Founders ask, you answer
Requests come from founders who said what they need. Pick the ones you can help with and skip the rest.
Help the founders you believe in, on the record.
Founders ask for mentors, advisors, sounding boards and coaches here. Answer the ones that fit, keep a public record of who you helped early, and get invited to the programs and boards that follow.
Why mentor here
Advice is cheap. Advice with your name on it is not.
On the record
Every answer and introduction you give is kept under your name. It adds up to a record you can point to.
Seats follow
Advisory and board seats go to people founders already trust. Being useful first is how that starts.
Requests
What people who mentor ask for
Post one and the people who can answer it see it. Answer one and it goes on your record.
Request
People who want what you know
Request
A domain advisor for a specific gap
Request
A peer to think things through with
Request
Someone to keep you on track
Request
A coach for your leadership
Request
Advisory seats matched to your expertise
Request
Boards that fit your background
Request
Stages and courses that want you
Request
Founders to gather around the table
Request
A trusted circle of peers
Programs
Programs built for this
34 on record. Open ones come first.
CommunityExpert network supporting hardware-focused startups.
CommunityEmpowering African women in technology through venture capital and education.
EirSupporting aspiring entrepreneurs with a safety net and access to resources.
EirResidency
Residency
EirJoin 1957 Ventures as an Entrepreneur in Residence and lead a fintech venture.
ResidencyAfore Capital's Founder in Residence program supports early-stage founders with guaranteed investment and structured ideation.
Courses
Learn it properly
Courses that teach the craft, from the people who practice it.
Course
Seedstars
A competency-based certification from Seedstars for professionals who coach founders, earned over a six week sprint plus work with at least one real founder.
- Format
- Certificate track
- Starts
- Jan 1, 2027
Course
The Mentoring School
An Ofqual-regulated Level 3 qualification in business and enterprise mentoring, delivered as on-demand virtual units for professional mentors of business leaders and entrepreneurs.
- Format
- Certificate track
Course
Advisory Board Centre
A two day executive program from the Advisory Board Centre on establishing, chairing and running advisory boards, with a Certified Chair credential and a year of community membership.
- Format
- Executive education
Course
Connectd
An eight module, CPD-accredited online program on how to work as a board advisor to startups, followed by a guaranteed six month advisory placement.
- Format
- Self paced course
Course
MIT VMS Outreach Program
A two and a half day course at MIT that prepares an organization's leadership team to start and run a venture mentoring program on the MIT VMS Model.
- Format
- Workshop
Course
VC4A
A free nine module VC4A Startup Academy course on mentoring African entrepreneurs the way a business angel would, with insights from angel investors across the continent.
- Format
- Self paced course
Events
Be in the room
Upcoming events where this gets done in person.
Ama
Ama
Workshop
Office hours
Lisbon, Portugal
Reporting
In the news
Press and reporting about this, in the order we would read it.
TechCrunch
Jun 25, 2025
Techstars co-founder Brad Feld talks about his Give First philosophy of helping without expecting a return, and what makes a good startup mentor: admitting what you do not know, setting boundaries, and not waiting until you feel senior enough to start.
Techstars Newsroom
Jul 1, 2026
Techstars and EIT Urban Mobility announced a three-year partnership to run a mentorship-driven founder program for European mobility startups, with 10,000 euros of initial funding, a possible 50,000 euro follow-on, and a first cohort starting September 2026.
CU Boulder Venture Partners
Apr 2, 2026
The University of Colorado Boulder and Techstars formed a partnership that plugs the university's entrepreneurship programs into Techstars' network of mentors, alumni and investors, with hands-on mentorship for student and faculty founders.
Inc.
Oct 7, 2025
Inc. looks at how universities have moved from teaching entrepreneurship to running incubators and accelerators, with programs like Michigan's Innovation Partnerships and Stanford's StartX pairing founders with experienced entrepreneurs who mentor without taking equity.
Esade Do Better
Jul 20, 2023
Esade's Do Better publication explains what mentors actually give early-stage founders, from business guidance and introductions to emotional support, and argues that clear expectations between mentor and mentee raise a startup's odds of surviving.
TechCrunch
Feb 24, 2022
A founder-turned-investor lays out how to pay advisors: mostly in equity, with a one-year cliff, two to three years of vesting and a minimum monthly time commitment so founders are protected if an advisor stops showing up.
Reading
What others have written about it
Articles and references from outside Superscout, picked for this.
Reference
Founder Institute · Jul 1, 2026
A one-page template for equity-compensated advisors, with standard grants by company stage and level of involvement, two-year vesting and a three-month cliff. Version 3, July 2026.
Reference
Techstars · Mar 1, 2020
Eighteen lines on how to be a useful mentor, from "be Socratic" to "know what you do not know". The reference most accelerator mentor programs borrow from.
Article
First Round Review · Jun 12, 2017
Michelle Wilson, independent director at Pinterest, Okta and Zendesk, on when a startup needs an independent board member, which roles they fill and how founders find them.
