” He often passes this lesson on to the teams he mentors.
If he were starting a startup today..
If Peter were to start a startup today, he’d choose an industry he already knows—gaming. He already has experience building a League of Legends team with SPIKE esports, but currently lacks the time for a serious breakthrough. Still, he believes gaming holds vast untapped potential.
When asked what makes a good leader, he replies:
“You’re either a leader or you’re not. The best leaders aren’t the ones who read the most about leadership, but those who can find a win-win for everyone.”
AI as a tool, not a fad
Peter is one of those mentors who doesn’t see artificial intelligence as a passing trend but as a practical tool that’s transforming work, legal work included. He says:
“AI has significantly increased my efficiency. What used to take me a whole day—like reviewing complex documents and preparing summaries, now takes just a few minutes.”
Instead of using traditional channels to gather information, he now turns to ChatGPT and Perplexity. He uses them to research, explore the legal implications of new technologies (like cryptocurrencies), structure his thinking, and draft legal documents. Grammarly helps him with clarity in English, DeepL with translations, and Microsoft Copilot is currently in the process of winning him over.
But he cautions: “To get really good results, you need to invest time in how you ask questions. Without good prompts, AI doesn’t give good answers either.”
By saving time on routine tasks, he can devote more energy to strategic thinking and new projects, such as blockchain forensics, an area he’s currently exploring as one of the fastest-growing fields in the context of online fraud and cyberattacks.
A source of inspiration
Among business books, the one that inspired him the most is Zero to One by Peter Thiel. From podcasts, he gets the most out of The Economist shows—technology, geopolitics, and the U.S. economy.
And the greatest win in his mentoring career?
There’s no single one. “Every mentoring experience is made up of mini wins. When a founder improves their pitch, starts thinking differently, closes their first proper investment round, each of these moments counts.”
Peter Merc is a mentor who won’t just help you set up your legal foundations, he’ll teach you to think longer-term, more structurally, and with a clear sense of what responsibility means in business.
📩 Want Peter to take a look at your startup? Write to info@startup.si
