Mentors can be a huge resource to entrepreneurs. They often bring relevant experiences and fresh perspectives, and can provide advice and serve as a sounding board. Here are some tips for how to find and build relationships with mentors.
The best way to find mentors is through word of mouth, to find people interested in your space and will likely become personally invested in your success. The best mentors are the ones who want to help and have time for you. This means that a very famous person may be less useful to you than someone with less name recognition who will quietly advocate for you. To find mentors, go through your own network and ask people if they know people who can help.
The best way for outreach is via a warm introduction. Reaching out to a mentor via a cold email often does not yield results, with one exception: Typically people are very open to talking to other people if they share a common community. For example, MIT student entrepreneurs have had great luck reaching out to MIT alumni. Typically you will also get better interest with alumni of other companies you may have worked for.
It is a given that if you talk to multiple mentors, you will get multiple, sometimes conflicting opinions. Each person will advice you based on their own experiences and positions. It is your job as an entrepreneur to take in all the information, make sense of it, make your own decisions and find your own way forward. It is your own venture and not theirs and you are in the driver’s seat.
Mentors give their time and expertise and often open up their networks to help you. You should be cognizant of the value they bring, and make sure you thank them after each interaction to make sure they know your appreciation.
