Brad Feld’s book ‘Give First’ champions mentorship without expectation, showing how intentional generosity can build thriving startup ecosystems. In this article the author talks about urging communities to build trust, give generously, and institutionalize support for lasting entrepreneurial impact
Walk into any major tech company in Silicon Valley today and you’ll see what looks like a miniature United Nations—people from every corner of the world working side by side to build the future. Indian immigrants, in particular, have thrived in this so-called meritocracy, founding more startups than the next four immigrant groups combined—and now leading many of the Valley’s top tech companies.
A big part of that success came from mentorship and community—especially through The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), which pioneered a powerful model: accomplished professionals helping aspiring founders not for personal gain, but to uplift their community. Over time, as Indian entrepreneurs became part of the Silicon Valley establishment, TiE lost much of its grassroots energy and evolved into more of an exclusive club—serving its fee-paying charter members rather than the broader community it once galvanized. But its core idea—give first, expect nothing—remains a timeless blueprint for building ecosystems anywhere.
Every TiE charter member, experienced entrepreneur, and every policymaker serious about building a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem, must read Brad Feld’s upcoming book, Give First: The Power of Mentorship. This is a cookbook for creating vibrant, resilient startup communities—something TiE seems to have forgotten, and governments still need to learn.
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Brad is someone I’ve known and admired since I moved to Silicon Valley in 2009. He was one of the few investors who didn’t chase power or headlines—he simply showed up for entrepreneurs with humility, consistency, and sincerity. Give First captures the essence of why founders trust him—and why startup communities thrive when they follow his lead.
At the center of Give First is a deceptively simple idea: help others—especially founders—without expecting anything in return. This isn’t just about being nice, it is a strategy that creates long-term value for individuals, communities, and entire economies.
Brad speaks from experience. As co-founder of Techstars, one of the most influential accelerators in the world, he’s helped thousands of startups scale—and taught thousands of mentors how to give meaningfully. The Techstars Mentor Manifesto is now standard reading in startup circles: be direct, hold confidences, offer honest feedback, listen more than you talk—with no posturing or strings attached.
Brad’s core message is that giving builds trust—and in early-stage entrepreneurship, trust is everything. When founders are taking risks and exposing their vulnerabilities, they won’t leap if everyone around them is keeping score.
Why Mentorship Fails—and How to Do It Right
Brad doesn’t romanticize mentorship, he is clear-eyed about what can go wrong: burnout, boundary issues, and people who only take. He warns against the “martyr mentor” who gives too much and ends up bitter, and instead, he champions intentional generosity—say yes when you can, but protect your time and energy, and know when to walk away.
He breaks down what real mentorship looks like:
- Authenticity over authority: Don’t lecture—be honest about your own path.
- Ask questions, don’t give answers: The best mentors don’t solve problems; they help founders think clearly.
- Let the relationship evolve: Some mentees become co-founders or investors. That’s great—if it happens. But that’s not the goal.
- Hold confidences: Trust, once lost, doesn’t come back.
This is not a passive, feel-good approach, it is a disciplined practice—and it works.
Making Giving Structural
One of the most powerful parts of Give First is how Brad explains turning generosity into infrastructure. At Techstars, founders are encouraged to embrace this mindset from day one. Through initiatives like Pledge 1%, startups commit a slice of equity to social impact before they make it big. That small act, done early, compounds over time.
Brad also co-founded the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Colorado, where startups donate equity into a shared pool that funds local nonprofits. When the companies win, so does the community. That’s “entrepreneurial tzedakah”—baked-in generosity that doesn’t wait for an IPO to start giving back.
This is something I too have always experienced: the more you give to the world, the more it gives back to you.
Global Lessons from Give First
The lessons are relevant far beyond Silicon Valley. From Bengaluru to Santiago, founders and investors are trying to figure out how to build ecosystems that don’t just chase capital, but build trust.
Brad offers a clear roadmap. You don’t need billion-dollar funds or world-class accelerators, what you need is a culture of showing up, of mentoring without ego, and helping without asking “what is in it for me?”
Key Takeaways from Give First
- Mentorship is a practice, not a performance: Show up consistently. Focus on the founder, not your résumé.
- Generosity scales through networks: Help one founder, and you might inspire ten more to do the same.
- Burnout is real—protect yourself: Giving first doesn’t mean giving everything. Be intentional.
- Systems matter: Build generosity into the structure—through equity pledges, shared foundations, or cultural norms.
- You don’t need money to start: Anyone, anywhere, can adopt a give-first mindset. All it takes is the will to help.
A Blueprint for the Next Generation
What TiE once did for Indian immigrants in Silicon Valley, Brad Feld has extended into a global movement through Give First. He has shaped a philosophy that places mentorship, empathy, and service at the center of how we build companies and communities.
This ethos—mentoring the next generation without ego or expectation—is still relatively new in business in India, but it’s catching on. Kunal Bahl has been backing founders with thoughtful capital and time. Kris Gopalakrishnan is funding long-term science and deep-tech research. CP Gurnani, a passionate advocate of youth entrepreneurship, is sharing decades of hard-won leadership wisdom. Bhavish Aggarwal, even while building the next wave of mobility and AI, makes space to encourage new founders. Sridhar Vembu, through Zoho and his rural innovation model, is reshaping how and where companies are built. And Arjun Malhotra—one of India’s original tech entrepreneurs—has been quietly guiding and mentoring startups since before the word “ecosystem” was in fashion.
These are entrepreneurs I’ve known for years—people who took the best of Silicon Valley without absorbing its greed or darker impulses. They understand that real legacy isn’t about market cap or personal glory—it’s about the people you empower, the entrepreneurs you inspire, and the impact that lasts long after you’ve stepped away.
India needs this mindset at scale—not because it’s trying to replicate Silicon Valley, but because it has every ingredient to surpass it. The raw talent, the engineering depth, the ambition to solve real problems for a billion people and beyond. It may not be the case in business, but this ethos of giving and mentoring is deeply rooted in Indian tradition—the guru-shishya model has guided knowledge-sharing in this country for centuries. What’s missing is a cultural shift toward institutionalized business mentorship, radical trust, and a commitment to lifting others as we rise.
As an Indian-American who’s had a front-row seat to Silicon Valley’s rise, worked closely with India’s most visionary founders, and is now building a global company from India, I can say with confidence: if India embraces the Give First mindset, it won’t just build great companies—it will create the most inclusive and impactful innovation economy the world has ever seen.
Vivek Wadhwa is the CEO of Vionix Biosciences and has held academic appointments at institutions including Harvard Law School, Stanford, and Duke University.
(Used with express permission from Vivek Wadhwa)