What To Expect During On-Site Mentoring Sessions

The on-site mentoring sessions at the 2019 BYU Management Society Asia Pacific Conference in Mongolia give Believe & Achieve competitors a focused opportunity to test their business plans. Rather than delivering a polished pitch and leaving immediately, participants can discuss their assumptions, receive direct questions and refine the way they present their ideas.

For Australian attendees, the experience may feel familiar to a startup accelerator, investor office hour or structured business workshop. The setting is more international, however, with mentors and competitors bringing perspectives from Mongolia, Australia, Korea and other Asia-Pacific markets.

Expect practical conversation around customers, pricing, operations, funding and growth. Mentors will be interested in how a concept can work outside a classroom or competition setting, especially when the plan involves different regulations, currencies, cultures and levels of market maturity.

The strongest value often comes from the exchange itself. A frank conversation with an experienced business leader can expose a weak assumption, clarify the commercial opportunity and help a competitor prepare for the next phase of the competition.

The Session Starts With A Clear Business Snapshot

Mentoring usually begins with a concise explanation of the venture: the problem, the customer, the proposed solution and the reason the business can succeed. Competitors should be ready to explain their model without relying on every slide in the written plan.

A mentor may ask who pays, how customers will be reached and what makes the offer different. An Australian founder might compare this with explaining a new service to an angel investor in Sydney or Melbourne, where the discussion quickly moves from enthusiasm to evidence, margins and customer acquisition costs.

The conversation can also explore the commercial environment behind the idea. Questions about GST, ASIC registration, consumer protections or cross-border payments may arise when a plan is intended for the Australian market, while a Mongolia-focused venture may need to address local partnerships and distribution.

Mentors Test The Model Against The Market

Expect mentors to challenge the plan in a constructive but direct way. They may ask what happens if sales take twice as long, a supplier increases prices or a competitor copies the product. This type of business plan feedback is designed to strengthen the venture rather than simply praise its potential.

Australian participants should be prepared to discuss the realities of operating across a large country. Serving customers in Brisbane, Perth and regional New South Wales can involve significant freight, travel and staffing differences, while a digital product may scale more easily across borders.

Industry context matters as well. A proposal connected to mining, agriculture, tourism or education may need a different route to market from a consumer app. Mentors can help identify which claims need research, which partnerships are realistic and whether the proposed first customer is specific enough.

When a session includes several cultural perspectives, communication style becomes part of the learning. A straightforward Australian “mate, here’s the issue” approach can be useful, provided it is balanced with respect for local business etiquette and careful listening.

Feedback Becomes A Practical Action Plan

Useful mentoring does not end with general comments such as “make the pitch stronger”. Competitors should leave knowing which part of the plan requires attention first, whether that means validating demand, revising the pricing model, finding a technical adviser or simplifying the presentation.

The mentor may encourage a small test before a major launch. For example, a founder could interview ten potential customers, run a limited pilot or compare two pricing options. These actions turn broad advice into evidence that can improve the next competition phase.

The session is also a chance to refine the story behind the numbers. A business can have an attractive market but a confusing explanation, or an impressive mission but no clear path to revenue. Mentors help connect purpose, customer benefit and financial sustainability.

Speaker and mentor selection can shape the quality of that exchange, particularly when a conference blends regional expertise with international experience. A useful speaker selection guide explains why the right balance of local knowledge and broader perspective matters.

What To Bring And How To Participate

Preparation makes the limited face-to-face time more productive. Bring a short verbal summary, key figures from the business plan and a list of decisions that need outside input. It is better to focus on two important questions than to present every detail at once.

Useful preparation items include:

During the discussion, listen for patterns rather than defending every line of the plan. A mentor’s question may reveal that the customer segment is too broad or that the proposed sales channel does not match how people actually buy.

Helpful behaviours include:

Australian attendees may find that plain language works well, but local slang should be used sparingly in a multinational room. Terms such as “arvo”, “servo” or “no worries” are familiar at home, yet clear international English will make commercial details easier for every participant to follow.

The Value Continues Beyond The Room

The mentoring session is one part of a wider conference experience that includes speakers, breakout discussions, competition phases and networking. A competitor may meet someone who can introduce a supplier, recommend research or explain how a similar concept developed in another Asia-Pacific market.

The BYU Management Society’s regional network adds continuity after the event. Information from the BYUMS Korea chapter, for example, reflects the broader chapter structure that connects professionals and business learners across the region.

Follow-up is where much of the value becomes visible. Within a few days, competitors can update their assumptions, contact potential customers and turn mentor comments into a revised plan. They can also keep relationships active by sharing a concise progress note rather than waiting until the next conference.

For an Australian participant, the sessions offer a useful bridge between local commercial instincts and regional opportunity. The experience combines disciplined pitch preparation, candid market testing and the chance to build relationships across borders—exactly the setting in which a promising idea can become a more credible business case.