17 Rules for Being a Great Mentor in a Defense Accelerator

Mentoring in defense innovation is — and isn’t — like mentoring in commercial tech. The stakes are higher, the customers are fewer, and the consequences of failure reach far beyond financial loss. Whether you’re a veteran, engineer, investor, or strategist, here’s how to support defense startups with clarity, urgency, and impact.

1. 100%  

You have been accepted as a mentor because of your background, knowledge and relationships. But that’s not enough, you need to be committed to supporting them. You are either in or out.

2. Listen First. Then Ask Sharp Questions.

Don’t steer — clarify. Let founders explain their thinking. Then challenge them to make it clearer, tighter, and more grounded.

3. Be open to learning yourself

You’re a mentor because you’ve seen a lot. But the best mentors know that learning goes both ways — especially in defense. Stay curious.

4. Demand Validation — Not Vibes.

Who confirmed this? Where’s the data? What did the user actually say? Push for insight that’s earned — not assumed.

5. Build on Field Data.

Good decisions come from ground truth. Encourage teams to collect real feedback, log it, and design around what users need — not what founders hope is true.

6. Don’t Overtrust Your Intuition.

Experience is valuable. But the battlefield evolves. What worked once may be irrelevant now. Push teams to revalidate problems and revalidate solutions — repeatedly.

7. Insist on Product/Mission Fit.

If this product disappeared tomorrow, would the user be in real trouble? If not, it’s not mission-critical yet. Help founders find the pain that truly matters.

8. Respect Confidentiality.

In defense, trust is everything. Share knowledge — but only within agreed boundaries. Know when to speak, and when not to.

9. Filter the Signal from the Noise.

Friends, experts, mentors — everyone has opinions. But the only truth that matters comes from real users. Teach startups to listen to them, and only them.

10. Help Diagnose the Real Problem.

How do users experience the pain? How do they solve it now? Push founders to uncover what’s really broken — not just what sounds impressive.

11. Fight for Simplicity.

The best solutions are focused, not flashy. Help teams build the minimum lovable version — the one users can’t live without. If that works, expand later.

12. Prioritize Learning Over Scaling.

Startups aren’t small corporations. They’re learning machines. Your job is to accelerate learning through fast, structured validation — not to optimize for growth too soon.

13. Use the Socratic Method.

Apply the triple-filter test:

• Is it true? (Has it been validated?)

• Is it good? (Does it help the user succeed?)

• Is it useful? (Should we act on it?)
  Good questions lead to better decisions.
  

14. Focus Beats Possibility.

“We could also do X” is the enemy of clarity. Help startups go narrow and deep. Niche solutions that work beat broad ones that never land.

15. Stay Realistic — Without Killing Optimism.

Founders are dreamers. That’s their job. Yours is to support their vision while anchoring it in facts, constraints, and reality.

16. Reinforce Iteration Discipline.

Guessing is fine. But validating quickly is better. Encourage rapid cycles of testing, feedback, and adaptation — until the product works under real conditions.

17. Serve the Mission.

Startups in this space aren’t just building companies. They’re building for national resilience. They protect lives, freedom, and democratic values. Show up fully. Give your best — or wait until you can.