Getting the most from a mentor

A good mentor has walked a road like yours and is willing to help you see it more clearly. On the SIA Pathway, experienced founders, professionals and alumni mentor participants at every stage, and mentoring is built into the 100-day Incubate sprint. Whether your mentor comes through SIA or from your own network, the way you work together decides how much you gain.

Know what a mentor is for

A mentor asks questions, shares experience, points out what you cannot see and sometimes opens a door. A mentor does not run your business, do your work or make decisions for you. If you need someone to build your website or file your taxes, you need a service provider. Keeping this clear from the start avoids disappointment on both sides.

Agree goals at the first meeting

Spend the first meeting on two things: getting to know each other, and agreeing two or three goals for the next few months. “Set prices that cover my costs”, “find my first buyer outside Quetta” or “prepare for Demo Day” are good goals: specific, and possible to check. Agree how often you will meet, for how long, and whether you will meet in person, by phone or on video.

Prepare for every meeting

• Send a short message a day before: what has happened since you last met, and the one or two questions you most want help with.
• Bring your numbers: sales, costs, customers. A mentor can only help with what they can see.
• Lead with the problem you are stuck on, not with good news only.
• Keep it to the time you agreed. Respecting your mentor’s time is the surest way to keep them.

Follow up and act

After each meeting, send a few lines summarising what you discussed and what you will do next. Then do it, or come back and explain why you did not. Mentors stay engaged when they see their advice used. If you try something and it fails, tell them: what you learned is often more useful to discuss than what went well.

Disagree respectfully

You will not agree with everything your mentor says, and you should not. You know your customers and your community. If advice does not fit, say so and explain why. A good mentor will welcome the conversation. The decision is always yours.

Ask for introductions carefully

One of the most valuable things a mentor can do is introduce you to a buyer, an investor or an expert. Ask for one introduction at a time, explain why it matters, and make it easy: write a short paragraph about yourself that your mentor can forward. Report back on how it went. A mentor who sees introductions handled well will make more of them.

Keep it safe and comfortable

Meet in public or professional places, or online. You can ask to bring a colleague or family member to a meeting, and you never have to share personal information you are not comfortable sharing. If anything in a mentoring relationship makes you uncomfortable, tell the SIA team through the complaints and feedback form on the contact page. You can stay anonymous, and concerns are handled under SIA’s safeguarding policy.

End well

Most mentoring relationships have a natural end, when the goals are met or your needs change. Say thank you, tell your mentor what difference they made, and keep them updated from time to time. Many founders stay in touch with their mentors for years.

Become a mentor yourself

Alumni for Life invites every SIA graduate to mentor others, and experienced founders and professionals are always needed. If you have built something and want to help others do the same, find out more on the Mentors page.

If it is not working

Sometimes a mentor and a founder are a poor fit: different expectations, clashing schedules or advice that keeps missing the point. Say so early and politely. Suggest a change to how you meet, or agree to end the arrangement and thank them for their time. If your mentor came through an SIA programme, tell the team.

And when it works, say so. A short message about a result your mentor helped with means more to them than any formal thank-you.