One of my favorite CoinGeek Weekly Livestreams with host Kurt Wuckert Jr. is the June 2, 2025, episode with Brad Feld, co-founder of TechStars and author of “Give First,” as the guest. Feld came across as informed, kind, funny, and sincere, all qualities that inspired me to read his book, which I did, and I loved it.
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“Give First” breaks down the meaning of mentorship and reveals how mentors and mentees benefit from the relationship, especially when the mentor has a give-first mindset. I wanted to test this theory in the field, and seeing as the London-based BlockDojo has a thriving mentor pool, this global venture builder seemed like the perfect place to start.
Alex Ball, Block Dojo Investment Director (also former TechStars), was the first person I caught up with, and he confirmed mentorship is a powerful tool many founders overlook.
“A great mentor will be able to help you, be able to guide you, be able to open up doors, be able to share some of those lived experiences,” he said.
“But it’s not just that; a good mentor can almost be somebody to talk to [who] understands you, understands what you’re going through, can almost be like a therapist. There [are] masses of opportunity,” Ball emphasized.
Jan McGinley, partnership director for Block Dojo, manages the mentorship program and describes the mentor/mentee relationship as a “lovely thing.”
“It’s not telling people what to do, and it’s not really showing them what to do; it’s like being a sounding board and really helping them decide how to navigate. I think it’s just someone that you can turn to and somebody that you confide in,” she said.
“It’s like a therapist and a helper and a mentor all in one. And if you’ve got the right chemistry between the mentor and the mentee, it’s like heaven really,” McGinley added.
Block Dojo features over 200 mentors in their network, consisting of individuals with entrepreneurial, industry, and investment skills who want to give back and volunteer their time to help. Three outstanding Dojo mentors joined the Block Dojo Pilot Launch Night on July 31, 2025, to support their mentees from Cohort 11, and I had the opportunity to talk with them there.
When asked what being a mentor means to him, Dojo mentor Andrew Muzzelle said it’s helping the startups as much as you can in any way they need help, whether it be financial models, go-to-market strategies, pitches, or just being there for them emotionally.
Dojo mentor Robin Davies said it’s “chaos” for founders when they are trying to do a startup, and he’s there to help them “see the wood through the trees.”
“It’s very stressful and it’s very energetic, but I’ve just tried to be able to remain calm and keep them focused on going in the right direction,” he said.
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The third mentor in attendance on the night, Julian Scott-Reid, said mentorship to him is guiding, encouraging, and supporting, but pointed out it’s also challenging.
So why do these mentors bother? What do they get in return? According to Feld, if mentors shift to a “give first” mindset, the returns will come when they least expect them and in ways they could never dream of.
The Dojo mentors are clearly happy to give, and they are also learning throughout the process.
“It’s giving back, basically. I benefited from mentors during my career, it is giving back and helping others, so it’s just a personal reward,” Scott-Reid said of mentorship.
“I think it’s just rewarding when these people achieve their dreams, they’ve got a great idea, and bringing it all to life is superb for me. If it makes them happy, that’s great. It’s a learning journey for both of us,” added Muzzelle.
Ball pointed out how the startups within the Dojo program are on the cutting edge of technology in working with Web3 and AI, so the mentors are also learning from the founders, which is also rewarding.
“I think one of the things that I’ve learned from it is exposure to AI, which has literally been happening in real time since I’ve been involved, so it’s encouraged me to go and play with the tools and get involved personally as well to help me in my own activities,” shared Davies.
“Pretty much every week, I’m learning about new sectors and industries. So it’s a two-way process. They get the guidance, support, and encouragement from me. I’ve been in business for over 35 years, but I learn a lot about what’s going on and then on a personal basis as well in terms of resilience and what makes people tick,” added Scott-Reid.
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What the startups get in return is priceless. According to Forbes, 90% of startups fail! Perhaps establishing a strong relationship with a mentor right from the start could help bring this number down. At the very least, for the Dojo startups from Cohort 11, their relationship with mentors in the program has gotten them off to a fantastic start.
“One of my mentors was very instrumental at IBM for 30 years. Other mentors have not only worked in finance, but pitched for businesses, have many of their multiple businesses of their own. Just a wealth of knowledge, support and I’m really, really honored to have their time,” shared Natalie Piacun, founder and CEO of SkinBio.
“Having people who have the expertise and also able to guide you has been really pivotal, and it also opens a lot of doors as well,” added Winnie Akadjo, founder and CEO of Aeli.
Ran Barnea, co-founder and CEO of Gigz, described his Dojo mentors as “incredible.”
“I feel like they really helped me with my journey by understanding what it is that we need and how they can share from their expertise in a very sincere way,” he said.
“It’s just the expertise that they bring has really helped me with my confidence. If I’m struggling in an area, they are at the end of the phone and they’re there to talk you [through] problems and give you solutions, and it’s been wonderful,” shared Lyndsey Salah, founder & CEO of Sourcemark.
“The mentors really want you to succeed,” said Jakub Lipinski, founder and CEO of Osirian Labs.
“They’re passionate about the problem you’re solving, and they’re very quick to try to open doors for you. So yeah, I couldn’t ask for better mentors to be honest,” he added.
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Watch: Adapting to AI—what entrepreneurs need to know
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Source: https://coingeek.com/mentorship-the-secret-weapon-for-starting-a-company-video/
