IIM Kozhikode's Glorious Win At Optum Stratethon Season 4 (B-Track)

Optum Stratethon is one of the most prestigious competitions that countless students wait for with bated breaths. The competition is conducted by Optum, a health services and innovation company, which is a part of the UnitedHealth Group a Fortune 5 family of businesses. Optum Stratethon is an international platform where students get the opportunity to showcase their skills and compete with others to identify innovative solutions that help improve the lives of millions across the world. We- Adesh Parikh, Aryan Anand, and Nikhila Ramanathan were super excited to be a part of this journey and leave our mark in the health industry.

There were two tracks in the competition- E-track and B-track. Being the students of one of the top B-Schools, IIM Kozhikode we naturally chose the B-track. We decided to call ourselves Team NA^2 and it still feels surreal to have won the international winner title for Optum Stratethon Season 4. We remember having an elaborate discussion about the competition before it even began. We discussed the timeline and decided that this would be our final case competition before we started prepping for our end-semester exams and upcoming placements. And we are proud to say that we went out with a bang!

Optum Stratethon Season 4 Structure

The case study competition was by far one of the most well-thought-out and executed events we have been a part of. The structure of the competition was as follows:

• First Preliminary Round (Online Quiz)
• Second Preliminary Round (Online Simulation Challenge)
• Detailed Presentation Submission Round
• Campus Round
• Mentorship Round
• Grand Finale

Every round was beautifully framed and brilliantly implemented. Unlike in many other competitions, the rounds were elaborate and explorative as there were 2 pre-case rounds and 3 presentation rounds. The event was executed in a very seamless and timely fashion, and the end-to-end management from booking tickets to the distribution of prizes was great. The marketing of the event was incredible, in fact on our way from ITC Gardenia to Bangalore airport, we spotted 3 large OOH advertisements of Optum Stratethon. This elucidated the amount of effort and investment that had gone into organizing this event. We are elated to have been a part of a challenge of such caliber.

Check this out: Challenge Yourself With These B-school Competitions

Our Winning Strategy

Our strategy for each round was a straightforward one. Give your best, don't leave anything to chance, and have fun. We began by focussing on getting the basics right.

• Firstly, we decided to dedicate abundant time to exploring the case problem statement and conducting thorough research on the same. We'd like to point out that this is a fundamental step that many teams should, but fail to establish as a norm in such competitions. 
• Secondly, we focused on synergizing our individual thoughts into better ideas via debate and objective evaluation of alternatives. This established a strong foundation of collaboration and openness in terms of expressing one's ideas.
• Finally, we focused on primarily standing out on two major grounds - our understanding and presentation of the problem. We did so by breaking down the problem into distinct sub-parts and then presenting it in the form of a story.

Our team worked on the problem without paying heed to how much time we spent on it. We worked before and after classes while having our meals together and even spent sleepless nights towards achieving our goal of perfecting our solution and presentation. We are thrilled that in the end all our effort and hard work paid off. 

The Preliminary Round Experience

Every round of the competition tested us in a new way. The quiz was exciting and fun. The business simulation round was also very intense for us. We had extensive debates during the simulation itself. When we started discussing possible solutions for cracking the case given to us, our classroom learnings were put to use and it turned out great. We carried out extensive research including in-depth primary research, which helped us immensely in delivering the winning solution.

The Presentation Round Experience

As mentioned before there were three presentation rounds. During the first of these, we had elaborate discussions and arguments. Here we'd like to point out that having objective arguments with your teammates is necessary. Also having a diverse team with different skill sets and background is essential to build a holistic solution. It helps you consider all the different aspects and viewpoints which help the overall success of your project.

In the next round, we had to conduct an online presentation, and it was nerve-wracking. We had to present eight slides in eight minutes, followed by 7 minutes of Q&A. Trying to figure out what we should prioritize was the hardest part. We, as a team, divided particular topics for the Q&A round. This strategy helped us throughout the competition. Note that keeping calm, taking time to think, and articulating your thoughts properly is very important when answering the questions.

After our presentation, we had a solid gut feeling that we would make it to the Grand Finale, and luckily we did. Our team was over the moon when we got the news. We were assigned an Optum Senior Management Mentor to guide us for the grand finale. We thank Mr. Pankaj Sharma for providing detailed, nuanced, and critical insights to improve our presentation.

The Grand Finale Experience

We did not sleep at all the night before the grand finale and kept on practicing our delivery. It was an exciting and anxiety-filled experience. As soon as we reached the venue, we got this sudden boost of energy that kept us sharp and focused throughout the day. Presenting in front of an experienced and veteran jury was a daunting task, but we are proud of the team's effort. We were able to make it to the top three and the final round.

While we were waiting after our final presentation was done, we could only look back and be happy that we did such a fantastic job. Winning the competition was the cherry on the cake. Walking up to that stage through the applause is something we won't be able to forget. We felt like celebrating, crying, and laughing at the same time. Another memorable moment was when one of the jurors approached us while we were celebrating, leaned over, and said, "Sorry for having kept you guys waiting. You truly deserve the win!" It was an intense moment that gave us goosebumps.

Words of Wisdom From the Competition

These competitions and challenges not only give us a platform to showcase our skills, but also the opportunity to learn through real-life experiences. We would summarize the top three learnings that we have garnered as follows:

1. It is of paramount importance to clearly and completely understand the problem statement from the get-go. That is because solutions are often a natural by-product of a clear understanding of the problem at hand.
2. Debating ideas among team members is necessary as these ideas often synthesize into better ideas and also establish better understanding within the team itself.
3. Storytelling is an extremely potent presentation tool. Avoid using it at your own peril!

Why is Teamwork Important

To summarize what can be a 10-page essay, our team was an unusual mix of patience and unrelenting perseverance. Most importantly, we complement each other very well. Our team's forte was to clearly break down the problem, ask the right questions, research the problem thoroughly, and present our solution in an easy-to-understand manner.

We did have some reservations in the beginning while expressing conflicting ideas at times, but given our friendship since the very beginning of our MBA, we knew we would make it. And it turned out to be true! We all ended up giving it our best while working diligently towards the same purpose. Also, we were extremely honest with each other, and that is what eventually pulled us through.

Challenges During the Competition

The two primary challenges that we faced during this competition were-

1. Managing our placement preparation, lectures, and assignments along with the time needed for working on Optum Stratethon.
2. Managing the discomfort of being the devil's advocate at times with respect to each other's ideas.

We tackled the first of these challenges by working on our time management skills and planning for everything in advance. For the second challenge, we established that brainstorming session debates were necessary for the process. In fact, our conflicting opinions were in no way personal and were meant to be taken in a purely professional way.

A Few Parting Words

The judgment quality was top-notch. The jury consisted of professionals from some of the highest positions spanning several departments at Optum and hailed from multiple countries. Their nuanced questions and feedback clearly reflected their vast experience, knowledge, and wisdom. 

We are thankful to the Optum Stratethon and Unstop teams for caring for us throughout the grand finale week. Witnessing such a large-scale competition was an overwhelming experience but they put us to ease. Meeting the senior management and leadership of UnitedHealth Group and Optum was a fantastic experience and we learned important life and business lessons from the industry veterans. We will forever be grateful for Optum Stratethon Season 4!

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