The Power of Community & Mentorship with Startup OG Peter Nixey & AJ, CEO of Foundrs

"What I try to do is listen to the problem, understand how it fits stuff I've seen before, then relate how I think it'll play out…” In this week's 40 Minute Mentor episode, we're joined by a mentorship duo connected by their love and passion for the startup world. Peter Nixey - serial entrepreneur and OG of the UK Startup scene, joins us together with his mentee, AJ, who has been the CEO of the invite-only community, Foundrs. Peter founded Clcikpass.com which raised investment from YC and several angels, before selling the company to Yola.com. His most recent ventures include Copyin, a platform for progressional communities built entirely in email and Intentional.io - a day planner that focuses you on managing your time, rather than your tasks. AJ has been the CEO of Foundrs for the past two years and is soon moving on to start his own company that will support others looking to build communities like Foundrs. From structuring sessions with pre-set agendas, to open conversations around personal life challenges, this episode explores the real ins and outs of a solid mentorship relationship, including: ➡️ Evolving from community check-ins to full-scale mentorship [04:25] ➡️ The importance of agendas and time management [06:13] ➡️ The power of pushing back AND being open to feedback, as a mentee [09:06] ➡️ Using previous problems to tackle current challenges [12:50] ➡️ Overlapping topics and progression to propel the mentor relationship [14:39] ➡️ Allowing space for emotionally charged conversations [20:48] ➡️ Opinions vs shared experiences from a serial entrepreneur [23:54] ➡️ From PhD dropout to a mentorship awakening [28:57] ➡️ The significance of community in the Startup world [32:02] ➡️ Providing value from both sides of the mentor relationship [35:09] ➡️ Being a cheerleader and staying inquisitive on your mentorship journey [36:38] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with AJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aj-foundrs/ ➡️ Connect with Peter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peternixey/ ➡️ More about Foundrs: https://www.foundrs.co/ ➡️ More about Intentional.io: https://intentional.io/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm 🤫 P.S Has our podcast ever made you feel something? Like properly made you stop and FEEL the feels... Maybe it has opened your eyes to a new industry? Maybe it has inspired you to start your own venture? Or maybe it has you nodding along as you relate to so many of the challenges that our Founders have faced.... 🤝 Connecting, human to human, with our audience is absolutely paramount to our work behind the scenes at 40 Minute Mentor, which is why we would (shamelessly) love to have your vote in this year's Great British Podcast People's Choice awards. 🏆 1. Click here: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting 2. Type in '40 Minute Mentor' 3. Job done ✅ Your nomination would mean the world to us, so thank you in advance! 💙 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices