MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Abilities

Vision & Goal Setting

Write one sentence describing your venture vision—what problem are you solving, and why does it matter?

Break one entrepreneurial goal into three next steps—focus on progress, not perfection.

Replace a vague task on your list with a specific learning outcome and deadline.

Set a weekly checkpoint reminder: “Am I moving toward my venture vision or just completing tasks?”

Write one venture goal on a sticky note and place it where you’ll see it daily.

Share your primary venture goal with a peer—saying it aloud creates clarity and accountability.

Reflect on what drives your long-term venture vision—how does it connect to your values, purpose, or growth?

Journal about a time you set a venture goal and reached it—what made it succeed?

Explore how you define goals—do they stretch your entrepreneurial skills or just maintain comfort?

List three entrepreneurial goals from last year—what progressed and what lost momentum? Why?

Write about how your vision has shifted over time—what influenced the changes?

Think about an entrepreneur you admire—how do they share vision, and how could you model that?

Set one stretch milestone this week with a clear timeline and outcome—share it publicly to reinforce commitment.

Align one daily task to your long-term venture goal—state the connection before you start.

Block 30 minutes to revise your roadmap—adjust your venture plan to reflect new insights or risks.

Facilitate a short peer session to clarify shared venture goals and how they align with vision.

Create a mini-deck (3 slides) outlining your future direction—share it with a peer or mentor.

Take one symbolic action today that embodies your 1-year venture vision.

Ask a peer: “What do you think my venture goals are right now?”—check for alignment and clarity in how you show up.

Share your vision in a 1:1 with a peer and ask how they see themselves contributing to it.

Invite a mentor to review your venture goals—do they see ambition, focus, and feasibility?

Ask your team to articulate the shared venture vision in one sentence—does it align with yours?

Share a personal vision with a peer and ask for honest feedback—what’s inspiring, unclear, or missing?

Ask someone to review one of your goals and suggest how it could be clearer or more actionable.

Reframe “I’m not sure where I’m going” as “I’m in a stage of testing and clarifying my venture direction.”

Change “This idea is too big” to “This idea needs steps”—break it into small, testable moves.

Recast a failed pitch as part of your founder journey—what clarity did it create?

Shift from “This is taking too long” to “I’m building something durable that takes time.”

Reframe ambition as service—how does your startup vision help customers or society succeed?

Turn “I don’t have time” into “This isn’t a priority yet”—then decide if it should be.

Observe your calendar—are tasks tied to startup priorities or just urgency? Adjust one thing this week.

Watch reactions when you describe your venture—do people light up, question it, or disengage?

Track how often you revisit your startup goals—are they guiding you or gathering dust?

Listen to how entrepreneurs describe vision—do they anchor to it or pivot reactively?

Notice how you feel after progress—energized, drained, or indifferent? What does that say about fit?

Observe when you’re most focused—what kinds of goals trigger flow?

Strategic Thinking

Choose a current assignment and ask: “What long-term impact could this have?” Write one sentence to define it.

Block 15 minutes to map one decision’s ripple effects—who’s affected and how, short-term and long-term?

Before your next meeting, identify the bigger picture behind the agenda—what’s truly at stake for your idea?

Ask yourself: “What does success look like in six months?” before starting your next project plan.

Add a “so what?” column to your notes—challenge yourself to connect insights to real action.

Read a recent entrepreneurship article—extract one trend and ask how it could affect your venture in 12 months.

Reflect on a past strategic mistake—what assumption failed, and what would you test differently today?

Journal about your current role as a student—how does it contribute to your entrepreneurial growth?

Think of a time you linked unrelated ideas—what made the pattern click, and how did it shape your concept?

List key forces shaping your venture—economic, technological, or social—how do they influence your choices?

Reflect on how often you react versus plan ahead—what patterns could you shift this semester?

Identify your default focus—details, relationships, or results—how does it affect your strategic thinking?

Lead a 10-minute strategy break with peers—ask: “Where is this venture headed, and why?”

Take one daily task and redesign it with long-term impact in mind—what’s the smarter way forward?

Draft a “What if…” list of three external events—think through how your startup would respond.

Build a simple stakeholder map for your idea—who must buy in for long-term success?

Facilitate a short pre-mortem: “If this fails, what might have gone wrong?”—note insights for planning.

