Mentorship matters. Through our Meet the Mentor series, learn more about the mentors in our network and the role mentoring could play in your startup. In today’s feature, we will be spotlighting Raen Lim, Splunk’s Group Vice President of Asia.

Tell us about your background and your area of expertise 

I have been in the Technology industry for over 20 years where I have worked with many clients, large and small, and across different industries using technology as an enabler to help them achieve desired business outcomes. My areas of expertise are in sales, market and business development as well as channel recruitment and enablement in key Asian markets.

What inspired you to be a startup mentor and what would you like the startups to take away through your mentoring?

I had the opportunity to be involved in many different types of volunteering activities over the years, and I realized that the ones that always left me with the biggest sense of fulfilment were the ones that involved youth mentoring. Being a start-up mentor with SMU IIE BIG allows me to put my twenty-odd years of experience in business and tech to good use in guiding the founders in their journey. I hope that the start-ups find value in the business advice I give, and most importantly, be able to apply what they have learnt.

Where does your interest in mentorship stem from?

I count myself lucky to have found a few good mentors who imparted valuable advice to me and guided me over the years, which I benefitted from tremendously. This sparked my interest in mentorship as a way to pay it forward. I have mentored quite a few people over the years and seeing them soar in their careers makes me feel so proud of them.

What do you think is the most important question a startup founder should ask any mentor on their first meeting?

I think for any mentorship meeting, while it is important for a start-up founder to prepare, it is equally important for the mentor to read up about the start-up business beforehand so that the founder can jump straight to the questions rather than spending time explaining their business during the limited time allocated. Therefore, the most important question that a start-up founder should ask the mentor on their first meeting would be if the mentor had the opportunity to read the material sent and if he/she has any questions.

In your opinion, what is the value of an incubator programme for startups?

I liken the incubator programme to a plant nursery where young seedlings have the opportunity to grow in a safe environment, protected from external challenges such as heavy rain and insects. Start-ups, just like young seedlings, get valuable office space, the opportunity to be trained and mentored, and exposure to potential investors.

Have a BIG startup idea but not sure how to get it off the ground? The Business Innovations Generator (BIG) is a four-month, equity-free, founder-centric incubation programme designed to help student founders and early-stage startups grow faster. Founders get to validate their startup at no cost through mentorship, dedicated resources, funding, and access to an investor network. Now accepting applications for the Aug’22 cohort. Apply by 8 July 2022.