[nilkn]

Of course. Some people just need some encouragement, and it makes pretty good business sense to provide it, at least in an industry like software development which will probably attract a disproportionate share of shy people.

I used to be very shy. My first boss out of college recognized this and went out of his way a few times to help me out. He more or less changed my life. I ended up going into management of all things in that company, so it paid off for the company too. Even if he was just being altruistic, his company profited from it.

[Baeocystin]

I fully agree. Mentorship matters. It has had a positive impact in my life, too. But to expect it in lieu of internal motivations is to deny one's own internal agency. One needs both.