Session Brief

What it is

One question, sent before the session. Your mentee writes where the venture is, three numbers and the one question for you.

When to send it

Send it before a short session. It helps most when time is short and the topic is still open.

• A first meetingbefore you know the venture
• A one-off slotwhen you meet only once
• Before each sessionso every meeting starts on the question

Filling it in

Ten minutes, in two steps. First where you are, then what you want to ask.

1. Describe your ventureWho it is for, the stage and three numbers.
2. Write your one questionSpecific enough to answer in the time.
3. Say what you triedAdd what happened and the kind of help you want.

Reading the answers

Read the question before the numbers. The question says what the session is for; the rest is context.

• The questionone question, small enough for the time
• What they triedso you do not suggest it again
• The help they wantfeedback, a decision, an introduction

Questions to ask

Test the question first. People who ask follow-up questions are liked more (Huang and others, 2017).

• Is this the most important question right now?then: what would you ask instead?
• What would a good answer let you do this week?then: what stops you today?
• Who else should hear this question?then: may I introduce you?

Why it works

A short session goes further when the question is clear. Programmes like Founder Institute ask founders to bring an agenda and a one-paragraph summary.

Sources

• Founder Institute, office hours: founders bring an agenda and a one-paragraph summary.
• Chatterji, Delecourt, Hasan & Koning (2019). When does advice impact startup performance? Strategic Management Journal 40(3):331–356.

How a tool works on Mentornity

1. 1The mentor picks a tool from the library and sends it with a short message.
2. 2The mentee fills it in step by step; the answers are saved as they go.
3. 3Both see the answers, comment on any part and agree the next steps.
4. 4Only the two of them see the answers, not the program admins.

Guides for both sides

• Session Brief for MentorsFor mentors and coaches: when to ask for a Session Brief, how to read the question, which questions to ask back and how to end with one step.
• Session Brief for MenteesFor mentees and founders: what the Session Brief is, how to fill it in, where to find it and what your mentor does with it.

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