First Round Fast Track

Matching seasoned startup leaders with early-stage operators in a unique mentorship community.

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Why We Started Fast Track

Behind every successful startup leader are brilliant mentors who coached, opened doors and paved the way, often before anyone else believed. But it’s not easy to find a good mentor and build an impactful relationship, especially in the fast-moving startup world. Fast Track was designed to connect accomplished leaders looking to work side-by-side and share their hard-won wisdom with the next generation. Since launching in 2016, we’ve helped thousands of mentorship pairs forge impactful bonds through structured 1:1 discussions and a larger community experience.

How it Works

Fast Track is a 90-day mentorship experience that pairs hundreds of tech leaders with high-potential operators. Mentees go through our powerful matching process to find the best Mentor for their career goals and maximize the Mentor’s impact. Once each pair is matched, we provide plenty of playbooks and best practices on how to make the most of the mentorship experience, including conversation guides and questions. Each pair then meets for one hour every other week, for six total 1:1 sessions, to discuss the Mentee’s professional goals, tips for cultivating leadership skills and advice for weathering the challenges of startup life. In addition to these 1:1 meetings, we host virtual professional development workshops, curated learning sessions, and more personalized community experiences.

For Mentors

Wall of Love

Olivia Reyes-Becerra
Senior Product Manager at OhmConnect

"The continued level of excellence in everything that First Round does is inspiring. From an insightful Mentor, to actionable workshops, and access to the Network community, I've learned SO much in the past two months. As with many things, this experience is what you make of it. Connecting with such passionate, curious people through Fast Track has certainly stoked my motivation."

Jesika Haria
Co-Founder at LogicLoop

"Thanks so much for organizing an incredible Fast Track session for all us mentees and mentors! From the matching to the kickoff, to specific events - everything has been so meticulously thought out. I loved the sessions with my mentor, and hope to get good enough to mentor others some day!"

Ryley Donohoe
Customer Success Manager at Cocoon

"I've learned so much! Every week my mentor gave me suggestions and things to work on that I implemented right away. I would come back with my progress and we'd adjust the way I was approaching an issue if needed. The things that were super impactful were those that will stay with me for the rest of my career - how to frame problems, how to present myself, and how to find joy in the things I'm working on!"

Join us in our next Fast Track cohort

sign up for updates on our next cohort

Our Mentors

FastTrack is taught by world class investors and entrepreneurs.
View our mentors
Alex Schleifer
Former Chief Design Officer at Airbnb
Alice Francis
GM at DoorDash
Andrea Chesleigh
SVP of Product at Boxed
Bhusha Mehta
Area VP, Global Customer Success at Twilio
What is the selection process for Fast Track Mentors and Mentees?

Becoming a First Round Mentor or Mentee is by application only.

Do Mentors need a certain level of experience to apply?

You should have significant experience as an operating leader, founder, or executive. We are seeking folks across a diverse range of industries and roles — design, engineering, customer success, sales, HR, product marketing, etc. Most of our Mentors have 8+ years of experience — but we make exceptions for people with an uncanny ability to coach and wisdom beyond their years.

Who should apply to become a Fast Track Mentor?

We're seeking the best founders and operators at both early- and late-stage tech companies looking to work side-by-side and share their experiences with their Mentee. We're specifically seeking women, underrepresented minorities, and people who have had unconventional paths to tech.