Mentorship

How Mentorship Works

Mentorship on Helm is a platform-wide system. When someone becomes a mentor, their mentor status applies globally — not just within a single community. This means mentors can guide mentees across all the communities they participate in.

Finding a Mentor

Navigate to Connect → Mentorship and select the Find Mentors tab. You'll see a list of available mentors filtered based on your trust level:

• Shared community mentors: You can always see mentors who are in the same communities as you
• High-trust mentors (trust 3+): These mentors are visible to everyone on the platform

What You'll See

Each mentor card shows their display name, trust level, focus areas (what they specialize in), bio, rating from past mentorships, and how many mentee slots they have available.

Requesting a Mentorship

1. Browse the mentor list
   Use the search box to filter by name. Review each mentor's focus areas and bio to find a good match.
2. Click "Request Mentorship"
   Enter your goals for the mentorship — what you'd like to learn or work on together. Be specific to help the mentor understand your needs.
3. Wait for the mentor to respond
   The mentorship begins with a default 90-day duration. You'll be able to track it in the "My Mentorships" tab.

Managing Your Mentorships

The My Mentorships tab shows all your active and past mentorship relationships, whether you're the mentor or the mentee.

During a Mentorship

• Check-ins: Record check-ins to track your progress. The system sends a gentle nudge every 14 days if no check-in has been recorded.
• Complete: When you've achieved your goals, either party can mark the mentorship as completed.
• End early: Either the mentor or mentee can end the mentorship at any time if it's not working out.

Extending a Mentorship

When a mentorship is nearing its end date and both parties want to continue, either person can request an extension. The other party must accept the extension for it to take effect. Extensions add another duration period (default 90 days) to the existing mentorship.

Group Mentorships

Mentors can host group mentorship sessions with multiple mentees at once. Group mentorships are useful for:

• Workshops on specific topics (e.g., negotiation skills, protocol design)
• Peer learning circles where mentees support each other
• Structured group programs with shared goals and milestones

Group mentorships have their own check-in schedule and shared progress tracking.

After Completion

Once a mentorship is completed, both parties can rate the experience (1-5 stars) and leave optional feedback. Ratings help future mentees choose the right mentor.

Graduation Consent

When a mentorship leads to a deeper connection and both parties want to transition into a formal dynamic, the mentorship can be graduated. Graduation requires explicit consent from both the mentor and the mentee:

1. Either party initiates a graduation request
2. The other party reviews and accepts (or declines) the graduation
3. Upon acceptance, the mentorship is marked as graduated and both parties can proceed to form a hierarchy

Graduation is always optional and never assumed. The consent gate ensures that both parties are ready to transition.

Becoming a Mentor

The Become a Mentor tab lets you apply to be a mentor. There are two ways to become one:

Path 1: Self-Nomination (Trust Level 3+)

If your trust level is 3 or higher, you can self-nominate. Fill out your focus areas and a short bio describing your experience, then submit. You'll be approved immediately.

Path 2: Admin Designation

Community admins and moderators can designate any member of their community as a mentor, regardless of trust level. This is useful for recognizing experienced members who may be newer to the platform.

Trust Levels and Visibility

Your trust level affects who can find you as a mentor:

This means building trust through community participation naturally increases your reach as a mentor.

Subscription Limits

Mentorship features are available on paid plans. Here are the limits by tier: