Ask HN: How to find mentors while working remote?

So far in every internship and job that I've had, there's been a more senior engineer whose brain I can pick. Just curious if anyone here has suggestions for finding similar opportunities outside of a job?

For context: I graduated college 2 years ago and have been working at a remote startup since. Now I'm going out on my own to focus a little more on some of the side projects I've been working on, but even a week in I'm starting to feel the strain of working on something solo.

Location has also been a little bit of an issue for me. I was in the bay area for college and found it much easier to find events / people to learn from. I moved to the the twin cities after graduating and haven't really been able to find the same community here.

Any advice is appreciated!

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ativzzz 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

In any job I've had (all remote), just message any person with some experience with the thing you're working on. They're always more than happy to bounce ideas or hop on a call and chat about it

> Hey, I'm working on feature A that needs X, Y, Z solutions. I see you worked on something similar, I'm trying to figure out the right way forward. Can I bounce some ideas off you?

Works with people without the experience

> Hey I'm working thru a problem and having trouble coming to a solution, any chance I could bounce some ideas off you?

Basically I've never had a "mentor" and I just ask people questions

> working at a remote startup since

This was my first job too. The upside was the freedom to explore on my own. The downside was lack of experienced coworkers. So I quit after a few years to get more of those.

AI is also decent at answering these kinds of questions, but less rewarding since it's not a human you can chat with

	▲	basketbla an hour ago \| parent [-]
		That makes a ton of sense, thank you!

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brudgers 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Usually, a mentor has to come from your professional network.

Maintaining your professional network requires work.

In your case, your past mentors are a place to start that work.

It is important to demonstrate a maturity and attitude that makes it make sense for a mentor to invest the time in the mentoring relationship.

Good luck.