Worried that early valuation talk will scare founders off or bias your view before you’ve learned the real value drivers? By the end of this short lesson you’ll confidently run first discovery calls that surface valuation-relevant signals without ever anchoring on numbers. You’ll get a practical four-step framework—opening and agenda-setting, neutral valuation probes, conversation-steering templates, and a clean close—plus real dialogue examples and exercises to practice the exact language and permission-based phrasing you can deploy in 10–15 minute mobile sprints or longer deep dives.