I am not a mentor

I am blogging, I am twitting, I am sharing, and I am doing lots of things over the Internet. Some people like it. Most people don't. That's OK. What is not OK, is when people think I am so smart that I can be their mentor.


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Maybe, from time to time, I can say something smart enough to impress.
I believe I did some really impressive things in the past, but it happened mostly because I had great people backing me.
I had few opportunities to improve other people's skills. But it does not mean I can be a mentor for you.

I have friends with whom I used to work. I share with them some dreams, ideas and even real business plans. But I am not their mentor. I am just a friend, with somewhat different experience. Hopefully valuable one.

Besides, you do not really need a mentor, dear Telemachus of the modern age. What you need is your own experience. You need to fail and you need to win by yourself. Nobody can tell you your own way.

No startup school. This is all about failed leaders of the past with no idea for the future.
No venture capitalist. This is all about greed and squeezing.
No academy. This is all about theories that are working only in their own ivory tower.

Test and run. Get your own experience.

I have no idea about your business, even if you think I have. Nobody has, except of you and maybe your competitor.

I can show you if I see weak points. Those may well be the biggest advantages of your plan.
Do not ask me, just try.

I can show you some paths I went through. Those may well be dead-ends now?
Do not ask me, just try.

Probably you will fail. But at least you will know what you need to improve next  time.

And on the side note. If somebody is trying to sell yourself as a mentor, probably he cannot help you.
If you think about it, it is way too hard to keep a mentor-like image to do anything else. Conferences, blogs, books, interviews, that does not leave those mentors too much time. Neither for real achievements, nor for your project.