No, I didn't work on the operations side.
However, I did see board members identify weaknesses in a project. They would then tell people that they had to improve their performance in order to obtain funding.
We're there to advise. As board members, we have a role to play. The board doesn't just rubber-stamp everything. The board is made up of people who are smart. They consider everything and are able to identify weaknesses in the project. For example, if the intellectual property isn't adequately protected, the company is asked to go back to the drawing board. I've seen that from time to time.