Dreams & Tactics: STARTUP CITY
Empowering High School Business Students with Interactive Learning
After learning valuable business skills in their classrooms, students can take things further by getting in the game. DREAMS & TACTICS: STARTUP CITY is a decision-making experience where players solve the kinds of challenges real entrepreneurs face every day.
1) Step into the role of a business consultant
2) Solve a case study by analyzing the client’s problem
3) Recommend decisions that affect marketing, HR, operations, and more
4) See the impact of their decisions
Students should play the game independently or in small groups as an extra-curricular activity. It is meant to deepen students’ understanding of core business skills through active learning.
Whether watching videos or playing the game, students build: critical thinking; real-world decision-making; communication and analysis; and career-ready business knowledge
– Marketing
– Accounting
– Human Resources
– Operations Management
– Project Management
Instead of starting a company from scratch, students step into the role of a business advisor to startups. They analyze real challenges faced by entrepreneurs across different industries, from marketing and finance to operations and HR. This approach develops critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills — the exact skills students need for future careers in business, whether they become entrepreneurs, consultants, marketers, or managers. It also ties directly into the business studies curriculum and lets students experience a wide variety of cases, keeping the game fresh, exciting, and relevant to all students.
Broader Skill Development
Business consulting teaches a range of business disciplines — marketing, operations, HR, finance — not just starting a business. This better reflects the full scope of business education goals.
Realistic, Actionable Scenarios
Students analyze and solve real problems in existing businesses rather than inventing an idea from scratch.
More Accessible for Students
Students don’t need to dream up a full startup idea — they can jump right into problem-solving, making the game easier to engage with.
Allows for Diversity of Industries and Stories
The game features companies across different industries — trendy fashion, tech startups, restaurants — rather than being stuck on a single startup and its themes.
Ties More Naturally to Business Curriculum
Topics like marketing plans, HR issues, operations bottlenecks, and financial forecasting naturally fit into consulting projects.
Greater Challenge Variety
Different companies face different types of problems (e.g., supply chain issue vs. customer retention), allowing for dynamic and evolving challenges rather than repetitive “how do I launch” gameplay.