The Techstars Barclays Accelerator (in London) is kicking off and that means that mentoring season is upon us. And although I’m doing my best to ‘just say no’ to anything resembling work in the near-term, I’m still meeting regularly with a few founders and early-stage-career folks every month. In fact, I have a mentor session (facilitated by awesome London VC, LocalGlobe) in an hour, helping a young woman develop her near-term career plan.
So, that had me thinking about what I’ve learned about mentoring over the last 10+ years, and why I’ve continued to invest the time. Assuming you’re interested in the topic, I also recommend that you read the Techstars Mentor Manifesto — I haven’t read it prior to writing this post, so that it wouldn’t sway my own thoughts, but I try to read it at least once per year, as it gets my head screwed on straight before all-day mentor sessions.
These are my recommendations for being a good value-add mentor (in a startup-specific capacity):
- Listen (aka Shut Your Trap) – you’re not there to tell them what to do. You’re just as likely to be wrong. And they’ve thought about their idea for a long time. Admit that you would have told the AirBnB team that they were nuts. And you’d have told Uber to pivot to something else. So, squint your eyes and ears, to see if they’re creating the future.
- Ask Questions – these will often help the startup team think about their product, or their situation. This can often be a way to make suggestions without criticizing. And by answering your questions, you’ll help the founders prepare for the same from investors, potential employees, the press, and more. And those questions will possibly impact their product roadmap.
- Be Supportive – founders have enough fears and insecurities; they don’t need yours. I’m not recommending lying to them. But be tactful with your feedback.
- Give Honest Feedback – This is the complement to ‘Be Supportive’, and why I try to be brutally honest. I try to ask questions, explain my perspective, and then get back to listening.
- Qualify Your Feedback – always remember to qualify your feedback with “this is just my opinion — see if others share the same…”. Because they’re likely getting conflicting opinions from legions of people with opinions.
- Be Willing to Be Helpful – if you have an intro or lead that you think can materially benefit the founder, offer it (but don’t make it without getting approval from both sides). Do not be an over-introducer!
That’s my short list. I’m sure I missed a bunch, but if you follow the above list, you’d have a positive day for both you and the founders.
What did I miss?
The feedback that I have had about your mentoring style is just how supportive and how helpful you are. Companies from Techstars have been blown away by how that moves them forward. Thanks for being a great part of the community (even if you have retired, sort of).
Thanks, Max — you run an awesome program; it really was a joy to be involved last year. And I'm looking forward to this year (see you Thursday night!). Hell, maybe I'll even take you up on that desk a day or two a week 🙂
Great advice from a master mentor!
Something special about great mentors like you Dave is that you inspire your mentees to pay it forward. We see the incredible value you bring to our lives and careers through your help and advice and it inspires us to also help others when we can. Great mentors don't just help individuals – they lay the foundation for a strong and trusting community, the best environment possible for innovation.
Thanks for making the world a better place, Dave!
So you're mentoring now too, Annie? I assume so, so that makes me very happy (and the community is much better for it). Can't wait to see you soon in Amsterdam — and, congrats again on your new adventure!
Great points! Good mentoring tips are always helpful (almost at the risk of sounding like meta-mentoring!).
Here are some of my thoughts, having been on both sides of the table:
Avoid being prescriptive: It is very tempting to spurt out a “recipe for success” for the situation at hand, but this is not always helpful. The conversation is usually more valuable than any resulting “prescription”, and can also help instill the right approach when similar situations come up in the future.
Encourage all voices to be heard: Even in the best-balanced teams, not all members’ opinions are voiced. As an outsider trying to get the team to optimal performance, it is important to give the mic to as many people as possible. If done correctly, it can enhance the collective knowledge and unearth useful insights for everyone.
Bring back the bigger picture: Startups are a lot of work, and entrepreneurs often get too focused on their immediate goals. In the meantime, the world around us changes – a lot. A balanced view of those tectonic shifts can be crucial for refreshing the company’s vision and mission, and for aligning its goals with the emerging demand.
Fantastic additions. "Don't be Prescriptive" is so important — I cringe when mentors jump right into solutions.