MASTER Risk Model - Learning Resources - Situation

Customers

Ask three early adopters why they chose you—note which benefit comes up most.

Identify one recurring support request—what does it say about product-market alignment?

Rewrite your core message using only words taken from user feedback or reviews.

Find your most loyal user—note what they consistently praise—highlight it in messaging.

Check your top website exit page—what might confuse or frustrate prospects?

Compare satisfaction across user groups—who’s happiest, and why?

Recall a time when a user said, “This is exactly it”—what made that delivery different?

Reflect on your last lost prospect—what didn’t land, and were they the right fit?

What hidden assumptions shape your view of customer goals or behaviors?

When did a user insight surprise you—and what did you do with it?

How often do you ask about long-term goals, not just today’s needs?

Which customer voices get overlooked most—silent churners, small buyers, or testers?

Interview three prospects about their biggest struggles—don’t pitch, just listen.

Draft an empathy map for your ideal user using only real input from this month.

Run a “Why choose us?” survey with five new users—capture their exact words.

Call a past user who left—ask why they stopped and what would bring them back.

Record a one-minute demo showing your product from a user’s view.

Review your onboarding—try it yourself or watch a user attempt it live.

Ask a customer: “If you recommended us to a peer, what would you say?”—note exact words.

Send a thank-you email with a 2-question form to five testers—what’s clear, what’s confusing?

Ask your top users: “Which features excite you—and which frustrate you most?”

Ask a loyal user to share what made them trust you early and why they stay.

Show three headline options to a user—ask which feels most relevant.

Ask a client: “How would you explain our startup to someone in your field?”

Shift from “I serve everyone” to “Here’s who I serve best and why they stay.”

Change “I have many features” to “I solve this pain in this exact way.”

Reframe complaints as signals—what opportunity hides in their frustration?

Replace “I must grow my base” with “I must deepen value with right customers.”

Stop asking “What do you need?” and ask “What outcome are you after?”

Instead of “churn = price,” ask “what outcome didn’t they achieve?”

Read early user reviews—what phrases repeat in the most positive feedback?

Watch recordings of demos—where do prospects get curious, confused, or excited?

Track which email subject lines get the highest open or reply rates.

Observe time from signup to first use—what delays real engagement?

Listen to onboarding calls—what parts confuse new users most?

Listen for vague answers in discovery calls—what’s not being voiced?

Employees

Ask three teammates what helps them perform best—look for repeating patterns.

Review your last founder update—was it clear, motivating, and relevant to your team?

Update one team ritual (stand-up, sync) to make it more energizing and outcome-focused.

Identify one decision you made recently—did you explain the why clearly to your team?

Scan your last five team chats—how often do you express appreciation or feedback?

Run a quick anonymous poll: “How supported do you feel by me right now?”

Reflect on a moment when your small team felt most engaged—what conditions sparked it?

When did a teammate surprise you with initiative—what made that possible?

Recall your last hard conversation—did you create space for their perspective?

What assumptions do you hold about what drives your team—and are they true?

When have you blocked someone’s idea—how could you have acted differently?

Do you make time for your own growth—or just delivery? What gets in the way?

Ask two teammates what they’d change to work better—note it without defending.

Shadow a teammate for thirty minutes—observe their actual workflow.

Arrange a feedback swap with a peer founder—exchange notes on leadership.

Give recognition today—name the specific behavior and its impact.

Facilitate a quick session: each teammate shares one blocker and one enabler.

Re-delegate a task you’ve held tightly—observe how others manage it.

Ask your team: “What’s one thing I could stop, start, or continue to better support you?”

Run a quick check: “On a scale of 1–10, how connected do you feel to our mission now?”

Have each teammate share one personal quarter goal—compare with startup goals.

Ask someone outside your team: “How do you see our startup contributing overall?”

Invite someone junior to speak first in your next stand-up—observe the shift.

Ask a peer founder how they built trust in their team—what practice could you adopt?

Shift from “managing tasks” to “unlocking potential”—what changes in your style?

Reframe low engagement not as laziness, but as mismatch between role and drive.

Instead of “they won’t step up,” ask “what clarity or safety is missing for them?”

Replace “top-down talk” with “two-way dialogue”—where can I invite input?

See resistance as care—what values or fears lie behind the pushback?

Replace “check-ins” with “co-designing success”—how does that change me?

Watch who speaks most or least in team talks—what influences that behavior?

Pay attention to how teammates react to feedback—curious, defensive, disengaged?

Observe what energizes or drains teammates this week—are tasks aligned to strengths?

Track how often teammates take initiative—what conditions encourage it?

Observe informal chats—what sparks energy or tension across the team?

Notice how teammates introduce each other—what strengths do they highlight?

Partnerships

List your top three partners—note one mutual goal you’ve not yet acted on.

Review your last partner message—does it show clearly what’s in it for them?

Schedule a short check-in with a partner—no agenda, just relationship building.

Spot one partner deliverable that’s delayed—clarify ownership and unblock it today.

Update your partner pitch to emphasize shared outcomes, not just your product.

Review old partner contacts—identify one you could reignite with a new ask.

Think of your most effective collaboration—what made it work beyond quick results?

When have you invested in a partner who gave little back—what did you learn?

How aligned are your current partners with your direction today—not last year?

What do you assume partners value from you—and is that still accurate?

Recall when trust eroded with a partner—what early signs did you miss?

Do your collaborations energize or drain you—what’s the real pattern?

Ask a partner what would make working with your startup easier right now.

Map the lifecycle of one partnership—where does energy rise, fall, or stall?

Pitch a co-branded idea to a partner—focus on joint value, not exposure.

Send a “success recap” to a collaborator—remind them of wins and next steps.

Write down shared risks in one partnership—clarify what success requires.

Create a shared tracker with one partner—test if transparency builds trust.

Ask a partner contact: “What’s something we do better than other startups you work with?”

Interview a teammate who manages partners—what frictions or wins do they notice?

Share your partner deck with a neutral peer—ask what feels credible or vague.

Run a loop with two partners: “What’s one win and one wish in working with us?”

Ask a partner: “What project have you wanted to try but lacked the right collaborator?”

Check in with a partner’s junior contact—how do they view the collaboration?

Reframe from “leveraging partners” to “building joint capability”—what mindset shifts?

View slow partnerships not as delays, but as chances to reset expectations.

Shift from “What do I need from them?” to “What problem are we solving together?”

Instead of “It’s their fault,” ask “Where did I over-assume or miscommunicate?”

Reframe small collaborations as labs—low-risk tests for high learning.

Replace “they’re not responsive” with “have I earned urgency from them?”

Notice which collaborations attract inbound interest—what signals traction?

Observe how fast partners reply—what does it show about commitment?

Track which collaborations generate referrals—what’s the shared trait?

Monitor how often partner wins are shared—are they truly integrated internally?

Watch for language gaps—do you and partners describe goals the same way?

Listen for hesitation or vague talk in partner calls—what might signal distrust?

MASTER Risk Hub