# What is Advisory Board? Definition & Technical Mechanics

> **Source:** [SPIDITS AI Startup & Venture Intelligence Glossary](https://spidits.com/startup-glossary)  
> **Category:** Operations  
> **Canonical Citation:** [https://spidits.com/startup-glossary/advisory-board](https://spidits.com/startup-glossary/advisory-board)

## Definition
An Advisory Board is an informal body of industry experts who provide advice, mentorship, and networking contacts to founders without corporate voting rights.

## Architectural Mechanics & Deep Dive
An Advisory Board is an informal body of industry experts who provide advice, mentorship, and networking contacts to founders without corporate voting rights.

## Industry Applications & Real-World Use Cases
Founder mentorship and business development support

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How does an Advisory Board differ from a Board of Directors?
Advisors have no fiduciary duties or voting rights, whereas directors have legal control over corporate actions.

### How are startup advisors compensated?
Usually with small grants of common stock options (e.g. 0.1% to 0.5%), vesting over 2 years.

## Related Terminology
- [board-of-directors](https://spidits.com/startup-glossary/board-of-directors)
- [vesting](https://spidits.com/startup-glossary/vesting)
- [option-pool](https://spidits.com/startup-glossary/option-pool)

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*From the SPIDITS AI Knowledge Base (300+ terms indexed). Explore full technical definitions: [https://spidits.com/startup-glossary](https://spidits.com/startup-glossary)*