As a mentor for Stanford and StartX, many of my mentorship opportunities are short. Sometimes they are just one meeting, sometimes they turn into long term advisory board roles. Either way, a mentor doesn’t always have an ideal timeline to make impact.
Last week felt different.
I’m currently working with 2 companies I was introduced to via StartX. One reached out to me through the StartX portal, and the other I reached out to because I thought their idea was interesting.
It just so happens I knew two founders, each in the spaces these companies were breaking into. Doing my mentorly duties, I made introductions – and in both cases these lead to LOIs (Letters of intent).
Nothing feels better than when you can introduce friends who own companies, to new companies with tech that can make their jobs potentially easier. It helps the existing companies, and the companies starting out. Everyone wins, and it makes me feel like a successful mentor.
On top of that – a team I started out mentoring but am now advising out of Stanford proper received word that they made it to the first interview stage for StartX summer program acceptance.
That is 3 personal wins last week, for these amazing teams, and myself.
It’s cliché to say “and that’s what it is really all about.” But that is true. Mentorship is about giving and helping where you can can – and when you get glimpses of tangible good that help creates, it really makes you feel amazing.
In the eve of this news I even made a short video about mentorship vs. advising, and why I do both:
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