Good People Don't Need Mentorship

By 20VC

Categories: VC, Startup

Summary

Top performers don't need mentorship or hand-holding—they self-direct and improve autonomously. This founder eliminates one-on-ones and formal reviews, providing real-time feedback only when correcting mistakes, arguing that people requiring heavy development aren't A-player material for high-performing teams.

Key Takeaways

  1. Eliminate formal one-on-ones and performance reviews for A-players. Provide feedback only in real-time via chat when correcting errors; positive performance doesn't require acknowledgment since top talent already knows they're respected.
  2. Use real-time feedback delivery (chat/immediate communication) instead of batched reviews. This creates accountability loops where high performers self-correct based on instant signals rather than waiting for formal cycles.
  3. Screen for self-directed talent during hiring. People who require extensive development and handholding aren't suited for A-player teams; filter these candidates out early rather than investing in mentorship later.
  4. Reframe mentorship as a signal of misalignment. If high-performing team members need constant guidance, they may lack the autonomy and ownership mentality required for your organization's standards.
  5. Trust replaces process in high-performing cultures. Instead of formal management structures, establish implicit respect signals that strong performers read and respond to without explicit verbal confirmation.

Related topics

Transcript Excerpt

really good people figure out a way. They don't need a whole lot of mentorship. If people on my team, if they directly report to me, I never do one-on ones. I don't do reviews. If I don't like something they're doing, they know about in real time via chat. If I like what they're doing, they don't need to know. They know that I respect them and they're good to go. Good people don't need that type of handholding usually. And what ends up happening is people who need a lot of development do, those people aren't the people that I want on this team of A players.…

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