I've heard people talk a lot about the "need for mentors". It's a slightly odd obsession. This little essay has a lot that's smart to say about the notion: (1) It's a mistake to think in terms of "mentors", just think in terms of what you want to learn, and who you want to learn from; (2) Approach people with very specific questions; (3) Pick people who you think would be particularly well suited to answer your question; (4) Think carefully about how to structure the conversation (without going overboard); and (5) Make sure to followup, simply because people like to hear that they've done something useful. - Michael Nielsen