Mentoring founders

In addition to my advisory functions, in which I support the search for investors, connect my founders, go through the pitch decks and presentations and criticize a lot (sorry), also organize test pitches and criticize even more (not so sorry). Some examples?

– if (famous SUP a) and (famous SUP b) would have a child 🤦‍♂️ 
– data is the new oil 🛢 > 🚽 
– we are the next (famous TechGiant) 😒 
– we are not (another famous one) 😡 
– metaverse… is a 8, 13, 40 trillion$ market… (WHERE the heck do you get these numbers?) 
– NFT… 🤢 

Nope, no, never, ummm and double no.

In any case, in addition to this activities, I also take time individually as a mentor. 
I give my mentees homework. 
Like in school. 
They hate it. 
At first.

It is important that they learn to take on different perspectives and learn to reflect.
As one of the basic exercises to start with, they have to make three lists.

I use an adapted scenario technique from futures research.
The optimum, which works almost by itself, is a kind of motivation that never happens.
The worst results are for risk and disaster management.
That in between is what you work with in strategy.

Back to the topic.
The mentees have to write three lists.

The first is the Dream List. 
What is the best outcome, the optimum, if you snap w the fingers and magic happens. It does not matter if it’s the private life, marriage, car, gadgets, work, travel. What comes into the mind and belongs to List1 shall be written down.

The second is the “I can live with it” List. Things not for 1st but still ok with it. Again, anything that comes into the mind > paper > write.

And before you ask, YES paper. The white stuff.

The third is a NoGo List. What we do not want to have, never ever. (maybe again?)
Anything. Paper. Write

Why is this so important? Mostly we do not really think or visualize enough our boundaries. And then we are surprised by ending in a burn-out, bad relationship or driving with full speed against a wall. Not literally. Well mostly not.

Some mentees answer that they know what they want or don’t want.
Do it anyway.
Only if my mentees visualize, articulate. They start to understand.

Don’t get me wrong. I never see these lists. I do not want to hear what they wrote down.
It’s for their eyes only and they are prepared for an interesting journey.

_{(originally published on LinkedIn)}