Decks, Deadlines, and Diminishing Returns:  The state of Case Comps

Credits: Preisha, Anant & Mansi
Mentor: Aryan

1. Another Night, Another Deck

It is 2:47 a.m. at CCD, and the sound of muffled discussions fills the place, heralding the impending deadline.

A boy stares blankly at the glowing laptop screen, slide 18 of 25 open, title reading ‘Go to Market Strategy’. The cursor blinks like a quiet reminder that sleep is not part of tonight’s plan.

The boy barely even remembers why he signed up for this in the first place. Was it that feeling of FOMO, or was it because he felt that the Case Comp XYZ finalist seemed like a resume pointer too lucrative to skip?

The excitement that once came with brainstorming ideas has blurred into caffeine, Canva, and crisis. When he finally hits submit, the sun is already creeping up behind the hostels.

His phone pings: another case competition announcement on WhatsApp. ‘Product Case Competition, Register in teams of 3 by EOD. ’

He sighs, grinning at the rising sun, and mutters, Guess it never ends.

Scenes like this have become almost routine across campuses. It is the story of our batchmates who become so deeply ingrained in this cycle of case competitions that they often lose sight of the original ethos behind participating in the first place. 

This article reflects on IIT Bombay’s vibrant case competition culture through conversations with students who have been finalists, winners, or now thrive in consulting roles.

2. When the Hype Finds You Before the Habit Does

Consulting, a term that every new student entering IIT Bombay must have heard in the first month, if not the first day. Whispered with reverence in hostel corridors, thrown casually into orientation discussions, and plastered across LinkedIn posts like a badge of success, it comes packaged with everything a fresher is conditioned to aspire toward: elite job status, glossy perks, high-paying PPOs, and living the high-flyer life.

And with this aspiration comes its inevitable sidekick: the never-ending train of case competitions, but somewhere between the sign-ups and submission deadlines, a quiet pressure begins to creep in. The FOMO.

That feeling that if you’re not doing them, you’re somehow falling behind everyone else. The hype starts building from the very first day, and the FOMO is what follows. This feeling of FOMO can surely be a starting point to explore the world of case competitions, but what one must ensure is not to let oneself completely get into it.

3. Learning or Just Looping? The Case-Comp Paradox

But the next question that arises is whether the FOMO and hype associated with doing case competitions are proportionate to the learning that comes from it?

Some aspects of learning that are assured with these contests are that they are a space to sharpen presentation and speaking skills, especially when at the final round, which is valuable in a lot of aspects of life later. They provide a starting exposure to working under tight deadlines, collaborating in a team, and developing rich problem-solving skills, skills that later come in handy in a consulting role.

Focusing on the second aspect of learning, on problem solving and how doing a particular competition might help to gain in-depth sector knowledge, what often ends up happening is that participants focus narrowly on specialised problem domains, gaining deep but limited exposure. While the ideal way of doing these competitions is focusing on learning from them while curating solutions, what is often seen is a pivot to a lesser learning and more resume-incentive-based approach. “What eventually happens is people just start repeating the same formula that won last year, instead of actually solving the problem,” a student remarked. 

A slightly opposing opinion that we encountered is also how “there might not necessarily be standard ways of learning, as different teams win different competitions each time “.

Both these views reinstate the fact that it is very possible to win a case competition while getting actual learning from it; it just depends on how you approach it and how much effort you put into it!.

”The same degree of learning can, however, very well be obtained from a project under a professor, a position of responsibility, and one then also has the flexibility to choose what domain they wish to focus on”, is another interesting perspective by a senior. 

4 . The AI Shortcut That Isn’t Really a Shortcut

However, even among students who are genuinely motivated to learn, a subtle but significant factor is altering how they engage with case competitions, which is the increasing reliance on Artificial Intelligence.

AI can quickly generate market analyses, industry trends, slide content, and even full decks. Used well, it could genuinely speed up research, free time for deeper analysis, and help us sharpen our thinking. But that rarely happens. Instead of using AI to support our approach, we often let it replace the thinking altogether by outsourcing insights, logic, and structure, and then spending our time simply making the output look human. In case comps, this means the core skills they’re meant to build, which are problem breakdown, business understanding, and structured recommendations, never truly develop.

