Mentors

Founded by Leonid Boguslavsky and H-FARM

← The manifesto09 / 12 · As a nAItive mentor

09

Be responsive and follow through.

Reply promptly and do what you said you would. If you can't commit, say no. That's fine too.

Startups run on short cycles. A reply that takes two weeks often arrives after the decision has been made. Being responsive doesn't mean being always available; it means founders can count on hearing back from you in a reasonable time, even if the answer is “not now”.

Follow-through matters even more. If you promised an introduction, a review or a call, do it. Every unkept promise teaches the founder that your words don't carry weight, and makes them hesitate before asking for help again.

It's completely fine to say no. A clear “I can't take this on right now” is far better than a yes that turns into silence. Tell the Fellow and the nAItive team, and we'll find someone else.

All principles

  1. 01Keep the founder in the driver's seat
  2. 02Build capability, not dependency
  3. 03Be direct
  4. 04Ask for evidence, not opinions
  5. 05Separate fact, experience and hypothesis
  6. 06Say “I don't know”
  7. 07End with a next step
  8. 08Show up prepared
  9. 09Be responsive and follow through
  10. 10Open doors
  11. 11Keep it confidential. Declare conflicts
  12. 12Earn your place in the pool