Valerie R. Coffman

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Should you give startup advice? [FLOWCHART]

One of the biggest downsides and distractions in being a first-time entrepreneur is that far too many people are quick to give you unsolicited asshat startup advice. When you're at a party or networking event and someone says "you know what you should do" and proceeds to go down a rabbit-hole, you feel stuck feigning interest while looking for a way out of the conversation. It's painful. And a waste of time. Meanwhile, according to some, there's a dearth of true mentorship in the DC startup ecosystem. Clearly, there is widespread confusion on who needs to STFU and who should share their pearls of startup wisdom. To correct this issue, I've created the following handy flowchart.

[FLOWCHART] Should You Give Startup Advice?

UPDATE: Here is a printable version. And a mug.