Ultimately, the question is not whether AI should be used, but whether we are still the ones thinking and how aptly we are using AI. In the extant era, the skills that one must then develop are leveraging such tools to our advantage, such that our originality remains uncompromised! 

5. The Resume Mirage: Lines That Matter, Until They Don’t

Further, as time progressed, case competitions also became the silent metric of how consult-ready you are. The glossy decks, the buzzwords, the results, and the deadlines all divulge that consulting begins here. 

However, when inquired about, the story isn’t that simple. For some, it begins as it always does, with curiosity, a few seniors doing well, and the promise of a strong resume line. There’s a thrill in it, no doubt. The late nights of brainstorming, the rush when your name makes it to the next round. It feels like proof that you’re getting somewhere.

Until you realise, maybe you are not, because simply winning or doing a case competition does not define your future success in a consulting profile job, nor does it guarantee you a sure shot career option in consulting.

When asked how closely case competitions reflect real-world consulting, seniors remarked, “They offer only a rough glimpse at best, giving a preliminary idea but never the full picture. ” While real-world consulting requires a much more in-depth knowledge of a particular industry and a streamlined approach to a problem, case competitions might give one a taste of how to approach such issues, but the depth at which real-world consulting functions cannot be fully matched.

“It usually goes the other way round,  case competitions don’t motivate one to take up consulting, one wishes to do case competitions because of the fallacy of it being important for consulting.”

This fallacy often arises from a word from a senior or a batchmate that initially motivates them to take it up, and later, it becomes just for the sake of that one credential upgrade, rather than the learning. 

And the funny thing is, “the value of these lines on your resume isn’t even fixed. It depends on who’s reading it, which is a view a lot of seniors have. One recruiter might love seeing a big brand competition win; another might care more about a leadership position or an academic project. There is no guarantee, only perception.

Another aspect of it brought forth is that “they often help you have a story to tell in your interview”, which might be an additional brownie point for people sitting in interviews, but in this case, what becomes essential is a thorough knowledge of the competition, the lack of which might become a major red flag for the recruiter!

6 Running Without a Finish Line: The Burnout That Sneaks Up on You

However, the dark side of these glorious wins often remains unexplored! The campus hype & the resume points may seem like markers of success. But at what cost? Sleep deprivation, burnout, and a sense of disconnection from our true interests. These are often the silent tolls of a culture obsessed with achievement at any cost. One must remember that real growth stems from curiosity, mental well-being, and self-awareness, some of the qualities that are often overshadowed by the rush to seek validation.

The days start blending into one another, each one a mirror of the last.

The thrill that once quickened your pulse is replaced by something duller, heavier, the knowledge that you’re running, but you’re no longer certain where to.

Burnout, in its cruel irony, doesn’t make you collapse; it makes you continue. It lets you function, submit, and present, but strips the colour from everything that once made you curious. You keep going because everyone else is going. And that, perhaps, is the quietest kind of tragedy, not failing, but forgetting what it felt like to truly care.

It is often recounted that a lot of people have been offered consulting roles partly because of the poise and clear thinking they honed during the interview, while others use them to figure out if the field truly clicks before jumping in all the way. That competitive culture in case competitions also pushes people to deliver better and structured solutions with much thought given to them. 

7. Beyond the Decks and Deadlines: What Are We Really Chasing?

As we think about the culture of case competitions on campus, it’s worth pausing to ask what we might be giving up along the way. It’s easy to get caught up chasing resume points for recognition, but success isn’t just about accolades. It’s just as much about knowing what truly excites you, protecting your mental health, and figuring out your unique path forward.

What often gets lost in the fast pace of campus life is that there’s no single formula for success. Everyone who’s made it to the other side has taken a different route. What really matters more than anything else is having clarity: clarity about what you find joy in, what you want to get really good at, and why you choose to do what you do.

Case competitions are just one path among many opportunities available on campus, but the real challenge is choosing the ones that really match who you are. Don’t do something just because it’s the popular thing; do it because it genuinely speaks to you.

At the end of the day, it’s the path you create for yourself that will stick with you long after these years are over. And that’s what truly counts.