Revisit your project’s KPIs and propose one shift to improve alignment or results.

Ask a mentor: “What blind spots do you see in how I think strategically as an entrepreneur?”

Share a strategic idea with a classmate—invite them to challenge your assumptions or implications.

Ask a peer what long-term risks or opportunities they see in your current business concept.

Invite a cross-discipline peer to review your plan—what connections or dependencies are missing?

After a pitch, ask a peer: “Was I thinking too narrowly, or did I zoom out enough?”

Share your reasoning on a key decision and ask: “Did I consider the long-term view effectively?”

Reframe “What’s the fastest path?” as “What’s the most sustainable path for my startup long-term?”

Turn “We’ve always done it this way” into “What’s changed in the market that calls for a rethink?”

Shift from “What do we need now?” to “Where do we want to be—and what will get us there?”

Recast urgency as tunnel vision—what might you miss by reacting instead of thinking longer-term?

Reframe choices as investments—“What return will this give in 3 months, 1 year, 5 years?”

Change “How do we hit the target?” to “What future are we really trying to create?”

Observe how classmates or mentors frame decisions—are they short-term fixes or long-term plays?

Watch how entrepreneurs ask questions—what inquiry patterns reveal deeper strategy?

Track your decision-making this week—how much time on big-picture vs. quick execution?

Notice when you get stuck in details—what bigger perspective could help?

Observe class discussions—what’s missing from the long-term perspective?

Note your own language—do you speak in risks, milestones, or just tasks?

Innovation Management

Identify one small pain point in your startup idea and brainstorm three alternative ways to solve it today.

Ask a peer how they solved a startup problem—apply one of their ideas to your own project.

Spend 10 minutes sketching a quick version of a new business concept—no polish, just capture it.

Challenge yourself to ask: “What if we didn’t…?” once in your next brainstorming session—see what unlocks.

Use a random word generator—relate the word to your startup challenge and see new ideas emerge.

Add a new page to your notes: “Crazy Startup Ideas I Haven’t Tried Yet”—list five bold options.

Reflect on a time you sparked a creative startup idea—what behaviors supported that innovation?

Journal about a time you resisted a new idea—what drove your hesitation, and what opportunity was missed?

Write down your last three strong ideas—what habits or conditions helped you generate them?

Think about a mentor who supports innovation—what words or actions encourage you to share ideas?

Reflect on how you approach uncertainty—do you see it as threat or a chance for growth?

Explore where your environment encourages or blocks experimentation—what changes could reduce friction?

Test a new way of building your idea—change one tool, method, or step and observe the results.

Propose a pilot idea with a simple test window and clear success metrics—keep it practical.

Ask your team to identify one outdated process—volunteer to redesign or test it as an experiment.

Give yourself 30 minutes to solve a challenge using only constraints—less time, fewer tools, limited resources.

Share a bold idea with a professor or mentor—even if messy, put it into the conversation.

Set up a 1-week “innovation sprint” with a peer—each of you solves a problem in a new way.

Ask a peer which of your startup ideas they thought had potential—what stopped you from pursuing it?

Share your latest concept and ask a peer to critique it constructively—embrace useful friction.

Invite your team to vote on which process most needs rethinking—start there together.

Ask a potential customer: “What feature or idea would make this more valuable for you?”

Discuss with someone from another program how they experiment—what lessons could you borrow?

Ask your team: “What’s one idea we dropped too soon?”—should we test it again?

Reframe “That’s risky” as “That’s untested”—explore what a safe, small pilot might reveal.

Change “That’s not how we do it” to “Maybe that’s why we’re stuck—what’s another way?”

See every failed test as data—ask: “What did this teach us about customer needs?”

Instead of “We need a breakthrough,” say “We need a small, testable idea with traction.”

Reframe pushback as a filter—what part of the idea could improve from critique?

Shift from “I’m not creative” to “I haven’t practiced experimenting enough yet.”

Notice who shares ideas in class or incubator sessions—what dynamics encourage or silence them?

Track how long it takes for your idea to move from draft to test—where’s the delay?

Watch peer reactions to bold ideas—excitement, silence, or skepticism?

Observe where and when you generate your best ideas—create more of those conditions.

During project reviews, notice failure patterns—what untested assumptions appear?

Monitor how you react to new ideas—do you build on them or critique too quickly?

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