Becoming an advisor to a tech startup is a great way to enhance your leadership experience, lift your personal brand and add variation to your day-to-day corporate role.

While people with past startup experience, either as founders or early employees are a logical addition to a startup’s advisory board, having people who are currently in corporate roles brings diversity and an insider’s perspective, especially if the startup is selling business-to-business (B2B).

In this article I discuss how to position yourself for a Tech Startup Advisor role and highlight what it is and what it isn’t.

#1 Be Clear On Why You Want It

Having clarity on why you want a Tech Startup Advisor role will help set the right expectations and shape who and how you approach this. There are good reasons and not good reasons for taking on this role.

Good Reasons:

Intellectual Challenge and Growth Opportunity

Advising startups will certainly challenge you intellectually and provide a personal...