THE PROBLEM
Gen Z is entering the future without a compass.
- School measures grades and compliance, not identity, purpose, or belonging.
- Parents feel shut out; big talks turn into lectures, eye-rolls, or silence.
- Neurodivergent and “spiky” teens—whose strengths are deep focus, pattern-spotting, or big-picture thinking—get labeled as “distracted,” “too much,” or “unmotivated.”
Everyone is worried about the future. Almost no one has a shared language to talk about it
Teens today are walking into the most fast-changing work era in history—AI, climate, social upheaval—while still being judged by a system built for the 20th century.
This is called the Double Empathy Problem:
Misunderstanding goes both ways.
- Teens feel unseen or misread.
- Adults feel unappreciated and shut out.
- Both sides are trying—but with different information, stressors, and languages.
Fixing one side doesn’t work.
We need tools that build a bridge in the middle.
It’s not a motivation problem. It’s a mutual misunderstanding problem.
When a teen and an adult live in different worlds—different generation, different culture, different neurotype—they don’t just disagree on what to do next. They often don’t even share the same map of reality.
Over a few weeks, teens and their adults move through 10 carefully crafted prompts that surface:
- what lights them up, and when they lose track of time
- what they’re naturally good at (even if school doesn’t measure it)
- where they feel out of place—and why
- what problems in the world they’d feel proud to help solve
- what a “Future Tuesday” they’re proud of could actually look like
Each key question has a mirrored prompt for a parent or mentor.
That’s Double Empathy in action: two stories, side-by-side, instead of one person being “right.”
10 Questions: a weekly conversation ritual for families.
10 Questions is a guided app that helps families talk about who a teen is becoming—and where they might be headed—without turning it into another lecture or test.
Why 10 Questions works when checklists and tests don’t.
PURPOSE– Direction with meaning
5th Industrial Revolution – Real-world context
Double Empathy – Two-way understanding
We draw on the Japanese concept of ikigai—the intersection of what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Teens don’t have to pick “the one perfect job.” They’re collecting clues about a meaningful direction.
Double Empathy – Two-way understanding
5th Industrial Revolution – Real-world context
Double Empathy – Two-way understanding
Instead of diagnosing the teen or blaming the parent, we structure conversations so both sides can see how their stories differ and where they already align.
5th Industrial Revolution – Real-world context
5th Industrial Revolution – Real-world context
5th Industrial Revolution – Real-world context
We frame strengths and dreams inside the world teens are actually entering: humans + AI solving complex problems together. We’re not preparing them for yesterday’s job market; we’re helping them design a future where their spiky minds are an asset.
HOW IT WORKS - Three modes. One shared language.
. Reflect – Teen Mode
Capture – Portfolio Mode
. Reflect – Teen Mode
Teens get calm, phone-native prompts they can answer in text, audio, or doodles.
We meet them where they are:
- short sessions (10–15 minutes)
- no grades, no “right answer”
- permissions to skip and come back
Connect – Bridge Mode
Capture – Portfolio Mode
. Reflect – Teen Mode
Parents or mentors receive aligned questions:
“When do you see them at their best?”
“What strengths do you notice that they might be missing?”We offer a wide range of programs that cater to the diverse needs and interests of our students.
The app gently surfaces overlaps and gaps in perspective—without blaming either side.
Capture – Portfolio Mode
Capture – Portfolio Mode
Capture – Portfolio Mode
Build a living portfolio that includes:
- Flow Moments (when they feel most themselves)
- Strengths Snapshot
- Misfit Map (where context is the problem, not the kid)
- Future Tuesday storyboard
- Personal Learning Lab (what conditions help them grow)
Families can export a beautiful, plain-language summary to share with counselors, mentors, or programs.
Who 10 Questions is for.
Families
Coaches & Therapists
Schools & Programs
Parents and teens who are tired of fighting about “motivation” and want a safer way to talk about strengths, stress, and what comes next.
Schools & Programs
Coaches & Therapists
Schools & Programs
Counselors, advisors, and youth organizations who need a simple, research-backed way to get richer student narratives—without adding another curriculum or test.
Coaches & Therapists
Coaches & Therapists
Coaches & Therapists
Professionals who want a structured, strengths-based tool to support intake, goal-setting, and parent–teen communication.
What changes when families have better questions.
“Before, every talk ended in a fight.” – Parent of a 16-year-old
“Before, every talk ended in a fight.” – Parent of a 16-year-old
“Before, every talk ended in a fight.” – Parent of a 16-year-old
- Before: “We kept arguing about grades and ‘screen time.’ I felt like I was nagging; my kid felt attacked.”
- During: “The ‘Future Tuesday’ question let us talk about their ideal day without arguing about majors or money.”
- After: “Now we say, ‘Does this choice move you closer to that Tuesday or further away?’ It changed the tone.”
“I finally had words for why school drains me.” – 17-year-old
“Before, every talk ended in a fight.” – Parent of a 16-year-old
“Before, every talk ended in a fight.” – Parent of a 16-year-old
- Before: “Teachers thought I was checked out. I was actually overwhelmed and bored.”
- During: “The misfit mapping showed that I do best in project-based work and deep dives, not busywork.”
- After: “My counselor used my portfolio in a meeting. We shifted one class and added an independent study that actually fits me.”