How to Use This Manual

Business case-solving competitions are not won by knowing the most frameworks.

They are won by knowing

which questions to ask, which problems to solve, which tools to use, which ideas to pursue, and how to turn all of that thinking into a clear recommendation that a judge can believe.

This manual is designed to help you build those skills.

The goal is not to memorise a formula for solving every case. No such formula exists.

Instead, you will learn a repeatable process for:

DECIPHER → ANALYZE → DEVELOP → DECIDE → RECOMMEND → IMPLEMENT → COMMUNICATE

The process provides structure without taking away the judgment, creativity, and critical thinking that make case competitions valuable.

Before you decide which framework to use, you need to understand what kind of case you are facing. The characteristics of the case should influence your questions, your analysis, your alternatives, and ultimately your recommendation.

The better you become at deciphering cases, the less you will rely on frameworks as recipes and the more you will use them as strategic tools.

Note: This manual is designed to work alongside the instructional Masterclass videos available on the Mad Skills Masterclass YouTube channel. For those in regions where YouTube is unavailable, the videos are also available through Innovatank TV. This first Masterclass Manual includes references to several videos from Masterclass 2, which are incorporated to reinforce key concepts and provide additional instruction. The complete series of Deciphering Cases posts is also available through Discover Your Mad Skills on Patreon, providing additional insights, examples, and perspectives to help you develop your case-solving skills.