Article
Feld Thoughts · Jul 30, 2013
Brad Feld answers Fred Wilson: conflicting mentor advice is a feature, because learning to filter it is how founders build their own judgment.
Article
AVC · Jul 29, 2013
Fred Wilson on what founders should do with conflicting advice from mentors and investors: write it all down, discount it, and weigh customer feedback above the rest.
Sectors
Pick a field
Every sector page has its own investors, programs and people.
Sector
Sector
Sector
Sector
Sector
Sector
Sector
Sector
Places
Pick a place
The startup world looks different city by city. Start where you are.
The mentors here
Pick the one that sounds like you.
Startup MentorAn experienced participant who provides recurring non-executive guidance to startup founders or teams, usually without formal operating authority.Accelerator Alumni MentorAn Accelerator Alumni Mentor is a founder who completed or participated in an accelerator and later returns in an advisory capacity to support a current cohort through experience-sharing, questioning, feedback, and relevant connections; the role is program-linked and distinct from accelerator staff who operate the cohort.University Entrepreneur-in-ResidenceExperienced venture practitioner embedded in a university program.EIR at a VC FundAn EIR at a VC fund is an experienced founder or operator embedded for a bounded period to explore or build a potential venture and, in some programs, support investment and portfolio work; the role is distinct from a permanent investment partner because the EIR's primary mandate is temporary exploration, building, or operating contribution rather than standing fund governance.Founder CoachA Founder Coach is a professional coach who partners with startup founders in structured, goal-oriented reflection and action; the role facilitates the founder's thinking and development rather than taking operating authority, and it must be distinguished explicitly when the same person also mentors, advises, assesses, or provides therapy.Equity AdvisorFormal startup advisor compensated with equity for defined support, distinct from an informal mentor.Independent Board DirectorAn Independent Board Director is a non-executive board member whom the board considers independent under applicable governance criteria, distinct from executive management.Exited Founder AngelFounder who exited and is now angel investing.Senior Startup OperatorSenior leader translating startup strategy into operational execution, with company-specific title and scope.
Superscout Pro
Find faster. Show up verified. Keep your deals private.
$99$249 a year, locked in for as long as you stay
Get Pro- Search that narrowsInvestors, programs, accelerators, incubators and studios, by stage, sector and place.
- A verified profileThe people you reach know you are who you say you are.
- A private deal vaultThe startups you are watching, with your notes and your reasons. Nobody else's eyes.
Questions people ask before they mentor
Does the Investor dashboard require a confirmed affiliation?
Yes. The Investor dashboard requires Pro access and a current visible venture affiliation that Superscout can verify. If that affiliation is missing, the page shows an affiliation wall instead of investor-only shortcuts.
What is the Scout dashboard for?
The Scout dashboard is the operating view for bringing companies and context into the network. It focuses on scout readiness, investor demand, deal activity, vault work, and organizations worth following.
Who can see the investor dashboard?
The investor dashboard is hidden until your account has Pro access and a current visible organization affiliation is verified. Direct links fail closed if either requirement is missing.
How are fellowships structured in terms of mentorship and curriculum?
Mentorship usually begins with assigning each fellow a partner or senior associate who conducts weekly check‑ins. These meetings review pipeline progress, offer feedback on memos, and set goals for the following week. Some funds layer an additional “buddy” system that links fellows with recent alumni for informal advice.
Curriculum elements follow a sequence that mirrors the investment lifecycle. Early weeks focus on market mapping and sourcing channels. Midpoint modules tackle financial modeling, term sheet mechanics, and legal basics. Toward the end, sessions shift to portfolio support topics like recruiting or fundraising strategy.
Live workshops may feature guest speakers such as founders, legal counsels, or experienced angels. Fellows often receive reading lists and case studies to reinforce lessons. Peer‑to‑peer learning is encouraged through group memo critiques and mock partner meetings where participants debate investment decisions. This blend of structured education and experiential work maximizes retention and builds confidence.
Does the Scout dashboard require a verified affiliation?
No. The Scout dashboard is gated by Pro access, not by a confirmed organization affiliation. Identity verification and a complete scout profile still matter because they increase trust when you scout a company to an investor.
How do I get my firm's board added?
Submit the official careers or job-board URL. It is checked for ownership and for direct-employer roles before it can become a public source. There is no listing fee.
How do you know a board really belongs to the firm?
A source is checked before it can be used publicly, and the verification state is recorded. The site then applies organization-type and direct-employer filters before publishing a role. That is why visible coverage is smaller than the raw source inventory.
What is unique to the Scout dashboard?
Scout includes dealflow requests, dispatch activity, scout profile readiness, vault entry points, and follow suggestions for funds and programs. Investor and Founder lenses are more action-launchers; Scout is closer to an operating queue.
Start here
Pick one founder and answer well.
Your first answer is the first line of your record. It takes a few minutes.