{"id":39413,"date":"2026-10-28T10:47:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T10:47:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/?p=39413"},"modified":"2026-10-28T06:48:05","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T10:48:05","slug":"what-they-dont-teach-you-at-stanford-business-school-chapter-5-mentorship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/what-they-dont-teach-you-at-stanford-business-school-chapter-5-mentorship\/","title":{"rendered":"What They Don\u2019t Teach You at Stanford Business School Chapter 5 Mentorship"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Larry Chiang<\/span> <\/p>\n

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author of What They Don\u2019t Teach You at Stanford Business School<\/span>, former Stanford EIR, and frequent writer on street-smart entrepreneurship) <\/p>\n

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I have written and spoken extensively about getting venture capitalists to mentor you, even ones you don\u2019t know. My core idea is that mentorship is often more valuable (and more accessible) than immediately asking for money; advice and relationships can open the door to funding later. quora.com<\/span><\/a> <\/p>\n

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Key articles and sources include my 2010 GigaOM piece \u201cHow to Charm a VC Into Mentoring You,\u201d a related VentureBeat column on getting industry leaders\/VCs you don\u2019t know to mentor you, detailed Quora answers on networking with VCs, and material tied to my books chapter 5 (especially chapters on networking ch4 and mentorship). The original GigaOM page is no longer live, but the advice is consistent<\/p>\n

Core principles from Chiang<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022  Ask for advice or mentorship first<\/span>, not money. As Dave McClure (500 Startups) advised on a panel Larry Chiang moderated: if you want a VC to consider funding you, start by asking for mentorship. quora.com<\/span><\/a> <\/p>\n

\u2022  VCs have valuable networks and pattern-recognition skills beyond capital. Getting them to open their \u201crolodex\u201d or give advice is a win even without a check.<\/p>\n

\u2022  Use \u201caccelerated networking,\u201d short high-leverage interactions, research, and follow-through. Chiang draws from Mark McCormack (What They Don\u2019t Teach You at Harvard Business School<\/span>) and emphasizes street-smart execution over formal pitches.<\/p>\n

Practical tips he outlines<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are the main tactics compiled from his Quora answer and related VentureBeat pieces:<\/p>\n

1.  Don\u2019t start with \u201ccoffee.\u201d<\/span>
A coffee often signals a long (90-minute+) commitment. Prefer a short 5\u201310 minute phone call or a brief in-person interaction. Ambush them at parties, conferences, panels, or events: combine a tight elevator pitch with charm and solicit a next step whose goal is mentorship. quora.com<\/span><\/a> <\/p>\n

2.  Use the \u201ctransitive property of influence.\u201d<\/span>
Pre-network by charming a CEO of one of the VC\u2019s portfolio companies and securing an introduction. Charm once and transitively transfer that goodwill to the VC. quora.com<\/span><\/a> <\/p>\n

3.  Woo through deep research.<\/span>
Thoroughly read about them (bios, writings, investments, public statements). The more genuine common ground or informed context you bring, the better. Chiang compares this to a Vulcan mind meld\u2014know them well before you approach.<\/p>\n

4.  Lead with insights and specific value.<\/span>
Share what trends you\u2019re seeing, your take on recent news, other companies or approaches you like in the space, and the specific industry problems you\u2019re solving. This educates them about your domain while signaling you\u2019re thoughtful. quora.com<\/span><\/a> <\/p>\n

5.  Be specific, not generic.<\/span>
\u201cPick your brain\u201d or \u201cbe my mentor\u201d is a turn-off. Ask for concrete help on a defined issue. Get in late to conversations and get out early\u2014this signals you execute and respect time. At events where they speak, try for a short walk to\/from the car (often ~12 high-value minutes).<\/p>\n

6.  Flattery and ego management (use carefully).<\/span>
Chiang notes tactical compliments grounded in research can help (he gives examples of strongly worded praise of their intellect or work). Document interactions, blog or write about useful advice (which also feeds their ego and creates a record), and follow up meticulously\u2014take action on advice and confirm any verbal offers quickly.<\/p>\n

7.  Other supporting moves.<\/span>
Target events where they appear, recommend them as speakers to conference organizers (after a positive interaction), acquire contact info smartly, use clear subject lines, and prepare by role-playing interactions so you can anticipate their advice. Thank-you notes or small gestures reinforce the relationship. Many mentors help for free; reciprocity (thanks, updates, public recognition) matters.<\/p>\n

Chiang also discusses related ideas such as \u201cmentor ledge\u201d (quasi-cold outreach for one or two quick live questions), mentoring the VC on industry problems while positioning your solution, and building momentum through documented follow-up.<\/p>\n

Related resources<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022  His book What They Don\u2019t Teach You at Stanford Business School<\/span> (and related site\/content) covers networking with VCs and mentorship in depth.<\/p>\n

\u2022  VentureBeat pieces by him on getting unknown industry leaders and VCs to mentor you.<\/p>\n

\u2022  Quora answers on best forms of networking with VCs and angels.<\/p>\n

\u2022  Occasional YouTube clips (including ones titled around the VentureBeat advice).<\/p>\n

These tactics are classic Chiang: opportunistic, research-heavy, focused on short high-signal interactions, and oriented toward turning advice into ongoing relationships (and eventually capital or introductions). Success still depends on having something real to discuss\u2014traction, a clear problem, or genuine insights\u2014so the mentorship feels productive rather than one-sided.\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“How to get a VC you don’t know to mentor you.” See my TC\/vb\/@gigaOm posts. Re #vcSecrets mentorship. #nonEmployeeCoFounder #cs183do #cs183e<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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“How to get a VC you don’t know to mentor you.” See my @TechCrunch TC\/@VentureBeat<\/a> \/#gigaOm posts. >> Re #vcSecrets mentorship. #nonEmployeeCoFounder #cs183do #cs183e<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Larry Chiang, 650-283-8008 (@LarryChiang)<\/font><\/a><\/div>\n
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By Larry Chiang  author of What They Don\u2019t Teach You at Stanford Business School, former Stanford EIR, and frequent writer on street-smart entrepreneurship)  I have written and spoken extensively about getting venture capitalists to mentor you, even ones you don\u2019t know. My core idea is that mentorship is often more valuable (and more accessible) than immediately […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39413","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39413"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39413\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39413"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39413"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39413"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}