Why Mentorship Is As Important As Funding In the Process Of Becoming a Successful Startup Mentors can assist with getting the right talent on board, track down the right financial investors, decide your organization's worth, or assist you with establishing your foundation for the business

By Gaurav Aggarwal

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Freepik

The startup bug has nibbled India, and the nation is headed to turn into the next worldwide innovation center like the Silicon Valley. Currently, the third biggest startup biological system globally, India has a flourishing pool of 49 thousand new startups. Hungry to make it a large thing, thousands more are joining the wave consistently. Yet, most new businesses can't adapt to the craze of raising money, getting deals, and obtaining clients; 90 per cent of Indian startups fail in the initial five years. That is a sobering idea.

As I have read, "Venture capitalists believe that startup failure is primarily due to inexperienced leadership."

Mentoring is the next secret to your successful startup

The life of a startup founder is difficult. They are continually shuffling to keep them above water. Numerous choice points could be a defining moment in your startup journey, and the fate of your business hangs in the balance. In these times, mentors can be very valuable. Mentors can assist with getting the right talent on board, track down the right financial investors, decide your organization's worth, or assist you with establishing your foundation for the business.

The job of a mentor is to direct the founder and assist them with sorting out the correct way forward. There are various approaches to achieving this objective.

Sharing their experiences

Mentors know the intricate details of their area, and gaining from them can assist the founders with exploring uncertain waters. They acquire a sense of direction and equilibrium when things go harsh and assist bothered entrepreneurs in withholding their mental stability. They can assist with spotting new open doors and expand the endeavor's points of view by getting new viewpoints; essentially, they can return in light of the experience.

Coaching

Mentors help entrepreneurs in the expert domain and in their own lives. In this digital era, drawing limits between life and work is troublesome. A decent mentor will want to assist you with tracking down that sensitive equilibrium and forestall imbalance. They will likewise assist you with making your story and telling it better.

Giving access to their network and resources

Founders get simple admittance to the organization their mentor has developed throughout the long term. That implies more leads, more associations, and more roads for direction and financing.

Demanding accountability

Mentors do the important job of keeping the founders focused on their objectives by following advancement and accomplishments. They are adequately courageous to pose sharp inquiries and keep the founders grounded in reality.

Saving startups from making expensive mistakes

An accomplished mentor, in some cases, is the one in particular who can direct you away from possibly appalling circumstances because of the relationship between mentor-founder. With no personal stake, the mentor can unbiasedly take a gander at your business. They will let you know things no other person will, regardless of whether it hurts you or not.

Picking the right mentor

Great mentors can truly help scale and grow a business. While mentors can open up many doors for your startup, their job must be that of a mentor and an aide. They can't be considered responsible for the founders' activities, regardless of whether it depends on their recommendation. So, it turns out to be vital to guarantee you find a mentor that can direct you right and valid and one who is the correct fit for your character.

Some first-time founders wrongly pursue celebrity mentors. While they offer a great deal that might not be necessary that they are the right for you.

Founders should do a broad examination before signing on a mentor because the relationship is more than transitory. The choice could be founded on how intently the mentor candidate's aspirations match the organization's vision, assuming they are adequately responsive to the startup's needs and history with different new companies in their development venture. Finally, it's about an individual dynamic between the founder and the guide.

It's critical to find a mentor who you can associate with beyond the initial need, for example, somebody you can connect with on an individual level and go to for assistance with circumstances outside work. This happens when the relationship advances naturally and steadily through conversations and holding rather than requesting mentoring.

At last, while customarily, mentorship has been a paid commitment (mainly in the form of equity), numerous experts recommend going for a mentor who's in it with no strings attached to pay it forward. That is when they will want to offer you the required objectivity.

How you structure the terms of mentoring relies upon the arrangement you reach with the mentor:

  • Try not to go searching for celebrity mentors for your start-ups. Find one who is a solid match
  • Have explicit inquiries/issues that the mentor can assist you with
  • Find various mentors because of their mastery of unambiguous regions
  • Allow the relationship to develop naturally

Try not to adhere to paid counseling models

Gaurav Aggarwal

Managing Partner, SeedVC

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Franchise

Turn Your Passion for Pets into a Business with a Wag N' Wash Franchise

Wag N' Wash is a store where pets can be cherished every day by feeding, washing, and spoiling them just how they like it.

Business News

The FTC Is Readying a Case Against the Largest U.S. Apartment Landlord. Here's Why.

The issue is with fees that allegedly weren't disclosed in advertisements for rental units.

Leadership

From Elite Athletes to Tech Titans — Discover the Surprising $100-Million Habit That Leads to Extraordinary Success

Success comes from mastering focus, eliminating distractions and prioritizing what truly matters.

Growing a Business

How Meta Generated $32 Billion in Ad Revenue Last Quarter — and How You Can Create Million-Dollar Weekends Using the Same Strategies

Meta's staggering $32 billion quarterly ad revenue isn't just about size; it's about strategy, systems and execution as well.

Business Culture

What Every Business Leader Can Learn From Dutch Bros' People-First Culture

The coffee chain is turning employees into owners of the customer experience.