MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Financial Management

Review your last month’s expenses against your budget and flag one cost to reduce or renegotiate this week.

Set a weekly calendar reminder to review your cash balance and runway every Monday morning.

Create a simple spreadsheet to track three recurring business costs and update it daily for one week.

Categorize five recent expenses as fixed or variable to better understand your cost structure.

List your top three recurring costs and brainstorm one small efficiency improvement for each today.

Review one past invoice or payment—check immediately for errors or unnecessary charges.

When have you avoided tracking finances, and what belief or fear kept you from reviewing your numbers?

Reflect on a time poor money choices hurt progress—what could you have done differently to avoid that?

How confident are you in reading a cash-flow sheet—what would improve that confidence today?

What financial risks have you taken before—how did they shape outcomes for your start-up journey?

Think about your budgeting habits—do you feel in control or disconnected from money flows, and why?

Reflect on how your personal money habits influence how you manage venture finances today.

Spend 30 minutes reviewing your venture’s spending and runway, even if it feels uncomfortable.

Ask to sit in on a peer founder’s finance session—listen carefully and note what you learn.

Track your personal and business spending for one week—summarize insights at the end.

Choose one key financial metric (e.g., runway, burn rate) and check its current value—note the trend.

Identify a vague expense line in your books—ask your accountant or mentor for clarification today.

Set a micro-financial goal (e.g., extend runway by one week) and track results after two weeks.

Ask a finance mentor to explain one metric or term you don’t fully understand.

Share a cost-saving idea with your team—ask for candid feedback on feasibility.

Present a portion of your start-up budget to your peers—ask for their insights or concerns.

Request feedback from your mentor on how financially aware you seem in investor conversations.

Ask a peer founder how they handle surprise expenses—what practices keep them financially disciplined?

Share a financial article or resource with a peer founder—discuss how it applies to your context.

Instead of “I’m bad at numbers,” reframe it as “Financial skills are learnable and critical to my venture.”

View financial constraints not as blocks but as creative boundaries driving smarter innovation.

See budgeting as a control tool, not a burden—it gives you more choice, not less freedom.

Recast “cutting costs” as “redirecting money to what drives growth and survival.”

Replace “finance is someone else’s job” with “financial literacy makes me a stronger founder.”

Instead of “financial reports are boring,” view them as maps showing risks and opportunities.

Watch how mentors discuss financial health—note key terms and priorities they emphasize.

Observe how often financial health comes up in founder talks—who raises it, and in what context?

Study how founders justify expenses—what arguments sound convincing or weak?

Track how often ROI or runway comes up in planning—what does that reveal about focus?

Listen for signs of confidence or fear in financial talks—what do peers reveal between the lines?

Monitor how investor updates are framed—what numbers or themes get repeated?

Project Management

Make a list of all active start-up projects—note deadlines, owners, and the very next action required.

Clarify one unclear deliverable in your launch plan—ask a direct, simple question to get certainty today.

Create a checklist for your next investor update, breaking it into 3–5 small, sequenced steps.

Block 30 minutes this week to update the status of one project in your planning tool or tracker.

Send a one-sentence status update on your launch progress to your team—practice brief clarity.

Pick one overdue founder task and move it forward by completing the next 15 minutes of work.

Think about a time a project milestone slipped—what was in your control, and how would you manage it now?

Reflect on how you prioritize projects—what’s your logic, and does it help your venture progress or stall it?

What part of project work do you enjoy least—planning, execution, or follow-up? Why does it drain you?

Recall a project that worked well—what habits or tools helped you hit deadlines and stay organized?

When do you tend to drop the ball in projects—handoffs, updates, or time estimates? Spot the pattern.

Reflect on your tolerance for shifting scope—how do you respond when priorities suddenly change?

Define and document scope, timeline, and key milestones for your next deliverable—even if informal.

Choose one project tool and manage your venture entirely on it for a full week.

Ask your team to agree on roles and communication norms before starting your next project.

Identify a key project risk and draft a short fallback plan—what will you do if it materializes?

Schedule a short retrospective after a sprint—review what worked, what didn’t, and what to improve.

Take ownership of a small project stream—commit to updating your team weekly until completion.

Ask your team: “What would make our project updates or planning easier to follow?”

