Corporate Finance

Guy in a Cube (Adam Saxton — Microsoft Power BI team member) is the #1 Power BI channel globally, recommended universally on Reddit r/PowerBI. Enterprise DNA for finance-specific DAX patterns and dashboard design.

FP&A Dashboard - Budget vs. Actual with Drilldowns

Build a Power BI report for a simulated CFO team. Use a fictional P&L dataset covering 4 business units across 12 months. The report must show: total revenue vs. budget (with RAG status), margin trend, top 5 cost overruns, and a drilldown from BU -> product -> region. Add a slicer for month and BU. The final report should require zero explanation for someone who reads a P&L regularly.

Time box: 3-4 days

Data/source: Simulated dataset you create in Excel; use realistic INR numbers

Built FP&A Power BI dashboard for simulated multi-BU company; enabled budget vs. actual variance analysis with drillthrough by product and region.

ExcelJet (Dave Bruns) is the go-to professional quick reference. BIWS Excel series is the gold standard for IB model hygiene. TrumpExcel (Sumit Bansal) is India's most trusted Excel educator with 500K+ subscribers. Macquarie/Coursera Excel specialisation is the best free structured certificate path.

Audit-Ready Financial Model with Full Checks

Build an analyst-quality Excel workbook for any Indian company's financial projections. The model must follow professional hygiene: blue hard-codes, black formulas, no hard-codes inside formulas, circular reference check, balance sheet check, and a dedicated Assumptions sheet. Add a scenario toggle (Base/Bull/Bear), a sensitivity table, and a summary dashboard page. Someone should be able to audit your model without asking you any questions.

Time box: 3-4 days

Data/source: Screener.in for historical numbers

Built audit-ready financial model in Excel following professional hygiene standards; included balance sheet checks, scenario toggle, sensitivity table, and dashboard output.

FinPreparoo prioritizes free or free-to-audit resources so cost does not block learning. Crowd research uses public Reddit threads, web results, and YouTube search — not private social feeds.

Messy model cleanup challenge

Refactor a messy finance workbook into a clean analyst model with inputs, calculations, outputs, checks, formatting, and version notes.

Refactored a messy finance workbook into an audit-ready model with checks, clean structure, and version notes.

BIWS and CFI are the most-cited comps resources on WSO and Reddit. The Valuation School covers Indian peer group selection (Nifty sector indices, BSE peer search). Damodaran's free sector multiples dataset (damodaran.com — updated annually) is the practitioner benchmark reference.

Professional Comps Table - Indian Sector Deep Dive

Choose one NSE sector (FMCG, IT services, pharma, banking, auto). Build a professional trading comps table for 8 companies in that sector. For each: pull LTM Revenue, EBITDA, EBIT, Net Income, and EPS from Screener.in and annual reports. Calculate EV (Market Cap + Net Debt + Minority Interest - Cash) for each. Spread 6 multiples: EV/Revenue, EV/EBITDA, EV/EBIT, P/E, P/B, Dividend Yield. Calculate the sector median and mean. Build a formatted output table exactly as you would see in an IB pitchbook - no raw Excel formatting. Write 3 observations about what the multiples tell you about the sector's valuation dynamics.

Time box: 3-4 days

Data/source: Screener.in (free), NSE India (free), BSE India annual reports (free)

Built pitchbook-quality 8-company trading comps table for Indian [sector]; spread 6 LTM multiples with correct EV calculation and wrote sector valuation commentary.

Carta's educational content is the practitioner standard. BIWS is the most cited cap table modeling resource. The Valuation School covers Indian nuances — CCPS, FEMA compliance, convertible note vs SAFE structures.

Multi-Round Cap Table - Seed to Series B with Exit Waterfall

Build a full cap table in Excel for a fictional Indian B2B SaaS startup. Round 1 (Seed): 2 founders (each 40%), angel investor puts in INR 1 Cr at INR 10 Cr post-money. Round 2 (Series A): VC puts in INR 10 Cr at INR 50 Cr post-money; 10% ESOP pool created. Round 3 (Series B): New VC puts in INR 40 Cr at INR 200 Cr post-money; existing VC exercises pro-rata of INR 5 Cr. Build the complete dilution table showing ownership % after each round. Then model exits at INR 150 Cr, INR 300 Cr, and INR 600 Cr showing what each party receives after applying 1x non-participating liquidation preferences.

