Wax On, Wax Off: 3 Lessons from the Karate Kid on Mentorship
December 18, 2023
by an admin from Stanford University - Graduate School of Business in Honolulu, HI, USA
3 Lessons Daniel LaRusso, the Karate Kid, Can Teach Us About Mentorship
In their recent case note, Exploring the Future of Entrepreneurship through Acquisition, ^redacted and investor ^redacted predict a decrease in the level of investor support and mentoring for entrepreneurs due to the expanding size of portfolios and the increasing professionalization of the industry. However, I believe mentoring has declined more significantly than the community might be ready to acknowledge.
When I speak privately with advanced searchers, they often feel like they are not receiving (or did not receive) the full benefits promised by their investors when it comes to non-financial support like mentoring. There seems to be a mismatch between what investors perceive as mentoring and what searchers expect to receive over the long haul of their journey.
Ever since I read that Cobra Kai is up for another Emmy, I've been thinking about the Karate Kid. In my recent blog post Wax On, Wax Off, I discuss three lessons based on the character of Daniel LaRusso from the original Karate Kid movie that might inspire you to get the most out of mentoring as you consider your mentors for your search.