Study of Startups in Pune Region and Impact of Mentoring on their Trajectory

Abstract

This study explores the interrelations between startups, success in their journey and the role of mentors in influencing the outcomes, as being one of the silent factors. Early stage and first-generation entrepreneurs have several challenges as they start and navigate these. Available research has identified a high failure rate of up to ninety percent in startups and several reasons have been ascribed for this. The author, having spent his lifetime around entrepreneurship, angel investment and mentoring sensed missing element of mentoring. The hypothesis being that despite being faced with several reasons determining the success of a startup, internal, as well as external, mentoring is the secret sauce that can reduce the negative outcomes. The study assesses interactions between mentors and entrepreneurs that is designed to provide these entrepreneurs with the opportunity to benefit from constructive and developmental ideas about how to extend or improve the quality of their early-stage ideas and how to change or redirect startups strategic directions in positive direction.

Keywords: Startups, Failures, Mentoring, Entrepreneur(ship)

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