This article is the first of three brief commentaries on this volume. The authors are highly influential pioneers in the study of youth mentoring relationships, and their contributions helped shape the focus of the conceptual framework featured in the opening article by Karcher and Nakkula. Their commentary sheds light on the history of key issues presented in this volume, including the origins of their early work on instrumentality--goal-focused orientation--and relationship building in youth mentoring, and links those efforts to the contributions presented in this special issue. (Contains 4 notes.)