Time box: 3-4 days

Data/source: Self-constructed (fictional startup, realistic Indian VC market terms)

Built multi-round cap table for fictional Indian SaaS startup from seed to Series B; modeled dilution, ESOP pool impact, and exit waterfall across 3 scenarios showing per-party returns.

CFI covers cash flow forecasting thoroughly and practically. Reddit r/FPandA: 'build an actual 13-week cash flow model yourself' is the most-cited learning advice. The Valuation School covers Indian treasury and cash management context.

13-Week Rolling Cash Flow Forecast for an Indian Listed Company

Using the last 4 quarters of cash flow statements from any Indian retail, FMCG, or manufacturing company (BSE India free), infer the quarterly cash flow pattern. Build a 13-week rolling cash forecast assuming: collections are 60% in the week of invoice and 40% in the following 4 weeks; payables are paid in 45 days; monthly salaries are paid on the 1st; GST is paid quarterly. Model two stress scenarios: (1) a key customer delays payment by 30 days, (2) a raw material price spike requires 20% more working capital. Show which weeks the company would need to draw on a credit line.

Time box: 4-5 days

Data/source: BSE India quarterly results and cash flow statements (free), company AR for credit facility terms

Built 13-week rolling cash flow forecast for [Company]; modeled collections, payables, and debt service calendars; identified credit line draw requirements under 2 stress scenarios.

Guy in a Cube (Power BI) and TrumpExcel (Excel MIS) are the community picks for MIS tools. The Valuation School covers Indian MIS formats — month-end close, flash reports, board pack structure.

Monthly CFO Pack - Power BI or Excel Dashboard

Design and build a complete monthly management report for a fictional multi-BU Indian company (3 BUs: North, South, West; 2 product categories; FY split April-March). The pack must contain: Executive Summary page (1 KPI per card: Revenue, EBITDA, Cash, Headcount - each with RAG status and vs. budget), P&L page (actual vs. budget variance by BU and category), Cash flow summary, KPI scorecard (10 operational metrics: order book, days outstanding, manpower utilization, etc.), and a 1-page MD Commentary explaining the 3 biggest variances. Build in Power BI or advanced Excel.

Time box: 5-7 days

Data/source: Self-constructed simulated data (use realistic FMCG/industrial benchmarks from Screener.in as reference for margin levels)

Built monthly CFO management pack in Power BI for simulated multi-BU Indian company; included P&L vs. budget, cash flow summary, operational KPI scorecard, and RAG status dashboard with MD commentary.

CFI's FP&A content is the most structured free resource available. The Valuation School covers FP&A in Indian corporate context (Ind AS, AOP, MIS reporting formats). Reddit r/FPandA is the practitioner community — 'build an actual budget model' is the top advice in every learning thread.

Annual Budget and Rolling Forecast Model

Build a full annual budget model for a fictional multi-product Indian company (3 product lines, 2 geographies). Build revenue from unit price x volume assumptions, costs from fixed/variable split, and produce a complete budget P&L. Then build a rolling 12-month forecast that updates as each month closes. Add a variance analysis tab that auto-calculates Budget vs. Actual and traffic-light flags items >10% off plan.

Time box: 4-5 days

Data/source: Simulate all data; use Screener.in margins as realistic benchmarks for your sector

Built annual budget and 12-month rolling forecast for simulated multi-product company; added automated variance analysis with traffic-light flagging for items >10% off plan.

FinPreparoo prioritizes free or free-to-audit resources so cost does not block learning. Crowd research uses public Reddit threads, web results, and YouTube search — not private social feeds.

13-week cash forecast

Create a 13-week cash forecast for a listed Indian company using public financials, working-capital assumptions, and debt schedule logic.

Built a 13-week cash forecast and liquidity bridge for a listed Indian company.

CFI's 3-statement tutorial (UMYDxmiVin4) is the most-cited free modeling intro globally — r/FinancialCareers, WSO, LinkedIn IB prep groups all recommend it as the starting point. The Valuation School's Step-by-Step series (1.55M+ views) is India's #1 free Hindi/Hinglish modeling resource. BIWS is the gold standard paid path and their free YouTube content is still the best IB-quality free resource.

