Film-style poster for the Mentor, Advisor or Investor presentation

A guide for startup mentors: Mentor, Advisor or Investor

What to do when mentoring a startup turns into a business deal.

English

What this guide covers

Three different roles

Mentor, advisor and investor are different roles

A mentor expects nothing back; an advisor and an investor have a stake.

Mentor gives time, expects nothing back
Advisor gets equity for agreed work
Investor owns shares, wants a return

When to speak up

Disclose before you act

Tell the founder and the program team before you invest, advise or help a rival.

I want to invest
They asked me to be an advisor
A competitor asked for my help
My company could sell to them

Not too early

Wait before you discuss equity

Founder Institute advises a month and 8 hours of work together before an advisor deal.

8 hours and at least one month of work together before discussing an advisor agreement Founder Institute, FAST

Saying it out loud

Name the change of role

Say plainly that you are no longer neutral, and what that changes.

If I invest, I am no longer neutral. Ask another mentor when you need an outside view.
Shall we write down what I will do as an advisor? Duties, time and equity, on paper.

An offer they can refuse

Make it easy to say no

Make the offer once, in writing, and mentor the same way if they decline.

Offer once in writing, with the terms
Give them time and room to ask others
Accept a no mentoring goes on as before

What you learned

Keep what you learned out of deals

Do not use what the founder told you to invest elsewhere or help a rival.

A rival founder asked for an introduction. Decline, or ask your founder first.
I heard their numbers before the round. Hold information in confidence (Techstars Mentor Manifesto).

Doing it on Mentornity

Tell the program team on Mentornity

The support form reaches the program team, and hidden notes keep your record.

Write to the program team

Use the support form before you invest or advise.

Keep a record

Only you and the program admins can read a hidden note.

Write to the program team

Use the support form before you invest or advise.

Keep a record

Only you and the program admins can read a hidden note.

Meeting notesOrbital Labs · 3 founders

Visible noteEmailed to the participants at once Emailed

Agreed: test annual billing with the next 20 sign-ups.

pricing-test.pdfUp to 10 files

Hidden noteOnly you and the program admins

1Write to the program team

2Keep a record

Meeting notesOrbital Labs · 3 founders

Visible noteEmailed to the participants at once Emailed

Agreed: test annual billing with the next 20 sign-ups.

pricing-test.pdfUp to 10 files

Hidden noteOnly you and the program admins

Mentornity in Claude and ChatGPT

Use Mentornity from Claude or ChatGPT

Ask in your own words; your assistant plans meetings, fills in tools and drafts messages.

Connect it once

Add Mentornity in Claude, ChatGPT or another MCP app, then sign in.

Ask in your own words

Plan meetings, fill in a tool or form, find a mentor, reply.

A preview before every change

The assistant shows what will happen; nothing changes until you say yes.

Disconnect any time

It sees only what you see; Settings shows what it did recently.

Connect it once

Add Mentornity in Claude, ChatGPT or another MCP app, then sign in.

Ask in your own words

Plan meetings, fill in a tool or form, find a mentor, reply.

A preview before every change

The assistant shows what will happen; nothing changes until you say yes.

Disconnect any time

It sees only what you see; Settings shows what it did recently.

Your goals and the Academy

Set goals, learn, earn a badge

Track your goals in My development and learn in Mentornity Academy, in your language.

Set your goals

Write what you want to reach and rate it at each check-in.

Badge courses for mentors

Seven skills with short practice, then a 20-question exam.

Guides for mentors and mentees

Research-based guides, a deck for every tool, and decks for your program.

Add your badge to LinkedIn

Pass the exam and share the badge page, valid for two years.