Read: Birth of Startup Mentor (Part I). Before reading this Blog.
Thank you again DoIT&C officials for giving an opportunity to be an iStart Mentor. It was an evolution for me & made me define what a Mentor should be or can be. It was a professional rebirth for me.
Mentor is a COACH
I have educated & informed Founders on Doing business In India, Starting up & Running ventures. Sometimes busting their myths and sometimes acknowledging their sense and learning from them. Being a guide to them in different domains: Technology, Sales & Marketing, BD, Idea to Execution. Sometimes as basic as Teaching them the art of drafting opening emails, to writing winning emails to win. Making presentations to writing proposals. Given Founders Drills, many have done these drills & am waiting for some to do it still 🙂 Through Knowledge sessions, Workshops, we have instructed & trained them on specific topics like how to make better website & mobile pages of their business, Bidding for government projects & Create partnerships, Hiring & Building Teams, Doing PR & Using Social Media. Plus always available for them anytime, anywhere as being an Entrepreneur is 24X7. Guess some will not call this approach of a Mentor but more like a COACH.
Mentor is a CONNECTOR
I conceptualized unique sessions which, our team organised for Founders in the iStart program. We called it “Better Together Tuesday” & “Friday Founders Round Table”. The ethos behind this was to build a cohesive startup ecosystem. Startups in USA & China have been successful as different Founders meet regularly & share information, work collaboratively & learn from each other. These sessions were meant to be an anchor to link these Startups & bridge the gap/divide between them. Thrilled that these bear fruits and before unknown founders & startups are working together. Connections brings attachment & security, this is very intangible but very crucial for Founders in the long run. Be it new clients, investors, vendors, employees, partners, media, etc, we connected Startups with the outside world & opened our network for them. Glad to know that some have benefited hugely from our connections. To be a CONNECTOR was one of the most important & critical function we did as Mentors’.
Mentor is a CHALLENGER
I have argued with Founders to stimulate their broader perspective & for their Startups. I became Rivals of Founders ideas & plans, the underlying thought behind this rivalry was to make them think & give alternate options . I have contested the essence of their idea & business plans so that they can give it deep & non-biased thoughts. I adorned the role of CHALLENGER with the motive that they excel & execute their plans to perfection.
Mentor is a CHEERLEADER
I was excited and happy from bottom of my heart, when a Startup got an award, recognition, new client, employee & seen their success albeit as little as getting their invoices paid. I have encouraged and motivated Founders to do more & do better. Some were throwing in their towel but at that time telling them to hang on or wait just a bit longer. Mentors don’t have skin in their game which is dangerous, My skin in the game is my heart. Just like the cheerleaders who are outside the playing field but every time egging their team, celebrating the small & big wins of their team. I am part of Founders team & am on Startups’ Team. I belong here, have been here for last 20 years. Startups is made of Individuals who dream and then dare to do. We need to win against them, They are waiting on sidelines for us to fail. But on Sideline is also this CHEERLEADER who want to & will rally you to victory.
A MENTOR is a COACH, CONNECTOR, CHALLENGER & a CHEERLEADER.
Thank you all Founders & Entrepreneurs whom I had the pleasure of interacting or performing Any or All of the above roles. Thanks for giving me an opportunity to be your Mentor.