A first reply from a mentor is easy to get, but Larry Chiang says the second reply is the one that actually proves the relationship is real. He earns it by acting on the first piece of advice before he asks for anything else, then reporting back with the specific result. A message that just says thanks for the advice rarely earns a second reply, while a message that shows the advice already in motion usually does.
This is karma applied on a short timer: thank fast, act fast, then reciprocate by showing them their time was not wasted. Larry has said a simple, well-timed thank-you note helped him land Nike as a sponsor, and he treats mentor replies the same way. The specific update matters more than the gratitude, since saying I did what you said and here is what happened beats simply saying thank you every time.
Vague follow-up questions read as a second ask, while specific progress updates read as a report, and reports get answered. He also keeps these updates short, since a mentor’s time is the actual resource being spent on you, not just their advice.
Larry frames this as the same discipline as his PQRST prep, arrive having already done something with what you were given. Earning a second reply is really earning the right to a third one, since mentors keep investing in people who show visible progress.
The pattern compounds, since each real update makes the next ask smaller and the next reply more likely. Watch Larry explain the exact follow-up habit that turned a single piece of advice into an ongoing relationship.
Details: Watch Larry on earning the second reply
#Mentorship #Karma #Web12