Halllp Needs a Mentor

I have previously highlighted the importance of getting a mentor (link) and I feel Halllp is in a stage where we need one.

First time building a classifieds business – Since I do not have experience of building a startup in this space, the role of mentor is very important in giving direction to the startup.

New geography; culture, marketing methods – Both my previous startups have been targeted to India and hence this would be a very different market and experience for me.

Building a scalable model – Help with building sustainability and scalability in my business model is key.

Confirming validity of idea – Having someone with experience in this domain give feedback can prove very beneficial for us.

Tech co founder – I am looking for a Tech co-founder. A mentor can help me in connecting to some potential co-founders in his/her network.

HALLLP’s JOURNEY – Feedback from a Mentor

I got an opportunity to speak with Mr. Pushpendra Thakur, Cofounder at Mishtag. This was through an event conducted by 91 Springboard. He was overall happy with the idea and felt that there is a genuine need for it. He also said that using a top down approach was a good way to approach this category.

His advice to me was to focus on 3 things primarily.

Getting Initial Buyer Postings – He felt that if we can get initial buy side leads/posts, getting sellers would not be a big problem.

User Stickiness – He said that since the app is meant for students initially, building stickiness or repeat usage would be a challenge.

Spam – He felt that if not currently, moderating spam postings would be a challenge we will need to address at a later point in time.

Get a Mentor, Not a Teacher

Mentoring is supposed to be an intensive, individualized and private experience. If you aren’t getting one-on-one attention, you’ve got a teacher -- not a mentor.

Unfortunately, this presents a challenge for both parties. For mentors, it means turning down capable protégés if you’ve already committed to another. And for students, it could mean going to the trouble of identifying the perfect mentor only to be turned down for scheduling reasons -- which may or may not be explained to you.

Don’t push it. The goal of a mentoring relationship is progress, and that’s only possible if the guidance is individualized. There is a mentor or protégé out there for you, but you’ve got to wait for the timing to be right.

(taken from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/270752)