# PocketMentor: An Open-Source Workplace Conversation Simulator Built for My Junior Batchmate > Source: > Published: 2026-10-04 18:11:20+00:00 *This is a submission for the [Hacktoberfest Weekend Challenge: Build for a Friend](https://dev.to/challenges/hacktoberfest-weekend-2026-10-01)* Starting out as a software engineer or junior manager is rarely bottlenecked by syntax or code—it's bottlenecked by uncomfortable conversations: My batchmate and friend was recently dealing with severe anxiety around their upcoming sprint planning meeting. They knew their team's deliverables were overscoped, but they didn't know how to defend the engineering reality without sounding confrontational. I built **PocketMentor** for them: a mobile simulator that lets early-career engineers and managers roleplay high-stakes workplace dialogues against an adaptive AI persona and receive actionable feedback on communication tactics. **Live Demo / Preview:** [https://github.com/dipanshurdev/pocket-mentor](https://github.com/dipanshurdev/pocket-mentor) **Walkthrough video:** The source code is open and accessible on GitHub: PocketMentor is a mobile simulator designed for early-career software engineers and junior managers to practice high-stakes workplace conversations (scope pushback, upward feedback, tech-debt defense). `pro` `services/revenuecat.ts` `components/PaywallModal.tsx` `App.tsx` `npm install`` npx expo start -c``w` to run web preview or scan QR with Expo Go. PocketMentor is designed around structured simulation loops powered by open-source AI: I handed PocketMentor to my friend to rehearse a real upcoming scenario: defending a sprint delay due to foundational database refactoring. *"Most career advice tells you 'just be diplomatic,' which is useless in the moment. Rehearsing the exact back-and-forth and having the model challenge my excuses helped me restructure my actual talking points for sprint planning."*