24 Months: Keep It Alive – Startup Survival Simulation

24

MONTHS: KEEP IT ALIVE You don't pitch a startup. You inherit one. The company is already running. Competition is rising. Costs are changing. Crises are coming. Run the company for 24 simulated months. Think you can keep it alive? About the Event 24

Months: Keep It Alive is an immersive Business Strategy & Startup Survival Simulation where teams take control of an existing company and make high-stakes decisions across a simulated 24-month journey. Competition is rising. Costs are changing. Crises will hit. Funding decisions have consequences.

Your goal is simple: Keep the company alive for 24 months. No startup idea required. No reset button.

Event Flow Round 1: Survival Quiz — Online A fast-paced business quiz testing strategy, finance, unit economics, business models and decision-making .

Duration: 30 minutes Online via Unstop Top 8 teams qualify for the on-campus simulation

Round 2: Survival Simulation — On Campus The top 8 teams inherit the same company and navigate a simulated 24-month journey. Teams will make decisions across: Strategy & Growth Finance & Unit Economics Operations Competitive Response Crisis Management Funding & Risk Every decision influences what happens next. The 24-Month Journey INHERIT → Understand the business and build your strategy PRESSURE → Respond to competition, changing customer economics and rising costs CRISIS → Navigate unexpected problems and recover SCALE OR SURVIVE → Balance growth, funding and financial sustainability

ENDGAME: The Boardroom → Defend the decisions that shaped your company Surviving teams enter the final Boardroom , where they must defend their strategy before a panel. 5-minute Strategy Defence + 5-minute Hostile Q&A Explain what you inherited, the decisions you made, what went wrong, how you responded, and why your strategy gives the company the best chance of survival. Why Participate? Experience business decision-making rather than just discussing it. You will develop and demonstrate: Strategic thinking and problem-solving Financial reasoning and unit economics Business and competitive analysis Crisis and risk management Growth and funding decisions Decision-making under pressure Ideal for students interested in Strategy, Consulting, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Operations, Business Analytics, Product Management and General Management. No startup idea or prior startup experience is required. Who Can Participate? Students from any academic background can participate.

Team Size: 2–4 members Bring together different perspectives and decide whether your company grows, survives—or collapses. Think you can keep it alive?