Field Experience · Self-Enterprise
Board Check-In — What to Expect
You're presenting to a real board: your instructors, an administrator, and a community business partner. Treat it like a real investor update, because that's exactly what it is. This sheet shows exactly what the board scores, so nothing on the rubric should surprise you.
Bring This With You
Slide Deck
Updated, readable, and practiced out loud. Not thrown together the night before.
Financial Statements
A P&L (revenue, costs, profit/loss), budget vs. actual, and cash on hand, all current as of this week.
Promises Report
The commitments you made at your last check-in, and where each one actually stands. (Check-In #1: skip.)
What the Board Scores 8 areas, each circled 4 / 3 / 2 / 1. Here's what a 4 looks like.
4Board-ready: all of it, no gaps
3Solid: one small gap
2Getting there: clear gaps
1Not yet: missing or unprepared
01Financial Transparency
Every dollar is accounted for: how much you spent, on what, and why. Nothing estimated or hidden; mistakes owned openly.Where did the money go?
02Financial Statements
All three, current: P&L, budget vs. actual, cash on hand.Are you making or losing money right now?
03Traction & Results
Real numbers since last time (customers, sales, units, orders), compared to last check-in, with what moved them. Honest numbers beat big numbers.What changed since we last saw you?
04Problem-Solving & Advisor Use
Name your #1 bottleneck and its cause, what you changed because of customer or board feedback, and one specific ask for the board.What do you need from us?
05Next-Step Goals
2–3 goals, each with a number and a date: “sell 40 units by 11/13,” not “grow sales.”What will be true by next time?
06Presentation Skills
Talk to the board, not your slides: eye contact, clear voice, no reading. Clean slides. Finish on time.
07Professionalism
On time and set up before the board sits down. Dressed to job-interview standard, phone away, materials printed or loaded.
08Board Q&A
Answer directly and briefly, with numbers. If you don't know, say “I don't know yet; I'll follow up by ___.” Never guess.
After You Present The part that actually moves your business forward.
Debrief
The board tells you your glows: what worked and should be repeated.
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Commit
Together you write 2–3 next steps, each with how it'll be measured and a due date. Take a photo.
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Report back
Next check-in opens with “Promises Kept?”: kept, partly, or not yet.
Presentation Expectations
Everyone Speaks
Every founder owns part of the update.
Know Your Numbers
Cold. No looking them up live.
Be Honest
A real struggle with a plan beats a fake win.
Bring an Ask
The board is a resource. Use it.