Mentors can help entrepreneurs avoid mistakes and accelerate their startup's development by providing smart advice from experience. The mentors available through this program include experienced entrepreneurs, VCs, and subject matter experts. It's important for entrepreneurs to clearly communicate with their mentors, keep them updated on decisions and outcomes, and thoughtfully consider but not necessarily agree with all advice, as the entrepreneur must make the final decisions. The program offers various types of mentors for different needs, including ad-hoc experts, lead mentors for intensive biweekly meetings, and partners available for consultation. Entrepreneurs should strategically utilize different mentors depending on their startup's stage and needs.

1. Working with Mentors
July 2012

2. Why do I need mentors?
“I don’t have time for this shmoozing. I just wannna
launch my product. “
With mentors you don’t waste time, you gain time. You are here to
accelerate the development of your startup. No need to repeat
mistakes and be guessing around when you can get smart advice from
people who have already been through this journey.

3. Who are these mentors?
“Mentorship: that is just a mouthful. Tell me who
these guys really are.”
Mentors are experienced entrepreneurs, VCs, and experts in the
fields of marketing, technology, and design. We have over 100
mentors in our database, local and international. If you can’t find a
mentor in our database that fits your needs, we will search until you have
all the resources you need. Let us know!

4. Maksym Schkolnyk
Founder & CEO
Address.ua
Andriy Logvin
Founder & CEO
ModnaKasta
Alexey Orap
Founder & CEO
YouScan
Yegor Anchisky
Founder & CEO
Zakaz.ua
Arman Darini
Founder & CEO
Official Human
Entrepreneurs
AndersOstlund
Founder & CEO
Fryday Kyiv/Coffeenar

5. Maksym Pechersky
Founder & CEO
New Strategies
Andrjez Olejnik
Chief Marketing Officer
Platinum Bank
Maxon Pugovsky
Head of Online Marketing
Microsoft
Experts
Pavel Ryazanov
Director of Marketing
QUARTSOFT
Maksym Tkachuk
Designer
MacPaw
Elena Podshuvejt
Chief Operating Officer
New Strategies

6. Rodion Kuhaev
Chief Investment Officer
Eastone Group
Adriy Guta
Co-owner
MIRYA
Dan Pasko
Principal
Horizon Capital
Igor Kim
Managing Partner
GIV Venture
Viktoriya Tigipko
Managing Director
TA Venture
Torben Majgaard
Founder & CEO
Cyclum
Investors

7. Why mentors get involved?
“What’s on for these guys?”
It’s your job to engage them!
Mentors get involved for several reasons:
“Peek Preview”
They may be angel investors
interested in getting to know you
better before committing $$$
“Startup Disease”
These guys are passionate
about the s/u ecosystem.
They think you are cool and
they wanna be around you.
PR
It’s prestigious to be
part of this project.
Networking
Here they may find
investors for their
projects, their next
gig, team members, etc

8. How to better manage my relationship with
our mentors?
“So how do I keep these guys happy?”
The key to getting the best out of your mentor is good communication.
Email, daily blogging, phone call, meeting…each mentor will prefer that
you stay in touch in a certain way. Figure out what works best for
him/her. And always close the loop on the issues and topics you went
over together. If the mentor led you to a certain decision, make sure
to keep him posted on the outcome of the decision, how it worked out
in the real world, any pivoting, and hindsight.

9. What if I don’t agree with the mentor?
“Come on, is the mentor going to come telling me how
to run my business? Can I change him/her in the
middle of the program?“
It’s your business and all decisions are made by you. Mentors use the
Socratic approach to lead you to your own answers. They challenge you,
make you think, ask a million questions, take you to areas you have
ignored, forgotten, or do not know, until you find your own solutions.
Choose mentors wisely. We want the mentorship experience to be
beneficial and fun for both sides. But if things derail along the way, of
course you can and should change mentors.

10. How is this thing going to work?
“Can I call mentors every day? “
Ad-Hocs 1-2 Lead Mentors 1-2 EL Partners
Local and international. You
can request as many as
needed, any time needed.
They are usually experts in
particular fields, or very
successful entrepreneurs and
investors.
These mentors will dive deep
into your project. Make sure
there is a mutually interesting
relationship before
committing. Average 2
times/week face-to-face
meetings, a couple of hours
each. Work out the details
directly with the mentor.
Some weeks may require more
intense communication, some
weeks less. First and last 2
weeks are expected to be the
most intensive ones.
Each Partner has his/her own
main areas of competencies.
Ex: Olga- education,
government relations, social.
Hrish-VC, social+dating
networks. Eveline-media,
project
management/execution.
Partners are available upon
request for consultation.

11. Who should I use and when?
“I am confused by now. Just show me how to use
these ad-hoc guys.”
. Mentors use the Socratic approach to lead you to your own answers.
They challenge you, make you think, ask a million questions, take you to
areas you have ignored, forgotten, or do not know, until you find your
own solutions.
Define Build Test/Measure
& Validate
Sell
Experienced entrepreneurs:
e-commerce
Group-buying
VOD
gaming
digital media
social entrepreneurship
education
apps
dating
…
UX/UI
e-payment
Online Marketing
Sales
SEO
VC and angel investors

12. Be smart about the resources available to you!

13. Working with Investors
Jan 2012

14. How to get investors interested?
Master your Pitch
ABC - "Always Be Closing"

15. What do investors look for?
Traction
Product
Founders/Management Team
Competitive Advantage
Market Potential/Size
Barriers to entry
Exit Strategy
u need. Let us know!

16. Thank you!