The Birth Of ADAM: Our Expedition From Novices To Amazon ACE National Finalists

When one sets out on an IIM journey, they are met with a torrent of information, a rigorous academic schedule, and club orientations. While seemingly overwhelming at first, this initiation carries a playful undertone—its purpose is to fortify individuals for the corporate odyssey ahead. Case competitions, integral to comprehending real-world corporate dynamics, quietly embed themselves into the B-school curriculum.

When our B-school year began, the Amazon ACE challenge served as our first foray into the world of case contests. The task at hand: forming a team of novices navigating this unfamiliar territory. Heeding the advice of seasoned seniors, we learned the delicate art of striking a balance between our commitments to competition, extracurricular activities, and academic rigor. Thus, the trio of Aishwarya Vhatkar, Deepankar Nagarale, and Jaya Mouncia Tenali materialised as my chosen teammates.

Guided by the Amazonian ethos, our journey involved conquering quizzes and presenting solutions to discerning decision-makers. While working on finding solutions, disagreements and different ideas were bound to happen. However, each disagreement contributed to our overall collaborative effort, creating a more cohesive and effective outcome. The Preparatory Committee (PrepCo) at IIM Nagpur played a crucial role as behind-the-scenes leaders, coordinating a well-prepared effort by revealing our strengths, uncovering our weaknesses, and providing valuable insights.

On the D-day, we encountered technical glitches in the opening moments of the presentation, putting our resilience to the test. Nevertheless, our thorough preparation became apparent as we skillfully handled questions within the allocated time. The nail-biting wait for results ended in celebration—our ticket to the National Finals of the Amazon Ace Challenge was secured.

Our encounter with a amusing naming hiccup on Unstop became an amusing story in itself. Initially assigned a system-generated team name 700998-U74VH63L, which during the result announcement was referred to as an affinity with Elon Musk as if we named it like Elon Musk named his child. We later christened ourselves Team ADAM (Aishwarya, Deepankar, Anshul, Mounica) for the finals.

In a surprising turn of events, our team secured the highly sought-after first slot for the finals, aligning perfectly with our chosen name, ADAM. Despite facing an onslaught of questions beyond the stipulated time even, the experience enriched us with knowledge. Despite a temporary disappointment from the results, our return to campus was marked by a treasure trove of knowledge, experience, and a bond forged within the team— a team that went from being new faces in college to some of the best people I have come across.

Anshul is a first-year student at IIM Nagpur. He has completed his Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering and has 15 months of experience as an operations manager in the operations field. He is an avid anime enthusiast. And when MBA life is making his head go around in circles, he is watching 20 Formula One cars go round and round around race circuits.