The 99 Product Challenge

One of the unexpectedly delightful surprises in starting a new business has been the sheer number of people willing—eager, even—to help. I’m not talking about vague, polite offers like, “Let me know how I can support you.” I mean real advice. Real time. Real criticism. The good stuff. The uncomfortable stuff. The actually useful stuff.

Honestly, it caught me off guard. In my long corporate career, finding a good mentor always felt like trying to spot a unicorn—elusive, mythical, and probably on another Zoom call. I’ve been doing this work a long time, and while I’ve had plenty of smart colleagues, it was rare to find someone I trusted enough to call a true mentor. The kind of person who could tell me when I was full of it without triggering an HR complaint.

But here I am, just 30 days into launching my own company, and suddenly I’ve stumbled into multiple relationships that go way beyond friendly chats. These are full-on mentorship dynamics. The kind where people will challenge your assumptions, question your choices, and push you to do better—even when (especially when) it stings a little.

It’s humbling. It’s heartening. And it has me asking: why now?

Maybe it’s because in the corporate world, things felt more competitive. Less safe. It wasn’t exactly a place where vulnerability was celebrated. And, let’s be honest, maybe I didn’t look like I needed help. Or maybe I was just really good at pretending I didn’t.

But now? Now I’m out here, running my own business, flailing gloriously in public. Taking risks. Screwing up. Learning fast. Maybe it’s more obvious now that I need help. Maybe people see me out here metaphorically (and occasionally emotionally) naked, and they’re stepping in to say, “Someone grab a blanket—Tom’s out on the lawn again.”

And maybe that’s the whole trick. Maybe mentorship isn’t something you earn through experience or titles. Maybe it’s something you unlock the moment you let yourself be seen—warts, weird ideas, wobbly pitch decks and all.

Whatever the reason, I’m deeply grateful. I’ve got a lot to learn, and now—thankfully—I’ve got people who care enough to teach me. People who want to see me succeed. People who will tell me when I’m wrong and cheer me on when I’m right.

So here’s to the mentors, accidental or otherwise. You know who you are.

And now… seriously… where did I put my pants?