How To Find a Great Startup Mentor

This is a good read for any first-time entrepreneurs who often underestimate the importance of having mentors. Interestingly my wife asks me the other day whether or not I am "retired", "on a break", or just waiting for new opportunities. To which I said I don't know. But what I do know is that I no longer have the fire in my belly and until I get it back or until I meet someone who has it, I am just whatever. It turns out that first-time entrepreneurs also underestimate the importance of having conviction, and how alluring and contagious that ball-of-fire can be to potential mentors.

Years ago I met an older gentleman who obviously had a lot that I could learn from and I was excited that he was willing to listen. But he told me that he was busy and asked that I returned the following week. When I returned, he said he had studied my presentation and thought that it had potential. More importantly, he was interested in taking a closer look. Then he tossed my business card across his desk and said, "If you want me to help you, you need to change your business card. You are not the VP of Engineering, you are the CEO. If you don’t believe in yourself, how do you expect others to believe in you? Don’t waste my time if you are not willing to take charge of your dream."

This turns out to my most important lesson in selling, especially about selling shit that I don't have. As Yoda would say, "Believe in the force or not believe in the force, there is no try."