Prakash Narayan-
Harvard Medical School Professor and world-renowned surgeon, Dr. Atul Gawande has said (in a TED talk) that while it is apparent that even the best athletes (be it in tennis, or golf, or any other sport) in the world have and use a coach, this is not obvious for professionals (be it lawyers, or doctors, or entrepreneurs).
“There are numerous problems in making it on your own. You don’t recognize the issues that are standing in your way or if you do, you don’t know how to fix them.” He gives an example of how he asked a former, retired professor of his to observe him in the operating room. Even though the case went without a hitch, the professor had a page full of notes. This is the reason why professionals need mentors. They are your external eyes and ears who provide an accurate picture of your reality.
TiEcon has two excellent programs, VC Connect and MentorConnect, to help entrepreneurs and wantrepreneurs in their journey. Both programs will be conducted virtually – thus providing an opportunity for a worldwide audience to participate.
The VC Connect program is focused on entrepreneurs working full time on their startup. This is not be considered as a “pitch session”. However, you can use this to get input on team scaling, marketing, sales, fundraising, etc. The VCs participating in this program are all top Silicon Valley VCs with funds totaling over $1B. The list of VCs participating in VC Connect can be seen in https://www.tiecon.org/vc-connect.
The MentorConnect program is focused more on wantrepreneurs and professionals seeking to validate their ideas. You have the opportunity to get mentored, on a near one-on-one basis, with some of the very best in the business. The Mentors include VCs, successful entrepreneurs and Corporate executives. As we all know, hindsight is 20-20. With the right mentor, their hindsight becomes your 20-20. In a sense, these mentors could provide you with a “forward view mirror” and offer their perspectives on what to expect ahead.
The MentorConnect program is being conducted in two cohorts: one at 9 am and at 1:00 pm on Thursday, May 6th. The list of participating Mentors in MentorConnect can be seen here: https://www.tiecon.org/mentor-connect.
Even though there are VCs in the MentorConnect program, the focus of the two programs is entirely different. Many of the VCs were successful entrepreneurs first before they became VCs. They will be able to provide you their insights on your startup idea. We have chosen Mentors spanning multiple verticals: HealthCare Technology, FinTech, Consumer, Enterprise, Marketing Technology, Blockchain, IOT, AI, Networking, etc.
Both programs are available only to people registering for TiEcon here: https://www.tiecon.org/register. You may use the code INDICANEWS to get the conference fee ($99 for non-members) waived. During registration, you need to include the add-on program for VC Connect and/or MentorConnect.
TiEcon 2021 promises to be an exciting event with wonderful keynotes and excellent track sessions. The VC Connect and MentorConnect programs enhance your experience by providing you the opportunity to talk to some of the very best in our industry.
