Best Advice: The Web as My Mentor

When asked for the best advice I’ve ever received, I often draw a blank. As someone who entered the technology and media scene from afar – I built Mashable in rural Scotland – I wasn’t fortunate enough to have a single industry mentor who guided my path.

And yet in any ways I had access to the best guidance available: We all do. In the era of blogging, many of the leading thinkers in the web industry were publishing their thoughts online for free.

I learned about venture capital thanks to the insights of Fred Wilson, and got my first look at the world of digital marketing thanks to Edelman’s Steve Rubel. Charlene Li of Forrester Research was unknowingly my mentor in the realm of web trends.

Now many of these industry experts have moved to newer platforms like Twitter and Facebook, where they continue to distill their invaluable advice and insights to the world. And everyday, without knowing it, they are actually giving me the best advice: Keep listening.

Photo: Josh Hallett