Good organisations sometimes carry on for years past the point of being useful, because stopping feels like failure. How should that decision be made, and who should make it?

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thabo_m

26 days ago · Scout

ResourceSocial Enterprise

Questions to ask before you accept a partnership

A short list for before you sign. Who owns the data. Who talks to the funder. What happens to staff if it ends early. Who owns anything that gets built. None of these is awkward to ask at the start. All of them are awkward to ask in month...

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thabo_m

5 Sept 2026 · Scout

QuestionEntrepreneurship

What makes a good mentor for an early-stage founder?

For founders who have not yet made a sale, what should a mentor offer, and how much time does it take to be useful?

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samuel_ezeQuestionCareersEvery job wants 3 years experience. How did you get your first one?Roles advertised as entry level often ask for three years of experience. How do people get the first one?
thabo_m19 days agoOne route is to be somebody an organisation has already seen work. Volunteer on something small, do it where people can see it, and still be there in month six.View reply
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thabo_m19 days agoRecord it if the group agrees. The people who miss the hour can use it too.View reply
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thabo_m20 days agoInclude the time of the people doing the work, even where it is unpaid today. A budget that treats labour as free tells the funder the project stops the day somebody takes a job.2 found this usefulView reply
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thabo_m21 days agoAsk what happens the month after the grant ends. A business built around grant cycles stops when the cycle does. If the numbers per unit work, take the money that expects them to work.View reply
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thabo_m23 days agoWhat would you measure instead?1 found this usefulView reply
thabo_mQuestionSocial EnterpriseHow do you decide an organisation should stop?Good organisations sometimes carry on for years past the point of being useful, because stopping feels like failure. How should that decision be made, and who...
thabo_m24 days agoThat question is the useful one. It is rarely discussed in public.1 found this usefulView reply
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thabo_m26 days agoWrite the rules down even when everyone agrees. Especially when everyone agrees.View reply
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thabo_m27 days agoSeparate the person from the task. They may be in the wrong role, not the wrong organisation.View reply
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thabo_m29 days agoStopping early enough is a skill. It is not a failure of commitment.View reply
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thabo_m6 Sept 2026Matching by sector first, then. That is a clear rule to start from.View reply
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thabo_m5 Sept 2026One page. The recommendation first, the reasoning second, and the evidence in an annex nobody has to read. Policy writing often puts these in the opposite order.3 found this usefulView reply
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