Finding a Mentor: The “Fruit-on-the-Tree” You Need for Your Journey

Imagine you land in a new city with no map, no GPS, and no sense of direction. Would you wander around blindly, hoping to find your destination, or would you hire a local guide who knows every turn, every shortcut, and every pitfall?

In business, especially in startups, that guide is called a mentor.

A mentor is not just someone with more years on their resume. A true mentor is someone who has already achieved the kind of success you are chasing — the person who has the “fruit-on-the-tree” you want.

👉 If you want apples, you must go to an apple tree, not an orange tree.
👉 If you want to become a doctor, you learn from a doctor, not a carpenter.

It sounds obvious, but many aspiring founders forget this. They take advice from the wrong people and wonder why it doesn’t work out.

Three Kinds of People Around You

When you step into entrepreneurship or career growth, you’ll come across three kinds of people:

1. Those who can help you — they share insights, open doors, and help you avoid mistakes.
2. Those who can hurt you — sometimes unintentionally, but their advice, influence, or negativity derails your progress.
3. Those who make no difference — well-meaning but irrelevant voices that neither add nor subtract value.

The trick is to filter your circle and invest in mentors who belong to the first category.

Why a Mentor Matters

Every founder has blind spots — just like a driver has areas their rear-view mirror cannot capture. A good mentor becomes that second pair of eyes. Here’s what they bring to the table:

• Spotting blind spots: They see what you miss — market realities, people issues, or strategic missteps.
• Keeping you persistent: They remind you of the bigger picture when you feel like giving up.
• Redirecting you quickly: If you go off-track, they help you correct course before you burn time and money.
• Calling out unhealthy traits: Ego, procrastination, impatience — a mentor ensures these don’t sabotage your journey.
• Building accountability: They push you to not just dream, but to act, execute, and deliver consistently.

A strong mentor is like a compass — they may not walk the road for you, but they ensure you don’t lose your way.

The Practical Truth About Mentorship

Not every mentor you start with will stay forever. Some will fade away, others may lose relevance, and a few may not work out at all. That’s natural.

What matters is identifying the ones who truly add value and nurturing those relationships. Over time, as your journey progresses, you may even want to compensate them — not always in cash, but with respect, acknowledgment, or opportunities where they too can grow.

How Do You Find the Right Mentor?

Here’s a practical starting point: describe your ideal mentor.

Ask yourself:

• Do they know my industry well?
• Have they tasted real success (and failure) in it?
• Can they complement my own personality with traits I lack?
• Do they have startup experience, not just theory?

It’s like assembling your own personal “committee of mentors” — each one bringing strength in a particular area. One might be your strategic sounding board, another could guide you on finances, and a third could keep you grounded in leadership.

The Fruit-on-the-Tree Concept

Think of it this way:
If you want to learn about a new city, you hire a tour guide who knows the place. Why? Because they’ve walked the roads, faced the traffic, and explored the hidden alleys.

Business is no different. A mentor who has “been there, done that” dramatically increases your chances of avoiding mistakes and finding success faster.

At the end of the day, mentorship is not about finding a single “guru” who has all the answers. It’s about surrounding yourself with people who:

• Challenge your thinking.
• Support your vision.
• Open your eyes to perspectives you wouldn’t have seen alone.

Because in business — and in life — it’s not just about how fast you walk.
It’s about who walks with you.