It’d be great if successful people did their part and mentor budding entrepreneurs. But there is also such a thing as peer mentoring and entrepreneurs getting out and talking to each other.
A few months ago, I received an email from the Lester Knight Scholarship and Rolband Fellowship Fund which funded my Masters in Engineering at Cornell University in New York.
The founder asked former recipients to chip in, and I ended up contributing because without it, I’d never be where I am today.
Similarly, one of the reasons I returned to Malaysia to build the startup ecosystem here was to give back to the country, as a government JPA scholar myself.
I believe that recognising all the parties that have contributed to your success reinforces a virtuous cycle of gratefulness and good deed.
People say that part of being successful in business is to be likable, and I cannot agree more. Likable people will attract others who will volunteer their time and resources to help them be successful.
When I look back at my early startup days, I recall many people going out of their way to support me, oftentimes for nothing in return because they liked my grit and passion as an entrepreneur.
Likeable people are humble, willing to learn, hardworking and persistent. They do their research beforehand and ask intelligent questions.
They also offer to help or add value, before they ask for help.
Misconceptions about mentoring
Entrepreneurs in this region often lament that there aren’t enough successful entrepreneurs to help mentor them.
The ones that are around are too busy building their next big thing or prefer to remain in the background because the modest Asian culture tends to misconstrue talking about success as bragging or wanting attention.
Stay updated on the go with our mobile app.
Get latest insights with smoother, more personalized experience through TIA mobile app.
