Ask HN: Where do budding entrepreneurs find mentors? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Where do budding entrepreneurs find mentors?

5 pointsnikkwong2 comments

Hi,

I'm your typical 20 something wantrepreneur attempting to turn something I built (www.formatic.io, if you're interested), into an established product. I feel like I have a lot of my bases covered, I'm confident in the product-market fit, and I feel like there are several things I've gotten right.

However, I'm new in the industry and there are a lot of unknowns. And if I really want this product to succeed, right now is a very expensive time to make mistakes that could have been avoided had my team and I been aware of insights that come with experience.

I've yet to find a web service or the like that helps foster relationships between benevolent battle-hardened entrepreneurs and inexperienced entre/wantrepreneurs. So, what do people do?

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I have once contacted a CEO via Instagram on a different matter (I offered him some ideas) and he was very open and asked me to explain him in detail via email. We've even met and he thanked me numerous time for being direct with him and for my approach and analysis. I've also once offered one company to work for them because I was passionate about their product and as I was growing tired of waiting for an answer, I started following them and the founders on all social networks. Now I am invited to work with them. Point is, don't be afraid to reach out to them on their personal social networks or mail, admit why you admire them and maybe talk about their achievements a little. And then get what you want.

Beautifully designed and informative landing page! Makes me want to find a reason to use the product :)

Since you seem to live in the Bay Area, have you tried reaching out to some people in the industry you admire? Also, you must have some existing network, maybe some folks who work in large tech companies with experienced managers, or friends who run startups and have advisors/investors. Why not ask for referral and introductions there?

Vet advisors and potential investors like you would any new hire. Understand their unique background and why they would be valuable to your startup, and then communicate that to them in your initial conversation. Let people know why you want them as your advisor. Wouldn't hurt to throw them some upside, or ask them to invest if you are raising capital :)

Also, always get a second opinion on any advice. A lot of the time, you will get conflicting wisdom and you have to ultimately decide what's right for your company.

Best of luck!

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