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Story
Join a powerful, story-driven business simulation where you'll step into the shoes of the Head of Innovation at Aeki — a fictional company inspired by IKEA.
Make tough decisions, navigate changing markets, and shape the future as you lead the company through a period of great uncertainty.
What is Strategy Quest?
Strategy Quest is an immersive business simulation designed for corporate innovators and ambitious professionals. Over five intense rounds spanning five weeks, you'll respond to internal and external events, launch initiatives, and navigate the complex realities of transforming a global business from within.
You'll face shifting priorities, uncertain markets, and diverse stakeholders — just like in real life. Whether you join solo or with your team, you'll experience the full spectrum of innovation leadership challenges in a risk-free environment.
📅 Key Facts
Season Start: Thursday, June 26th, 2025
Season End: Thursday, July 31st, 2025
Duration: 5 rounds over 5 weeks (one "year" per week)
Format: Flexible asynchronous participation + live video-call support during office hours (once/week)
Kickoff: Live session to get you started on Thursday, June 26th, 2025
Weekly Rhythm:
- Every Thursday: new scenario will be introduced through briefings
- Every Monday: submission deadline (but don't worry if you miss one — your strategy continues evolving)
- Optional: Thursday office hours for questions and peer discussion
Price: €149/participant (incl. VAT)
Join as an individual or with a team
👥 Who it’s for
This experience is ideal for:
- Heads of Innovation, Growth & Transformation
- Business Unit or Department heads with new responsibility for innovation
- Corporate Venture Builders & Innovation Managers
- Strategy & Growth Professionals (e.g. in-house consultants)
- Mid-career professionals seeking exposure to leadership experience
💡 What You’ll Get
Leadership experience in a high-stakes innovation environment
A safe space to experiment – test bold strategies, learn from failures and adapt without real-world consequences
Dynamic performance feedback in real-time from in-game "stakeholders" and AI-generated market reports
Flexible participation that fits your schedule, with regular support during office hours
Peer learning opportunities to benchmark against other innovation leaders
Professional development including a certificate of completion and personalized feedback report
Practical insights on leadership and innovation you can immediately apply to your current role
What you'll master: The 11 Levers of Corporate Innovation
Strategy Quest is built around 11 proven innovation levers used by leading global companies. You'll gain strategical experience with each approach, supported by market best practices and expert insights:
External Growth & Partnerships:
- Corporate Venture Capital (CVC)
- M&A strategies
- External Venture Building
- Joint Ventures & Alliances
- Venture Clienting with startups and scale-ups
Internal Innovation:
- Internal Venture Building (intrapreneurship programs)
- Product Innovation and development pipelines
- Startup Incubation within corporate structures
Market & Ecosystem Strategies:
- Open Innovation and ecosystem development
- Strategic Market Expansion approaches
- Targeted Advertising Campaigns for new ventures
Decision-Making Skills You'll Develop
Strategic Portfolio Management: Learn to balance high-risk, high-reward bets with incremental innovations using portfolio theory adapted for corporate innovation.
Stakeholder Alignment Framework: Master the art of building coalition support across conflicting priorities—from cost-conscious CFOs to growth-hungry CEOs to risk-averse operations teams.
Resource Allocation Under Uncertainty: Practice dynamic budgeting techniques that let you pivot quickly when market conditions change or initiatives show unexpected results.
Innovation ROI Assessment: Develop skills to evaluate opportunities across different time horizons and risk profiles, balancing quick wins with transformational bets.
Measurable Skills Development
By the end of Strategy Quest, you'll be able to:
Evaluate 5+ types of innovation opportunities using structured frameworks (incremental, adjacent, transformational, disruptive, and ecosystem plays)
Build compelling business cases that address both quantitative metrics and qualitative stakeholder concerns
Navigate 3 critical decision points every innovation leader faces: resource allocation, partnership vs. build decisions, and scaling vs. pivoting choices
Manage innovation portfolios across different risk/return profiles and time horizons
Communicate innovation strategy effectively to diverse audiences from board members to engineering teams
Sample Experience: What You'll Face
Week 2 Scenario Light Preview:"Market intelligence suggests a key competitor is planning a major sustainability initiative that could disrupt your core product lines. Meanwhile, your internal team has developed a promising new technology, but it requires significant investment. Your CEO wants a response strategy by next session, your CFO is concerned about cash flow, and your sustainability officer is pushing for a bold counter-move. You have multiple strategic options on the table, a startup portfolio that's growing, each with different risk profiles and resource requirements..."
You'll receive detailed briefing materials, stakeholder emails with conflicting priorities, market reports with ambiguous signals, and budget constraints that force difficult trade-offs. Just like real innovation leadership.
How It Works: Logistics & Support
Flexible Participation: Life happens. Miss a deadline? Your previous strategy continues to execute automatically. Miss two rounds? You might find your position weakening, but you can still learn from the experience and catch up during office hours.
