In this Mentor Spotlight get to know our Endeavor Mentor Renato Mendes, Co-Founder at 4equity Media Ventures.
Why did you decide to join the Endeavor Network?
Joining Endeavor for me is all about giving back. It’s a pleasure to assist new entrepreneurs by sharing my experiences, and I must admit, I often learn more than I teach. The knowledge exchange is invaluable. Having been a mentor in Brazil for the past seven years, I’m excited to establish a fruitful partnership with Endeavor Miami as well.
Tell us about your background and why you decided to become a mentor.
I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time, which allowed me to meet the founders of Netshoes in their early days. As the first Brazilian company to go public in the US, I had the pleasure of serving as its Head of Marketing & Communications for Latin America, initially as an executive and later as a partner. After that, I created a startup accelerator program and a venture capital fund focused on early-stage investments. Now, I’m working on a new project: an independent media-for-equity fund called 4equity Media Ventures, which I believe will be a huge success!
What are the most important qualities and characteristics that mentors should have?
A good mentor must understand their role in the relationship. As entrepreneurs ourselves, we often have a natural inclination to jump in and take action. However, as a mentor, I’ve learned to provide advice while allowing entrepreneurs to make their own decisions and learn from them. To do this effectively, it’s essential to be a good listener and to recognize when you can or cannot help.
Any general advice for entrepreneurs?
It’s impossible to do everything yourself. So, I believe it’s crucial for entrepreneurs to learn how to operate using a build-measure-learn approach and to understand the importance of prioritizing tasks.
What are you reading?
These days, I spend about 90% of my time dedicated to newsletters, podcasts and Linkedin articles, while the remaining 10% is focused on books. In English, I would recommend guys like Kieran Flanagan, Brian Balfour, and Andrew Chen.
These responses have been edited for grammar.
