Hi folks, jumping into this proposal today but speaking personally:
About me - In the past, I previously founded and built 6 companies and successfully sold 2. I have mentored, coached, and advised 300 startup founders, 40,000 new and seasoned developers, and 350 young and aspiring founders since 2007 (500 Startups, Blue Startups, Facebook’s FbStart, Facebook’s Developer Circles, Nalukai Future Founder Program, Purple Mai’a, DevLeague, and MissionBit). I am a firm believer in the power of mentorship and giving back to the community.
Of the mentorship programs I have participated in, I have never been paid to do this work. I do not think paying people to be mentors is the right approach for the Celo Community or any healthy startup community. This proposal describes something more akin to Paid Business Consulting and Matchmaking dressed in altruism than traditional mentorship. Examples of more normal free mentorship programs include programs like SCORE.org, a US service that offers free matchmaking and mentorship.
The most common desired outcome as a mentor is the good feeling coming from using your expertise and experience to help young teams navigate tricky technical or business challenges. In some cases mentorship can lead to formal advisory roles. There can also be opportunities for angel investing. These outcomes vary with the mentor, the team, the stage of the company, and their needs. These outcomes will still happen, and can provide considerable upside, so paying mentors seems wasteful if the mentor’s ultimately goal is an advisory or investor role.
I suggest the community reconsider the use of these Community funds at this time and also consider the timing of this proposal. With the ongoing Governance Sprint effort underway by the Community members like Luuk to provide clearer accountability for proposals of this exact nature, this proposal feels rushed to get it through before the timer runs out.
Ultimately, I think the Celo Community should be cautious to commit the requested funds until better accountability measures are in place.