September 28, 2022

On Mentorship and Leadership

00:33:44

Summary

Main Topic: Mentorship and its importance in career and personal growth.

Key Points:

The mentor-mentee relationship is one of the most important and fulfilling relationships in both career and personal life.
Finding a mentor requires persistence, intelligence, and the ability to see past a person's resume and experience.
Mentorship is a two-way street, where both parties learn from each other and grow together.
Diversity and inclusion are crucial in mentorship, as they help create a more inclusive and diverse workforce.
Effective mentorship requires self-awareness, the ability to ask good questions, and a willingness to listen and learn.
Networking is an undervalued skill in the world, and getting to know more people can lead to organic mentorship relationships.
Mentorship can be a powerful tool for social change, and entrepreneurship can be a third option for those who feel stuck or don't fit in with their current company culture.

Participants:

Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z)

Mentorship is a crucial aspect of career and personal growth, and finding the right mentor can be a game-changer.
Effective mentorship requires a two-way relationship, where both parties learn from each other and grow together.
Diversity and inclusion are essential in mentorship, as they help create a more inclusive and diverse workforce.
Networking is an undervalued skill, and getting to know more people can lead to organic mentorship relationships.
Mentorship can be a powerful tool for social change, and entrepreneurship can be a third option for those who feel stuck or don't fit in with their current company culture.

"The people who become the best mentors see past your resume and see something inside you that they connect with."
"Mentorship is a two-way street, where both parties learn from each other and grow together."
"Diversity and inclusion are crucial in mentorship, as they help create a more inclusive and diverse workforce."
"Networking is an undervalued skill, and getting to know more people can lead to organic mentorship relationships."
"Mentorship can be a powerful tool for social change, and entrepreneurship can be a third option for those who feel stuck or don't fit in with their current company culture."

Show Notes

Behind many great leaders, you’ll usually find a great mentor. The mentor-mentee relationship is often one of the most important and most fulfilling relationships people have, in both their careers and in their lives. So how do you find a mentor? What are different kinds of mentorship? And how can it help you break into an industry – or help others break in themselves?

In this episode from July 2018, a16z co-founder Ben Horowitz discusses mentorship with his mentor, Silicon Valley pioneer Ken Coleman, and Ben’s mentee, Michel Feaster, founder of Usermind and now Chief Product Officer at Qualtrics. They begin with their personal journeys and share advice and frameworks for mentorship, leadership, and growing as a founder.

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Transcript

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**Ben Horowitz, Ken Coleman, and Michelle Feaster on Mentorship**

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**Michelle Feaster:** Welcome to the a16z podcast. Today's episode is all about mentors and mentees. Joining me are Ben Horowitz, co-founder of a16z, his mentor Ken Coleman, a Silicon Valley pioneer, and I'm Michelle Feaster, Ben's mentee and founder of UserMind, now at Qualtrics. This discussion is based on a Q&A from May 2018.

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**Ben Horowitz:** Thanks for having us, Michelle. I'm excited to share our experiences.

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**Michelle Feaster:** Let's start with how you two met, Ben. How did you and Ken connect?

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**Ben Horowitz:** My father, a political activist, didn't know anyone in tech, but he met Ed McCracken of Silicon Graphics through a yoga class. Ed passed my resume to Ken, who offered me a summer internship in 1987.

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**Ken Coleman:** I followed up because I believed in looking beyond resumes. Ben had drive and a unique edge, which I thought could be nurtured.

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**Ben Horowitz:** Ken was six levels above me, so I worked hard to not embarrass him. That's how our relationship began.

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**Michelle Feaster:** How did your relationship evolve over time, Ben?

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**Ben Horowitz:** Initially, I focused on not embarrassing Ken. Over time, he became a key advisor, especially when I became a CEO. His insights were invaluable.

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**Ken Coleman:** Mentorship is about seeing potential and nurturing it. It's about believing in someone's abilities beyond their current state.

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**Michelle Feaster:** Ken, who were some of your mentors?

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**Ken Coleman:** Howard Smith at HP taught me engineering management. We'd discuss leadership over drinks, which shaped my approach.

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**Ben Horowitz:** Andy Grove's book, *High Output Management*, was a mentorship by proxy. Later, he even asked me to write the foreword for his book's new edition.

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**Michelle Feaster:** How do you mentor founders transitioning to CEOs?

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**Ken Coleman:** The role of a CEO changes with company growth. It's about learning to lead differently as the company scales.

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**Ben Horowitz:** I ask questions to help founders think through problems, using my experience to guide them without giving answers.

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**Michelle Feaster:** How do you build these relationships?

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**Ken Coleman:** Networking is key. Mentorship happens organically through trust and mutual respect. It's a two-way street.

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**Ben Horowitz:** It's about chemistry. You can't force it. Both parties must gain value from the relationship.

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**Michelle Feaster:** What about diversity in mentorship?

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**Ken Coleman:** Diversity brings different perspectives, enhancing problem-solving. It's about inclusion and creating an environment where everyone feels valued.

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**Ben Horowitz:** Diversity is crucial for innovation. It's about broadening your view of talent beyond traditional profiles.

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**Michelle Feaster:** How do you approach mentorship with underrepresented groups?

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**Ken Coleman:** It's about opportunity and support. Mentorship should help individuals grow without making them feel like they don't belong.

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**Ben Horowitz:** Mentorship is about believing in someone's potential and helping them realize it, regardless of background.

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**Michelle Feaster:** Thank you, Ben and Ken, for sharing your insights. This conversation highlights the power of mentorship in our journeys.

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**Ben Horowitz:** Thanks, Michelle. It's been a pleasure reflecting on these relationships.

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**Ken Coleman:** Indeed, mentorship is a lifelong journey of growth and mutual learning.

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**Michelle Feaster:** Thanks to our listeners. Join us next time on the a16z podcast.

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[End of episode]