Mentor

A mentor is someone with relevant experience who helps you grow through advice, storytelling, introductions, and modeling. Good mentorship is pull-based (you prepare, ask focused questions, follow through) rather than push-based (they manage your career for you).

Mentors can be formal (company program) or informal (relationship you initiate). The best ones offer specificity: they name tradeoffs they've seen, connect you to others, and tell you when you're wrong. They are not obligated to meet monthly; cadence should match mutual capacity and your season of need.

On a personal advisory board, mentors often map to Sage or Connector archetypes, but a single person can play multiple roles. Avoid collecting mentors who only validate you; at least one relationship should stress-test your thinking. Reciprocity matters even when you're junior — share updates, credit them appropriately, and offer help where you can.