Modern Elder (Mentern)

Be both wise and curious—a mentor who is also an intern

Chip Conley
Chip Conley on joining Airbnb at 52, working with Brian Chesky, and the Modern Elder Academy

Modern Elder (Mentern)

"A Modern Elder is someone who's as curious as they are wise... I had to be both wise and curious, and often the dumbest person in the room." - Chip Conley

What It Is

The Modern Elder concept describes someone who combines the wisdom that comes with experience with the curiosity of a beginner. Chip Conley coined the term "mentern"—a portmanteau of mentor and intern—to describe this hybrid role of simultaneously teaching and learning.

This framework challenges the traditional view of mentorship as one-directional (elder teaches youth). Instead, it recognizes that in rapidly changing environments, the most valuable contributors are those who can offer pattern recognition and emotional intelligence while remaining genuinely curious about new domains, technologies, and perspectives.

How It Works

The Modern Elder operates on two channels simultaneously:

The Wisdom Channel (What you offer)

  • Pattern recognition across situations
  • Emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills
  • Institutional knowledge and process understanding
  • Broad perspective and systemic thinking
  • Ability to connect dots across domains

The Curiosity Channel (What you seek)

  • Technical skills and new tools
  • Fresh perspectives on old problems
  • Energy and enthusiasm from younger colleagues
  • Understanding of emerging trends
  • Humility about what you don't know

The key insight is that older brains develop "crystallized intelligence"—moving more easily between left and right brain thinking, more holistic and systemic. Younger brains have "fluid intelligence"—fast, focused, linear problem-solving. Teams that combine both outperform homogeneous ones.

How to Apply It

  1. Show up with curious energy - "People won't notice your wrinkles as much as they'll notice your energy." Bring physical energy and positive attitude.

  2. Don't pretend to know what you don't - When Chip didn't understand "product" in tech terms, he asked. Humility builds trust faster than faking expertise.

  3. Create mutual mentorship exchanges - Offer something you know (running effective meetings, giving employee reviews) in exchange for learning something new (iPhone features, Google Docs).

  4. Find your "invisible productivity" - Focus on making everyone around you better, not being the best individual contributor.

  5. Become a confidant - In French, a "confidant" is someone who gives you confidence. Help younger team members find their own path rather than just dispensing advice.

  6. Be age fluid - "I think people lost track of my age, partly because I lost track of my age." Don't let your age define you.

When to Use It

  • Transitioning into a new industry or company in mid-career
  • Building credibility in an environment where you're the oldest person
  • Staying relevant as technology and practices evolve
  • Contributing value beyond individual output
  • Building intergenerational teams

Source

  • Guest: Chip Conley
  • Episode: "Chip Conley on joining Airbnb at 52, working with Brian Chesky, and the Modern Elder Academy"
  • Key Discussion: (00:06:14) - Joining Airbnb at 52 with average employee age of 26
  • YouTube: Watch on YouTube

Related Frameworks

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