+1 to this advice.
You don’t have to pay or give equity for it, and counterintuitively offering to do so may pessimize for the desire or ability of very able advisors to help you.
You don’t have to pay or give equity for it, and counterintuitively offering to do so may pessimize for the desire or ability of very able advisors to help you.
“What really?”
What number do you have to offer a successful software entrepreneur to move their needle relative to the much bigger company they own 100% of? How sure are you that you can predict all contractual obligations X has regarding “external advising or consulting”?
What number do you have to offer a successful software entrepreneur to move their needle relative to the much bigger company they own 100% of? How sure are you that you can predict all contractual obligations X has regarding “external advising or consulting”?
By comparison, reading emails and dashing off a few lines in response is free and easy, with minimal formal consequences.
(Both sides should understand that’s the expectation and not an SLA. SLAs have consequences. That’s the point. You probably can’t afford them.)
(Both sides should understand that’s the expectation and not an SLA. SLAs have consequences. That’s the point. You probably can’t afford them.)
“What does an advisor get out of this?”
Being listened to! Fun, interesting, novel problems. The sensation of being Still In The Game. A feeling of giving back to the community; it’s a grown-up version of sponsoring the neighborhood little league team.
And a relationship.
Being listened to! Fun, interesting, novel problems. The sensation of being Still In The Game. A feeling of giving back to the community; it’s a grown-up version of sponsoring the neighborhood little league team.
And a relationship.
“A relationship?”
Yeah, which is exactly what it says on the tin; can mean nothing or can be a very deep business partnership. Who knows what the future holds.
Yeah, which is exactly what it says on the tin; can mean nothing or can be a very deep business partnership. Who knows what the future holds.
“How do I ask for this?”
Repeat after me: “Would it be OK if I sent you an email monthly about our progress?”
Repeat after me: “Would it be OK if I sent you an email monthly about our progress?”
“How do you ensure they respond to your emails?”
Again, you have no guarantee of that because you’re explicitly not capable of buying that outcome.
But generally, write interesting emails for months/years and your engagement numbers will be much better than if you don’t.
Again, you have no guarantee of that because you’re explicitly not capable of buying that outcome.
But generally, write interesting emails for months/years and your engagement numbers will be much better than if you don’t.
“What’s interesting?”
Ideally an irregularly timed emotional rant seeking deeply needed validation with as little pre-work as possible from someone who made no progress, never takes advice, and never tells how advice ended up once implemented.
Or the opposite of that.
Ideally an irregularly timed emotional rant seeking deeply needed validation with as little pre-work as possible from someone who made no progress, never takes advice, and never tells how advice ended up once implemented.
Or the opposite of that.
