Episode 51: What I Learned From 6 Intense Hours of Judging MBA Teams
This past week, I had the privilege of mentoring and judging WXP Europe. This virtual competition brings together MBA students from top universities across North America and Europe to tackle a messy, real-world problem.
Global teams from:
spent an entire week developing their ideas before facing a marathon presentation day, six high-pressure hours across four very different rounds:
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A polished 12-minute presentation
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A 3-minute rapid version of the same deck
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A surprise 5-minute question (with almost no prep)
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An 8-minute final pitch, where teams could revise slides
How My Week Started
Before the students dove into strategy frameworks and AI debates, I kicked things off with an inspiring conversation with Calgary artist Sharon Thirkettle (https://lnkd.in/gntFHxcu). Hearing directly from a practising artist grounded the problem in reality, reminding teams that this wasn’t just an “AI case,” it was about people, creativity, and culture. You can learn more about Sharon here https://lnkd.in/gjexE5mh.
From there, I spent the week:
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Mentoring the teams
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Stress-testing their ideas
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Running case workshops for teams preparing for Haskayne’s upcoming Digital Innovation Challenge (https://lnkd.in/g-dKADT3), where I’ll be judging again this weekend.
The Moment That Fascinated Me Most
Before Round 3, teams had 25 minutes to prepare, but no idea what they were preparing for. Many teams spent the time guessing the format. Very few used the time to strengthen what they already knew they’d need for Round 4. That was a powerful lesson: We often over-invest in uncertainty and under-invest in what we can control.
When the surprise question finally dropped, teams had just five minutes to think, align, and respond. Watching them adapt in real time was electrifying. By the final round, every team had:
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A clearer story
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Tighter logic
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Simpler slides
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And more confidence
Not because they became smarter, but because they became clearer.
One Big Takeaway for Anyone Who Presents
If you pitch, compete, or present under pressure: Your ability to learn, adjust, and simplify matters more than perfection. Great presenters aren’t flawless; they’re responsive.
The Winning Team: A Masterclass in Recovery
Here’s what makes the winning team’s journey so instructive. Round 1? Frankly, it was a disaster. They had:
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Strong analysis
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Smart ideas
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A solid solution
But they buried it under process. They spent far too much time explaining:
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How hard they worked
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How much research they did
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What frameworks they used
And not nearly enough time explaining their actual solution. A classic case-solving competition mistake. But here’s what made them champions: They listened. During Q&A, they didn’t get defensive. They got curious. They treated judges’ questions as data. Each round, they refined:
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Their narrative
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Their structure
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Their slides to the extent that was allowed
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Their clarity
By the final round, they weren’t just persuasive, they were compelling.
What Separates Winners From Everyone Else
After coaching teams through this type of format more than 50 times at international competitions, here’s what I’ve learned: Winning teams don’t just present. They co-create with the judges in real time. They:
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Pay attention to what judges ask
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Adapt their narrative
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Fix what isn’t landing
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Made it easier to understand each time
In short, they treated feedback as fuel, not friction.
For me, one who cares about strategy, innovation, or storytelling, WXP Europe was a powerful reminder that brilliance isn’t just about ideas, it’s about how you communicate them under pressure. This year’s teams did exactly that.