3 principles of a great startup mentor

Over the past decade as a Techstar mentee and mentor, The best mentors value authentic, two-way relationships over mere mentorship tasks and “catching up.”

The best mentors follow these principles…

  1. Relationship Over Mentorship — The best mentors prioritize the relationship with their mentees over the mentorship itself. An authentic connection is invaluable, and the relationship/benefit is seen as two-way by both parties.

  2. Character Over Skills — The best mentors focus not just on job skills but also on developing the mentee's character; paramount are self-awareness, empathy, and accountability.

  3. Optimism Over Cynicism — The best mentors are rational optimists. Creativity requires optimism. I've always loved Nat Friedman's (CEO of GitHub) quote: "Pessimists sound smart. Optimists make money."

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