
Why do entrepreneurs flock to loudmouths as mentors? - peter123
http://entrepreneur.venturebeat.com/2010/01/19/why-do-entrepreneurs-flock-to-loudmouths-as-mentors/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Venturebeat+%28VentureBeat%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
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iamwil
I've recently discovered that some of the best people are the ones you've
never even heard of.

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ryanelkins
The problem, of course, being that you've never heard of them.

The more visible people have more followers largely because they are more
visible. I'm not saying this makes it right, we need to learn how to find
people based on value instead of visibility.

~~~
iamwil
They're usually too busy getting stuff done. Look for people getting stuff
done and examine their work.

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karzeem
Loudmouths have followers for the same reason that stock analysts and oracles
do/did. In the face of risk and uncertainty, it can be really compelling when
someone tells you they know how to make it all better.

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jayliew
One thing not mentioned is the chemistry part. It's kind of a dating game in a
sense that you have to like something about the mentor, and the mentor has to
take an interest in you somehow. E.g. perhaps you remind him/her when he/she
was at your age, etc. It has to be a 2-way street. You can ask someone all the
Q's you want but only a mentor will be emotionally invested in your success
and _want_ to groom you.

I have a few mentors, I find it an incredible experience that people miss out
on if they aren't already. Finding mentors, is difficult. I've found mine by
luck. But you can always optimize your odds by hanging out where people you
think you would like to be your mentor hang out.

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benmathes
You only hear the loudmouths because they're loudmouths. There's just as much
gravitation towards the quiet gurus and mentors by those that seek them out.

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nopassrecover
It's much harder to find someone who doesn't self market themselves.

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Goladus
I'm not sure this article really intends the point about the "loudest guy in
the room" to be a metaphor. He seems to actually be talking about someone with
a lot of in-person charisma.

The internet is a bit different in that one is rarely labeled a 'loudmouth'
until people start listening, making the question of "why do entrepreneurs
flock to loudmouths" nonsensical.

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petercooper
It'd take me some doing to dig out, but there was an article around on HN
perhaps 2 years ago that demonstrated how people, on the whole, would rather
listen to someone confident but typically more wrong, than someone less
confident but who was typically more correct.

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mattm
One of the life lessons I've recently learned is that the people who talk the
most, generally accomplish the least. However, on the first meetings, these
people are very good at giving the impression that they accomplish a lot.

