# Startup Mentoring Progam Models Any Questions? FAQ Select The Right Fit Below Pool No matching! No mentor selection!Mentors Source: https://mentorship.center/startup-mentoring-progam-models/ Updated: 2025-07-09 Topics: free-trial-request-forms ### Select the Right Fit Below Pool No matching! No mentor selection!Mentors provide time slots.Startups book meetings with any mentor! POOL 1-on-1 Founders Book Meetings For Themselves Select POOL For Startups Startup Members Book Meetings For Their Startups Select NETWORKING 1-on-1 No Mentor/Mentee Role. Everyone Provide Time Slots Select Structured Participants follow a series of predefined sessions set by the program. Each session includes specific topics, questions, and goals to guide the conversation.​ STRUCTURED Matched Automatic or Manual Matching by Admins. Select STRUCTURED Selective Founders Choose a Mentor Or Admin/Mentor Approves Select STRUCTURED For Startups Matched By Admins Group Meetings For Startup Select Freestyle There is no predefined meeting topics.Same feedback questions for all meetings. FREESTYLE Matched Automatic or Manual Matching by Admins. Select FREESTYLE Selective Founders Choose a Mentor Or Admin/Mentor Approves Select FREESTYLE For Startups Matched By Admins Group Meetings Only Select Need a different mentoring model? or any questions? Describe your ideal mentoring setup and we’ll help make it real! Or ask a question quickly. ### Mentoring Program Models FAQ What’s the Difference Between Structured and Freestyle Mentoring? ### Structured Programs - The program manager defines the meeting flow, including topics, content, forms, and surveys. - Meetings follow a structured path with predefined themes and resources. - Example : If the program is designed with 5 meetings, mentees and mentors can schedule up to 5 meetings via the platform. - Each meeting may have different forms, questions, or content depending on the program design. Structured → Limited number of meetings + Custom content for each one ### Freestyle Programs - Mentors and mentees freely schedule meetings without choosing a specific topic. - There is no meeting content — only a standard feedback form is provided. - The same feedback questions appear for every meeting. - There is no limit on the number of meetings they can create. Freestyle → Unlimited meetings + No predefined content What Is The Difference Between Startup (Group) Mentoring and 1-on-1 Mentoring? #### Mentoring Relationship ##### Startup Mentoring A mentor meets with an entire startup team. The startup is represented by a profile that includes a founder or startup member (who creates the startup profile) and other startup members (team participants added by the founder or admin).  All mentoring interactions are tracked and structured at the team level. ##### 1-on-1 Mentoring A mentor meets with a single individual. The mentoring relationship is personal, and all sessions are focused on that individual’s goals and development. #### Meeting Dynamics ##### Startup Mentoring Meetings are scheduled between the mentor and the startup, not individuals. Even if only one team member joins a session, the meeting is still recorded under the startup’s name. ##### 1-on-1 Mentoring Meetings are exclusively between the mentor and the individual mentee. ##### Each session is tied to that person #### Scheduling and Permissions ##### Startup Mentoring When a founder or startup member schedules a meeting, it is automatically created for the startup team. Members share access to the same meeting records. ##### 1-on-1 Mentoring Mentees book meetings on their own behalf, and no other users are associated with that meeting. #### Reporting and Analytics ##### Startup Mentoring Engagement and progress are tracked at the startup level. All meetings and related data are tied to the startup name, enabling program admins to follow outcomes on a team basis. ##### 1-on-1 Mentoring Data is linked to individuals, so reports reflect the activity and development of each mentee. #### Use Cases ##### Startup Mentoring Best suited for accelerators, incubators, or entrepreneurship-focused programs where startups participate as teams. ➤ If participants will be added as startup team members and tracking is intended by startup name, this model is significantly more effective. ##### 1-on-1 Mentoring Ideal for individual development programs such as corporate mentoring, internal coaching, or personal skill-building initiatives. If your program includes startup teams and you want to organize and monitor progress by startup name, then the Startup Mentoring model provides the right structure.  For individual growth and personalized guidance, 1-on-1 Mentoring is the better fit.  Choosing the correct model ensures a smoother program experience for both mentors and participants. What Is Group (Startup) Mentoring and How Does It Work? Group mentoring is a model where multiple mentees are grouped together and meet with mentors. #### Example : In a startup program, each startup team can be a group of mentees. 📅  If any mentee schedules a meeting, it’s created for the whole group. No approval is needed. 📩  All group members receive a calendar invite and can join the meeting and add notes. ⚖️  Everyone in the group has equal rights and access. How Can Founders Select Their Mentors? You can choose how mentees select their mentors. There are 3 options: ##### 1. Admin-approved - Mentees send requests. - Only admins see and approve them.  - Mentors don’t get notifications. #### 2. Mentor-approved - Mentees send requests directly to mentors.  - Mentors decide who to accept. ##### 3. No approval - Mentees are paired instantly after selecting a mentor. 🔧 You can also add custom rules—for example, prevent mentees from selecting mentors in their own department or hide certain mentors from certain mentees. Mentor selection feature works with 1-on-1 mentoring only. How Does Mentor–Founder or Startup Member Matching Work? Our mentoring software offers solutions for all matching methods → Manual matching:You can individually assign the mentees you want to the mentors of your choice. Matching by uploading an Excel spreadsheet:You can upload your matching list and pair all mentors and mentees in bulk. ##### Automatic matching You can enable automatic pairing of mentors and mentees based on rules you define. You can add an unlimited number of rules. Automatic matching works with 1-on-1 mentoring only. Can We Run Multiple Program Models at the Same Time? #### You can create multiple programs. This way, you can manage several programs with different models, settings, and contents simultaneously at no additional cost. ### Structured Programs - - - - Structured → Limited number of meetings + Custom content for each one ### Freestyle Programs - - - The same feedback questions appear for every meeting. - Freestyle → Unlimited meetings + No predefined content #### Mentoring Relationship ##### Startup Mentoring A mentor meets with an entire startup team. ##### 1-on-1 Mentoring #### Meeting Dynamics ##### Startup Mentoring Even if only one team member joins a session, the meeting is still recorded under the startup's name. ##### 1-on-1 Mentoring ##### Each session is tied to that person #### Scheduling and Permissions ##### Startup Mentoring ##### 1-on-1 Mentoring #### Reporting and Analytics ##### Startup Mentoring Engagement and progress are tracked at the startup level. ##### 1-on-1 Mentoring #### Use Cases ##### Startup Mentoring ##### 1-on-1 Mentoring #### Example : In a startup program, each startup team can be a group of mentees. ⚖️  Everyone in the group has equal rights and access. ##### 1. Admin-approved - Mentees send requests. - Only admins see and approve them.  - Mentors don’t get notifications. #### 2. Mentor-approved - Mentees send requests directly to mentors.  - Mentors decide who to accept. ##### 3. No approval - Mentees are paired instantly after selecting a mentor. Mentor selection feature works with 1-on-1 mentoring only. ##### Automatic matching Automatic matching works with 1-on-1 mentoring only. #### You can create multiple programs.