Opportunity brief
Overview:
Step into the Shoes of Founders & Venture Capitalists!
About the Event:
Step into the shoes of founders and venture capitalists in Bid & Build, a high-stakes strategic entrepreneurship competition organized by E-Cell!
Teams will navigate critical decisions under time and resource constraints through a three-stage test of startup knowledge, role-specific business problem solving, and a live executive auction. From proving core business acumen in a fast-paced quiz to drafting an elite executive suite in a live bidding war, Bid & Build evaluates strategic vision, budget utilization, and executive leadership.
Competition Progression & Structure:
- Round 1 (Business Acumen Quiz | 30–45 Mins):
- A fast-paced quiz covering startup ecosystem trivia, business history, and prominent founders.
- Top 20 teams advance to Round 2.
- Round 2 (Startup Showdown):
- Qualifying teams are pitted in head-to-head pairs on identical startup concepts, assigning individual executive roles (CEO, CFO, CTO, CMO) to solve role-targeted business scenarios.
- Top 10 teams advance to Round 3.
- Round 3 (Live Executive Auction | ~2 Hours):
- A live bidding war where teams utilize virtual capital to build an executive team from a pool of notable business personalities, culminating in a strategic pitch justification.
Rules & Regulations:
- Team Size: Teams must consist of 2 to 3 members.
- Attendance: All three rounds must be attended in person on campus.
- Fair Play: Any form of malpractice, unauthorized assistance, or unfair trade practices during the quiz and startup challenge will result in immediate disqualification.
- Auction Rules: Participants must strictly follow the explicit bidding rules, credit limits, and procedural steps revealed during the live auction.
- Decisions: All decisions rendered by the organizing committee and judging panel are final.
Evaluation Criteria:
- Round 1 (Quiz): Evaluated strictly on speed and factual accuracy.
- Round 2 (Startup Showdown): Scored on solution quality, operational feasibility, creativity, and role-specific strategic reasoning. Scores across all team roles are aggregated to determine team ranking.
- Round 3 (Auction): Judged on budget utilization efficiency, executive team balance, strategic synergy between recruited figures, and the final pitch justification.