FutureMentors Validated · Free · FutureMentors editorial guide · 12 September 2026
Validated here means checked for purpose, clarity and practical boundaries. It does not mean independently proven outcomes or professional accreditation.
Try this
- Choose a publicly described business and a hypothetical operational problem. Mark every assumption. Do not use a live customer record.
- Map the people who may be involved: users, budget owner, technical reviewer, procurement and a person accountable for the result. Note where interests could conflict.
- Draft six open questions about the current process, consequences, desired outcomes, decision criteria, constraints and approval process. Avoid leading questions that assume your solution is needed.
- Ask a consenting colleague to role-play the buyer. Listen, clarify and change your view. Then write a one-page account of the problem, missing evidence and agreed next step.
- Review with someone experienced in complex sales if available. Ask which inference was weakest and which question helped. Record the feedback and repeat once.
Evidence to keep
- An assumption-labelled stakeholder map.
- A discovery summary that separates what was said from your inference.
- One change to your approach after feedback.
Keep the boundaries clear
AI may play a fictional stakeholder or challenge your questions. Do not upload customer data or treat synthetic answers as market evidence. This guide is an editorial exercise, not a verified practitioner endorsement.
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