Tech Requirements: Simple and streamlined. You'll get access to our web-based simulation interface where you can review materials, make decisions and track your progress. Stay connected with fellow participants and facilitators through a dedicated Slack workspace.
Team Dynamics: Join solo and get matched with other participants, or bring upto 3 colleagues with you to form your own team. Solo players often appreciate the fresh perspectives, while existing teams love the chance to stress-test their real-world dynamics.
Weekly Office Hours: Every Thursday, join a 60-minute live session where you can get direct feedback on your strategies, ask questions about upcoming scenarios, and learn from other teams' approaches. Think of it as your innovation leadership coaching session.
Why Simulation Beats Traditional Training
Instead of case studies from 10 years ago → Practice with evolving scenarios that respond to your decisions
Instead of theoretical frameworks → Apply tools under realistic time pressure and resource constraints
Instead of hiring expensive consultants → Build your own capability to navigate uncertainty and complexity
Instead of learning in isolation → Experience the messy reality of stakeholder management and internal politics
Instead of one-size-fits-all solutions → Develop your personal leadership style through trial, error, and adaptation
Strategy Quest bridges the gap between academic knowledge and real-world execution – giving you a safe space to make the expensive mistakes and learn from them before the stakes are real.
Risk-Free Guarantee
We're confident Strategy Quest will transform how you approach innovation leadership. If you're not completely satisfied after the third week, we'll provide a full refund, no questions asked.
The first week gives you plenty of content and decision-making experience -> you'll know immediately if this learning style works for you.
Ready to Lead through Uncertainty?
Early Bird Special: €149 (regular price €199) - Save €50 when you register by June 15th
Next Steps:
- Reserve your spot - Limited to 20 participants for optimal experience
- Choose your approach - Join solo or assemble your team (up to 4 people)
- Prepare for immersion - We'll send pre-session materials one week before launch
👈 Get your ticket 🎟️
or Schedule a 15-minute call to learn more
Roman
Digital CX Manager
“Strategy Quest simulates real-world dynamics better than any innovation training I’ve done. This is so much fun.”
“You can’t replicate this type of experience in a traditional workshop or meeting. It’s a real accelerator for strategic thinking.”
Harry
Venture Builder
Thea
Strategy & Transformation Office
“Strategy Quest pushed me to be bolder. Not just in making decisions, but in helping others feel safe to move faster too.”
Read more on our blog:
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What is business strategy simulation?
Business strategy simulation is an immersive training method where leaders test strategic decisions in a risk-free, AI-powered environment. Unlike traditional workshops, participants experience consequences of their choices, compress months of strategic thinking into hours, and receive objective feedback on their decision-making under pressure.
How does Strategy Quest work?
Strategy Quest combines AI agents, realistic market dynamics, and proven business frameworks to create authentic strategic scenarios. Participants make decisions solo or in teams, navigate incomplete information and stakeholder pressure, then see the outcomes play out. Each session compresses 12 months of strategic decision-making into a 2-hour intensive experience.
Who should attend Strategy Quest sessions?
Strategy Quest is designed for innovation leaders, heads of strategy, product leaders, transformation consultants and senior executives who make high-stakes strategic decisions. Our participants typically lead teams and are responsible for new product launches, market entry strategies, or major business pivots.
What makes Strategy Quest different from other business simulations?
Traditional business simulations focus on financial outcomes. Strategy Quest emphasizes leadership development and "real world decision making skills". You'll practice navigating organizational politics, building consensus under pressure, and developing strategic foresight skills that directly transfer to your day job as an innovation leader.
How long is a Strategy Quest session?
Each Strategy Quest session is a 3-hour intensive experience, typically run with cohorts of 8-12 participants. We also offer custom half-day and full-day programs for leadership teams who want deeper strategic alignment.
Do I need any preparation before attending?
No special preparation required. You'll receive a brief scenario overview 24 hours before your session, but the experience is designed to mirror real-world conditions where you must make decisions with incomplete information.
Is Strategy Quest suitable for remote teams?
Yes! Strategy Quest runs seamlessly in virtual environments. Our digital platform recreates the pressure and collaboration dynamics of in-person strategy sessions, making it perfect for distributed innovation teams.
What results can I expect from Strategy Quest?
Participants report faster strategic decision-making, improved confidence in high-stakes situations, a better understanding of their innovative and leadership styles and better ability to anticipate market consequences. 72% of participants say they've applied insights from Strategy Quest to real strategic decisions within 30 days.
Can Strategy Quest help with specific strategic challenges my company is facing?
Absolutely. We create custom scenarios based on your industry, competitive landscape, and specific strategic challenges. Many clients use Strategy Quest to stress-test actual strategies they're considering implementing. Reach out to us to explore custom scenarios.
How is feedback provided during the simulation?
You'll receive feedback as scenarios unfold, plus detailed debrief sessions analyzing your decision making patterns, leadership style under pressure, and strategic thinking approach. All feedback is behavior-based and objective, not opinion-based.