What the IE Business Case Competition taught me about business and myself

Before speaking about my experience at the IE Business Case Competition, I want to say a huge thank you to our advisor, Cindy Lehmann and Prof. Jerry Guo for the preparation sessions, and to Frankfurt School Förderverein for making the trip possible. It means a lot to be trusted to represent Frankfurt School on an international stage like this, and it is a reminder of how extraordinary it is to study at a university that actively invests in giving its students experiences beyond the classroom.

What the IE Business Case Competition taught me about business and myself

In February, I flew to Madrid with three teammates and a lot of nervous energy. We were there to compete at the IE Business School Case Competition 2026, one of the most respected international case competitions in Europe, alongside universities from across the world. I came back with a lot more than I expected.

I have been thinking about what exactly changed after that week, and I keep coming back to the same answer: case competitions teach you things that no lecture, no group assignment, and no internship can fully replicate. Here is what I mean:

You learn to think under real pressure

In Segovia, we had five hours to crack a strategy case for Alma Carraovejas, a premium Spanish winery, figuring out how to scale without losing its soul. In Madrid, we had twelve hours to build a full recommendation for Amazon on whether its decarbonization investments could become a genuine competitive advantage. Both times, the clock started at minute one. There was no time to overthink, no time to wait for more information. You build the best argument you can with what you have, and you commit to it. That muscle, making a confident call under uncertainty, is one of the most transferable things I brought home.

You discover how you actually work in a team

Our team consisted of four people from three different programs: Arina Spirin and Carl Heusener, both with Business Analytics backgrounds, and Linus Forschler and me, both from Management Philosophy and Economics. On paper, that mix could go either way. In practice, it was one of the best things about the week. Watching how differently we each approached the same problem, and then figuring out how to combine those approaches into a coherent story, taught me more about collaboration than any semester-long group project ever has. You learn quickly what good teamwork actually requires: trust, clear communication, and knowing when to let someone else take the lead.

You get better at telling a story

A strong analysis means nothing if you cannot communicate it clearly. Case competitions force you to present your thinking to a panel of judges and defend it on the spot. That process, building a narrative around your solution and then standing behind it under questioning, is something you only get sharper at by doing. After Madrid, I feel noticeably more confident in structuring and delivering an argument. It is one of those skills that quietly compounds over time.

You see what you do not yet know.

This one surprised me the most. Being in the room with talented students from universities all over Europe was genuinely humbling in the best way. Seeing how other teams framed problems, the angles they approached cases from, and what they prioritised and why made me acutely aware of the gaps in my own thinking. That kind of awareness is hard to get in a classroom. It made me want to read more, think differently, and come back better prepared next time.

You build something you did not expect

By the end of the week, after late nights, bad coffee, and long debrief sessions, the four of us had built something real. Not just a polished deck, but actual trust, shared inside jokes, and a friendship that came out of having genuinely been in the trenches together. I did not expect that to be a highlight. It absolutely was.

If you are interested in joining a future case competition or want to learn more about FS Business Case, please email me at martha_maria.zoller@fs-students.de or Tomislav Aleksic at tomislav.aleksic@fs-students.de. We welcome students from all programs who are curious about participating.