This document provides guidance on how to build effective relationships with mentors. It defines a mentor as an experienced advisor who shares their time and expertise without pay to help advance a mentee personally or professionally. It recommends that mentees clarify their needs, seek out potential mentors through their network and events, ask mentors directly for guidance, agree on terms of the mentoring relationship, and thank their mentors. Specific tips are provided for communicating needs, finding mentors, asking mentors, setting expectations, and being a good mentee through open communication and completing assigned tasks.

1. How to Build Effective
Relationships w/ Your
Caroline Cummings
Venture Catalyst
caroline@oregonrain.org

2. What is a mentor?
Someone with a skill you desire who is willing to
share their time and expertise with you to help you
advance personally or professionally.
An experienced and trusted advisor.
They don’t get paid – that’s a Professional Coach!

3. Become a great mentee!
1. Clarify
2. Seek
3. Ask
4. Agree
5. Thank

4. Clarify your needs:
• Do you know what you
don’t know?
• Get specific
• Choose some skills you
want to learn
• You’ll probably need two
mentors
• Etc…

5. What I know: What I don’t know?
(and is needed in your startup)
 Programming
 UI/UX
 Hiring
 Firing
 …
 Making cold calls
 Digital Marketing
 Fundraising
 Financials
 …

6. Seek out mentors:
• Networking events
• Meet-ups
• Linkedin (ask for intros)
• Ask Friends/Family
• Make cold calls (or ask for intro)
• Don’t just seek out someone you
admire – they must have a
specific skillset you need
exposure to
• Make the intention to find one…

7. Date Before You Mentor!

8. Ask them to mentor you:
• If you can’t ask – you can’t sell!
• Be ready to share what it is about
this person that you want to get
exposure to
• Sometimes the word “mentor”
scares people
• Share who you are and what skills
you’re missing to be successful
• Have they mentored before?

9. Agree on terms:
• How often?
• What term?
• Rules of engagement?
• What if scenarios
• Types of things they’ll
ask you to do?
• What success looks like
in the relationship?
• Etc…

10. Dos and Don’ts of Being
an Awesome Mentee
DO:
 Be honest
 Communicate
 Be assertive
 Be creative
 Do the work!
DON’T:
 Ask to sign NDAs
 Disappear or Flake Out
 Hold back
 Withhold info
 Stay if it’s not working

11. Example of homework
you’ll get from mentors:
• Survey your customers (or
who you think your customer
are)
• Write a one-page exec
summary
• Develop/Update a pitch
deck
• Interview CEO of another
company who is in your
space, but not a competitor

12. Thank your mentor(s):

14. Go Find Your
Caroline Cummings
Venture Catalyst
caroline@oregonrain.org