Mentoring From Zero To One

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One of the most satisfying parts of my work is mentoring.
On Wednesday I heard pitches from the new batch of founders moving through the H2 Ventures Accelerator Program and I was reminded of how much first-time founders have on their mind.
My job, and that of my mentor colleagues Aurora Voss and Ben Heap, is to help teams fine-tune their path to mission success.
At the end of the evening, Ben asked for my closing comments and I shared four thoughts.
1. Make Time Your Priority
Value time above anything else. Be conscious of how it’s spent because supply doesn’t increase.
2. Fight For Insight
Fight to capture and apply insights from those people you’re trying to serve as quickly, thoughtfully and consistently as possible. This is the lifeblood of product development.
3. Leverage Mentors
This is as much about taking advantage of the lessons learned from those who have walked before you as it is about being vulnerable and saying ‘I don’t know what to do next’. We’ve all been there.
4. Love it
Many aspire to be part of the startup movement. You opted in and now have the unique space to create and do your life’s best work. It’s hard. It’s stressful but it’s an incredible amount of fun.
So in the spirit of reducing the time it takes to move from zero to one, here are five posts that early stage, first-time founders have told me they found most useful.
The Entrepreneur’s Roller Coaster
The Pyramids Aren’t As Tall As You Think
Moving From Friends To Co-Founders
How Do I Raise Money For My Start-Up
11 Things You Don’t Know About Raising Capital The First Time Around
If you learned something new, let me know by leaving a comment below or 👇