About 9 months back was appointed as Dedicated Startup Mentor by Government of Rajasthan. Prior was Consultant to DoIT&C, Rajasthan Government for implementation of Startup policy & program . The responsibility of Mentoring was added to our scope by the Officers-In-Charge (OIC’s). For my appointment, I give credit to OICs as my firm didn’t bid for Incubation support & management and mentoring project @ iStart. So to make an exception, was commendable from the OIC’s. It is easy to criticize government officials, public servants & paint them all with same brush. The fact that such officials exist & persist in our government machinery, is also reason we are surviving, thriving and a winning nation.
Though nervous about lack of my Mentoring capabilities (read here Mentor as New Professional Class), OICs words inspired confidence in me. Just when I joined, the OIC told me that don’t take this job as an entitlement, but a privilege. This was engraved in me since that day & looked at myself as a public servant. When I wanted to throw in the towel, Got an email from OIC “there is a reason why we hired you”. On the iStart knowledge tour an official mentioned “with your experience we can create Success Stories in Rajasthan”.
These officials’ words, have reverberated time to time and encouraged me. I begin the Mentoring work & With my team, set out to define & frame the Mentorship model. (Click here for the Mentorship Model)
I decided as Mentor will not give opinion but share experience. I drew upon the Wisdom gained by my 20 years of Startup experience . I made conscious attempt to interact with Founders’ as I would have liked My Mentor to interact when I just Started up. With lot of empathy, equal amount of respect, healthy dose of compassion, Less bias & No ego, I set off on path of being a Startup Mentor.
I have shared with Founders my own personal life examples & experiences. However embarrassing I shared aspects of my personal, professional life & how entrepreneurship created hardships & how overcame it. Most Founders related to it as either they had gone through it, were going through it or would go through it. With the principles of mutual trust & confidentiality, my journey as Startup mentor began.
Lets see if I made the cut to be a Startup Mentor. Till that time I am happy to call myself as a Founder Friend or Startup Buddy.