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📖 Give First
The Power of Mentorship by Brad Feld
“I strongly believe that giving without expectation of return is the most effective way to achieve many goals. So, go out there and Give First. The rest will follow.”
—Brad Feld, Give First
In Give First, renowned entrepreneur and investor Brad Feld offers more than startup advice; he shares a timeless philosophy that has become the guiding principle of his life.
Want to read the book? Brad has agreed to give away 150 free copies of his book to Slightly Smarter readers.
SMARTEST TAKEAWAYS
The Give First Philosophy
The Give First philosophy encourages individuals to give their time, resources, and expertise to others without expectation of immediate return.
1️⃣ Take a Longer View and Be Present. “We're conditioned to think in very short, transactional ways. But most of the truly important things that create value are serendipitous and unmodeled. The key is being present enough to recognize and act on those moments.” —Brad Feld in an interview with Big Think
2️⃣ Guide, Don’t Control. “The blurring between opinion and fact is a mess. The best mentors provide data and hypotheses, not assertions about what you should do. One of [my] mentor manifesto phrases is ‘guide, don’t control.’ Sometimes you do know the answer, but anyone who’s been a great manager knows the best way to get commitment is to get people to make the commitment themselves.” —Brad Feld in an interview with TechCrunch
3️⃣ It’s a Philosophy, Not a Religion. “A philosophy is a set of perspectives that is a guide, not a set of rules. You build your worldview as a result of the philosophy you adopt. You incorporate it into your perspective, views, and values. You choose what is interesting to you and ignore the rest. . . . Give First, along with my views on mentorship, is a set of ideas to consider. You get to decide what to incorporate, if any, into your worldview.” —Brad Feld in his blog Feld Thoughts
Brad Feld has been an early-stage investor and entrepreneur since 1987. He co-founded two venture capital firms, Foundry Group and Mobius Venture Capital, and multiple companies, including Techstars. He runs the Anchor Point Foundation with his wife, Amy Batchelor.
INSIGHTFUL EXAMPLE
The Founding of Techstars
Techstars, the global startup accelerator, began from something Brad Feld called Random Day, a full day of 15-minute meetings with anyone who wanted to meet. During one of those, David Cohen pitched an idea called Techstars. Brad immediately agreed to invest and called his friend Jared Polis (now the Governor of Colorado), who joined too, even before hearing the details.
Eighteen years later, that random meeting has grown into Techstars, which has funded more than 4,000 companies around the world.
BOOK FACTS
Give First
First published: June 24, 2025
Print length: 154 pages
Listening length: 3:00
Ratings: 4.8 Amazon, 4.2 Goodreads
ENTREPRENEURSHIP & MENTAL HEALTH
Brad Feld’s Story
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