Sketchnote Lab Live June: Using Sketchnotes to Map Your Bottleneck with Steven Lin
Bring a real problem. Leave with a sketchnote you can act on.
This session is a little different from my usual Lab Live sessions.
I’m joining forces with business coach Steven Lin for a hands-on session where Steven walks through his PROGRESS Framework, I draw it as he speaks, and then you draw your own version.
By the end of the hour, you’ll have something on paper that maps your own situation and points to the next move.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re the bottleneck in your own work (stuck firefighting instead of building), this session is worth showing up for.
What we’ll cover
The founder bottleneck — Steven’s four archetypes (Firefighter, Manager, Visionary, Architect) as a quick self-diagnosis. Which one are you right now?
Why drawing the problem matters — a quick bridge on how visual thinking makes complex problems clearer and easier to act on
The PROGRESS Framework, drawn live — Steven walks through all 8 pillars while I sketchnote them in real time
You draw your own PROGRESS Map — a guided exercise where you fill in your own answers to each pillar, making it personal to your situation
Share and debrief — a few attendees share their maps, Steven reacts to what he sees, Q&A to close
What to bring
Paper and a pen. That’s it. Digital apps work too: Procreate, Notability, GoodNotes. Just come ready to draw.
About Steven Lin
Steven Lin is a business coach and creator of the PROGRESS Framework — a structured approach to helping founders stop being the bottleneck in their own business. He publishes The School of PROGRESS on Substack.
Steven’s framework is exactly the kind of structured thinking that sketchnoting was made for. I’m looking forward to drawing it live while he explains it.
Join us
Saturday, June 13, 2026 — 12:00–1:00 pm CDT (10:00 am PDT / 1:00 pm EDT)
The live session is free for all subscribers. The video replay is for paid Lab Partners.
Not able to make it live? Become a Lab Partner to watch the replay — plus get access to every session recorded since December 2024.
And if you do join us live, I have a 20% off summer discount on Supporting and Founding Lab Partnerships as a thank-you for attending.
— Mike Rohde, Chief Scientist, Sketchnote Lab
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Sketchnote Lab is Mike Rohde’s space designed to bridge the gap between sketchnote theory and practice. You don’t need to be an artist to think visually. Join Mike and learn to use sketchnotes to clarify your thinking, solve problems, and move forward. Learn more about Sketchnote Lab.
Mike is the author of The Sketchnote Handbook and The Sketchnote Workbook, bestselling books that teach regular people how to start sketchnoting and build a regular sketchnoting practice.
He founded the Sketchnote Army and hosts the Sketchnote Podcast, where he interviews visual thinkers to understand what makes them tick.
Mike teaches recorded, live, and in-person workshops to help accelerate your sketchnoting practice and provides personalized coaching for your specific visual thinking challenges.
He is the illustrator of bestselling books like REWORK, REMOTE, The $100 Startup, Honest SEO, The Culture Playbook, and The Future Begins with Z.
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©2026 Mike Rohde, Sketchnote Lab