Becoming a mentor

Mentorship on VisNavigans pays well if you do it seriously. This is what the application flow looks like, what we're reviewing for, and how to set yourself up for approval on the first submission.

The application flow

1. Register as a mentor — pick "Mentor" on the signup form. If you're already a mentee, go to Account Settings → Become a mentor.
2. Fill out the mentor profile onboarding — headline, expertise areas, biography, years of experience, hourly rate. Takes 10–15 minutes to do properly.
3. Add a photo and (strongly recommended) video intro.
4. Submit for review — an admin checks your profile manually.
5. Wait for approval — usually same business day. You'll get email and in-app notification.
6. Set up Stripe Connect — required before you can receive payouts. See "Getting paid".
7. Publish your first product — a course, bootcamp, bundle, resource, or just set your session availability.

What we review for

• Profile completeness — photo, headline, bio, expertise. Incomplete profiles get sent back.
• Clarity of expertise — "full-stack developer" is too broad. "backend engineer specialising in payments and compliance" is specific enough to be useful.
• Social proof when we can find it — LinkedIn, GitHub, portfolio site. Not required but helpful.
• Prohibited content — get-rich-quick schemes, multi-level-marketing, anything adjacent to financial advice without credentials.

What gets rejected

• Stock-photo profile images or no photo at all.
• Bio under 50 words or written in third person with generic buzzwords.
• Expertise areas that are just "business" or "self-improvement" with no specific topic.
• Inability to verify claimed credentials when asked (e.g. "ex-Google" without any public trace).

If your application is rejected

You'll get an email with specific feedback. Fix the items mentioned and resubmit. Most rejections are fixable in 30 minutes. There's no limit on resubmissions.

Post-approval checklist

1. Complete your profile — video intro, longer biography, any additional social links.
2. Set up Stripe Connect — follow the prompts in Dashboard → Payouts.
3. Set your payout_day — which day of the month you want to be paid (1–28).
4. Pick your availability — the default is closed; set weekly hours in Schedule.
5. Publish content or enable sessions:
   • If you want to sell courses: create one. "Creating a course" has the full guide.
   • If you want to run live bootcamps: see "Creating a bootcamp".
   • If you only want 1:1 sessions: set your hourly rate and open availability.
6. Share your profile — we don't do much marketing for you; build your own audience and point them at your profile URL.

What the platform does for you

• Payment processing — Stripe for cards, we handle 3-D Secure, refunds, tax.
• Scheduling infrastructure — availability, timezones, booking approvals, calendar syncing.
• Zoom integration — live session rooms, auto-generated per booking.
• Video hosting — Bunny Stream for course lessons, no separate Vimeo/YouTube account needed.
• Tax compliance — 1099 generation via Stripe (US), EU VAT handling on our side.
• Support — for both you and your students.

What you do for yourself

• Get yourself found — we don't market your profile for you.
• Write good marketing copy on your products — "Python course" sells less than "Python for people who've used Excel for 10 years".
• Deliver what you promise.
• Respond to students promptly.

Related

• "Setting your hourly rate" — pricing strategy
• "Managing your schedule" — availability
• "Getting paid" — payout mechanics
• "Creating a course" — next step after approval