I was recently speaking with some entrepreneurs about the Atlanta Tech Village Advisor program. I am a huge fan of learning from people who have been in your shoes before and can share their relevant experiences. This could be at a functional level (marketing, finance, sales, etc.), stage level (idea, seed, Series A, etc.) and/or industry level (healthcare, fintech, logistics, etc.). Here were three things that came up for how to maximize value out of the program.

Plan ahead

Given the range of experience of advisors, it is helpful to plan ahead based on what type of feedback you are looking for. Knowing the advisor’s area of expertise can help you ask relevant questions that they will likely have the best guidance. Also, sometimes a little bit of preparation (for both you and the advisor) can lead to a better discussion if more context has been shared before the meeting.

Build relationships

The first time you meet an advisor you might get some good nuggets of information. But the more times you interact with them, the more you both get to better understand and support each other. Find someone that may have a different perspective, but you also jive with from a culture fit. That can make the interactions more rewarding. There are people I met through this program that have built a relationship and I thoroughly enjoy hearing their latest and trying to be supportive because I can tell how much they truly value feedback and have a passion to see the business succeed.

Know key leverage points

There are times as a founder when you need to be heads down selling to customers and building your business. There are also key decision points where the path you choose will define how the next period goes. Know when those key points are, and make sure you reach out to multiple people to gather feedback before making your decision. Getting feedback from multiple advisors can each bring in different pieces of the puzzle to help you make the best decision.

I’m thankful for the ATV Advisor program, and all the entrepreneurs and mentors that work together to build such an amazing community.