There ought to be some kind of test Advisors need to pass before they are allowed to give startup advice.

But there isn’t — literally, anyone can call themselves an Advisor and get away with it. Hell, I’m doing it right now!

Having been in the business of advising startups for decades, I can say this with conviction — most startup advisors are horrible, and they have no idea they are horrible. I’m not talking about bad actors or those trying to do something nefarious. I’m talking about the advisors who actually think they are helping, and instead are doing a lot of damage.

That’s also not to say that Advisors don’t have helpful or useful advice. The problem stems as much from their delivery as from their actual advice. Sometimes, yes, the a...