The video discusses the tendency of startup founders to prioritize mentorship and advisory boards over actually building and launching their products. It suggests that this behavior stems from a fear of risk and a belief that these activities will de-risk their startups. However, the video argues that the most effective ways to de-risk a startup are by talking to customers and building and launching a product.

You could be in that bottomless pit for years and be a startup founder that's never built a product and has never gotten a single customer because you just cycled in and out of various forms of startup mentorship.

The collecting of mentors, advisors, oh, I went through 3 different accelerators and an idea lab and building my advisory board.

Why do you think founders are attracted to that versus building something and launching it?

I'm not saying like it's all bad but it's a bottomless pit of time suck.

You know I think a lot of it also has to do with founders being a little bit afraid and thinking these things de-risk.

Well if I have an advisory board it's gonna de-risk my startup.

It's a bunch of smart people saying my idea is good.

Or if I do a bunch of mentorship, it de-risks my startup.

Like the 2 things that ridiculously de-risk your startup.

The second one's building a launching product.

It's like, God forbid you're doing anything more than you're doing those things, you are not taking the optimal de-risk approach.


Speaker 0: You could be in that bottomless pit for years and be a startup founder that's never built a product and has never gotten a single customer because you just cycled in and out of various forms of startup mentorship.

Speaker 1: The collecting of mentors, advisors, oh, I went through 3 different accelerators and an idea lab and building my advisory board. Why do you think founders are attracted to that versus building something and launching it?

Speaker 0: I'm not saying like it's all bad but it's a bottomless pit of time suck.

Speaker 1: You know I think a lot of it also has to do with founders being a little bit afraid and thinking these things de-risk. Well if I have an advisory board it's gonna de-risk my startup. It's a bunch of smart people saying my idea is good. Or if I do a bunch of mentorship, it de-risks my startup. I get a lot of advice.

Like the 2 things that ridiculously de-risk your startup. First one's talking to your customers. The second one's building a launching product. It's like, God forbid you're doing anything more than you're doing those things, you are not taking the optimal de-risk approach.

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Doing these things might feel good, but they won’t derisk your startup.