The Formula 1 Support Team
Pair a coach, recent mentor, and unconditional cheerleader
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 98%
The Formula 1 Support Team surrounds the person doing the work with three distinct roles. The coach has respected expertise and the ability to lead someone toward the finish line. The mentor has recently completed the same journey and can remember what the immediate obstacles feel like. The cheerleader is emotionally detached from the result and provides support whether the attempt succeeds or fails. Michelle applies this trio to each Challenge Accepted project and used an informal version when starting her channel: more advanced creators served as mentors, her sister supported the leap, and accomplished people who responded to thoughtful cold emails supplied small doses of coaching. Separating the roles avoids expecting a distant expert to remember a beginner's experience or making emotional support conditional on performance.
Origin
Michelle Khare uses the Formula 1 metaphor for the people around a high performer and distilled the minimum team into a coach, a mentor, and a cheerleader.
Core principles
- 01High performance requires more than the performer
- 02Coaching and mentoring are different skills
- 03Recent experience reveals obstacles experts may no longer notice
- 04Emotional support should not depend on the result
How to run it
- 1
Define the finish line
Specify the challenge and what completion looks like. This determines which expertise and lived experience matter.
- 2
Recruit the coach
Find a respected practitioner who can structure the process, challenge you, and lead you safely toward the goal.
Pro tip For a controversial or risky attempt, secure the coach's blessing before proceeding.
Watch out Expert performance alone does not guarantee coaching ability.
- 3
Find the recent mentor
Choose someone who has recently done what you are attempting. Use their memory of the journey to anticipate practical and emotional obstacles.
Pro tip A person a few steps ahead can be more useful than a distant celebrity.
- 4
Name the cheerleader
Choose a trusted person who will care for and encourage you independently of the outcome.
Pro tip A sibling, close friend, or family member can fill this role.
Watch out Do not make the cheerleader responsible for technical judgment.
- 5
Route questions correctly
Take technical direction to the coach, journey-specific questions to the mentor, and emotional support needs to the cheerleader.
Watch out Do not merge all three expectations into one relationship.
In the wild
For her 90-day black belt attempt, Michelle first sought a respected master as coach. Students who had recently passed through the black belt class served as mentors, while her best friend Olivia remained the outcome-independent cheerleader.
→ The attempt combined expert direction, recent peer experience, and unconditional emotional support.
Creators with 50,000 or 100,000 subscribers acted as near-peer mentors, Michelle's sister Maline believed in her decision to quit, and cold emails to respected teachers created small coaching opportunities.
→ She assembled useful support while still capital constrained and starting from ground zero.
Common mistakes
Treating the coach as the mentor
A coach may be decades removed from the beginner experience and unable to recall what now feels difficult.
Choosing only famous advisers
Near-peers can supply more relevant and timely guidance than people light years ahead.
Making support conditional
The cheerleader must remain detached from whether the attempt succeeds or fails.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for an ambitious new challenge with a clear finish line and meaningful uncertainty.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when the roles are assigned by prestige rather than the support each person can actually provide.
From the transcript
“I think it comes down to having three people on your Formula 1 team.”
“It's really a coach, a mentor, and a cheerleader.”
“The third person is a cheerleader, which is someone who is completely detached from the outcome.”
From the episode
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Michelle Khare