Request feedback from an advisor on your last project update—was it clear, vague, or detailed enough?

After a sprint review, ask: “Was the next step clear to everyone? Did I communicate it effectively?”

Invite an experienced founder to review your current project plan and offer suggestions.

Share your project tracker with a peer and ask: “Is anything unclear or missing?”

Ask another founder which tools or habits help them manage complex projects effectively.

Change “I’m not a planner” to “Clear milestones reduce stress and improve results for me and my team.”

Reframe “We’re behind” to “Now we know the gap—we can reprioritize and act clearly.”

Instead of “It’s too early to plan,” think “Early clarity avoids chaos later.”

View process steps as proof of progress, not bureaucracy—they build trust and clarity.

Replace “I have too many projects” with “I need clearer visibility and better prioritization.”

See shifting timelines as realities of start-ups, not failures—adapt with structure and flexibility.

Watch how experienced founders run sprint reviews—what cadence and tools do they use?

Observe what happens when a project lacks clear ownership—how does drift or confusion appear?

Track which project reviews feel productive versus scattered—what makes the difference?

Listen to how often priorities shift in your projects—are they tracked or just improvised?

Monitor how your team handles deadlines—who overcommits, who stalls, and with what results?

Notice when you switch between planning and execution—do you skip steps or shift too quickly?

Change Management

List one expected market change and write a one-sentence note on how it could affect your idea’s direction.

Identify one daily routine you could tweak to stay flexible as your start-up priorities shift unexpectedly.

Ask a peer founder how they’re coping with a recent pivot—listen closely without offering solutions.

Choose one small change you’ve been resisting and take the first 15-minute step to push it forward.

Reflect on your last pivot and write down what helped you adapt and cope most effectively.

Review your team’s updates and spot one unclear or inconsistent message about a pivot or change.

How do you typically react to market change—resist, adapt, freeze, or pivot? Why does this pattern show up?

Reflect on a change you supported—what helped you embrace it as growth instead of resisting it?

What emotions do you feel when hearing “pivot”—fear, excitement, resistance? Explore why they arise.

Recall a poorly managed pivot—what were the results, and what would you handle differently today?

What changes have you introduced recently—what made them work or fail in your start-up setting?

Reflect on your role as a change driver—are you reactive, passive, or proactive, and how does it shape outcomes?

Volunteer to lead or support one aspect of an upcoming pivot or product change in your start-up.

Create a one-page “pivot briefing” for your team—explain the what, why, and how of the shift.

Identify one unclear pivot in your venture—ask an advisor for clarity and better direction.

Set up a peer check-in to surface emotional reactions or concerns about a major pivot.

Choose one personal habit to adjust this week—practice resilience in the face of small changes.

Translate a high-level pivot into one clear action your team can prioritize immediately.

Ask your team: “What’s unclear or frustrating about this pivot? What would help you move forward?”

Share your view on a change and ask: “How does this land with you? What’s your perspective?”

Invite another founder to describe how they adapted to a pivot—and what they’d do differently.

Ask a mentor for feedback on how you managed your last pivot—what worked, and what didn’t?

Present a change idea to your small team—ask for candid input on risks and blind spots.

Ask someone resistant to your pivot: “What would make this feel more manageable or fair to you?”

Shift from “pivoting is risky” to “a pivot is a chance to re-align and grow with intention.”

Reframe “top-down pivots are forced” to “Leadership may lack visibility—feedback can shape moves.”

Instead of “This pivot is inconvenient,” think “What learning or chance might this create?”

Change “I have no control” to “I can influence how I respond and guide others through.”

View uncertainty not as chaos but as a phase where influence is still possible.

See resistance as a sign of care, not rejection—it often reflects values or trust concerns.

Notice how founders communicate pivots—do they stress emotion, facts, or opportunity?

Watch how teams in your space adapt to pivots—what timing and sequencing support adoption?

Observe how your team responds in the first 48 hours of a pivot—what signals do they show?

Track who embraces vs. resists pivots—what support or clarity makes the difference?

Notice when people disengage during pivots—what’s missing for them to reengage?

Pay attention to your self-talk when a pivot hits—what story are you telling yourself?

MASTER Risk Hub