@Fuqua
Projects, team wins, and moments from my MBA at Duke Fuqua.
Our team of 6 had 48 hours to design, print, and pitch anything.
Phase 1: Decide, Don't Debate
We started with a detachable heel for open-toe sandals. Sounded clever — until we held the prototype. No one would actually buy this. We killed it, pivoted to a foldable clip-on cup holder, and moved on. The ideation was messy: six people, strong opinions, a whiteboard full of pros and cons. But endless discussion is just another way to avoid commitment. We made the call and shifted all our energy to execution.
Phase 2: Capture the Need, Then Make the Case
Most teams led with market sizing and financial projections. We did that work too — but kept it in the background. In the room, we made one bet: if the audience doesn't feel the problem, the numbers don't matter. So we opened with the product itself, let people hold it, and made them want it before we told them why it made sense.
That's what won. Not the spreadsheet — the moment someone thought, "I'd actually use this."