I tend to mentor people I see as promising. Those with leadership potential. Folks I see as future peers with similar values (ethics, quality, teamwork).

If they get far I have a good reference or referral in my future. In the meantime I can offload some of my troubles onto them and worry about other things.

To put it another way, if you think good software requires vigilance, and you worry that there’s a shortage of it, these people aren’t competition. They’re allies.