Three-Statement Forecast Model with Scenarios

Build a complete forward-looking three-statement model for any NSE-listed company. Start from historical actuals (3 years), build revenue and cost assumptions, project 3 years forward, link P&L to balance sheet to cash flow, and add two scenarios (base and bear). Add one sensitivity table showing how EBITDA changes with revenue growth and margin assumptions.

Time box: 4-6 days

Data/source: Screener.in, BSE India, company annual reports

Built integrated 3-year financial model for [Company] with base/bear scenarios and EBITDA sensitivity analysis; model passed internal checks and reconciled to published filings.

BIWS merger model tutorial is the #1 M&A modelling resource on WSO. The Valuation School covers M&A in Indian regulatory context (SEBI Takeover Code 2011, CCI clearance thresholds, NCLT approval for amalgamations). r/FinancialCareers: 'Learn the BIWS merger model before any M&A interview, full stop.'

Merger Model - Two Listed Indian Companies

Pick two real NSE-listed companies in the same sector where a merger makes strategic sense. Build a full merger model: purchase price assumption, deal financing mix (cash/stock/debt), goodwill calculation, combined income statement, and accretion/dilution analysis at 3 different synergy scenarios. Write a one-page deal rationale memo explaining why this deal makes strategic sense.

Time box: 4-5 days

Data/source: Screener.in, BSE India filings

Built merger model for simulated acquisition of [Target] by [Acquirer]; modeled accretion/dilution at three synergy scenarios; wrote deal rationale memo.

Damodaran is non-negotiable — referenced by Goldman Sachs training programs, the CFA Institute, and every serious finance community on Reddit (r/SecurityAnalysis, r/investing, r/FinancialCareers). Called the 'Dean of Valuation.' The Valuation School (Parth Verma — CA & NYU Stern alum) is India's best structured valuation curriculum — applied DCF with Indian companies in a practitioner-taught format. No serious free alternative at this quality for either.

Full Valuation Pack for a Listed Indian Company

Choose a listed Indian company and value it using three methods: DCF (with explicit assumptions on WACC and terminal growth), Trading Comps (build a peer comparison table of 5 companies), and Precedent Transactions (find 2-3 comparable historical deals). Combine the outputs in a football field chart showing the implied valuation range and write a one-page investment recommendation.

Time box: 4-5 days

Data/source: Screener.in (free), Damodaran country risk datasets (free), BSE India annual reports

Built full valuation pack for [Company] using DCF, trading comps, and precedent transactions; synthesized into football field chart with buy/sell recommendation.

McKinsey, BCG, Bain publish free industry reports (McKinsey Insights free access). IBEF covers Indian industries comprehensively for free. Damodaran publishes free sector multiples datasets updated annually (damodaran.com). BIWS uses industry analysis in every case study.

10-Page Industry Deep Dive - IB Pitchbook Format

Choose one Indian industry (specialty chemicals, hospital chains, data centres, logistics, renewable energy). Build a 10-page industry section exactly as it would appear in an IB pitchbook. Pages must include: industry definition and segmentation, market size and historical growth (with CAGR), 5-year growth forecast with key drivers, Porter's Five Forces analysis (with company-level examples), competitive landscape (market share table), regulatory environment, and sector valuation benchmark (what multiples this sector typically trades at and why). Every number must be sourced. No unsourced claims.

Time box: 5-7 days

Data/source: IBEF free sector reports (ibef.org), SEBI/RBI publications, company annual reports, IMF World Economic Outlook (macro), MCA21 database

Built 10-slide IB-format industry analysis for Indian [sector]; synthesized market size, Porter's Five Forces, competitive landscape, and valuation benchmarks with all data sourced.

McKinsey's operational value creation frameworks are the gold standard. Bocconi/Coursera covers the conceptual foundation. TWSS applies it to Indian PE context. The most important hands-on exercise: take a real Indian PE-backed company (list from Venture Intelligence) and build a 5-lever EBITDA improvement bridge showing how you would take EBITDA from INR X to INR Y in 3 years. FinPreparoo prioritizes free or free-to-audit resources so cost does not block learning. Crowd research uses public Reddit threads, web results, and YouTube search — not private social feeds.

Value Creation Plan - EBITDA Bridge for a PE-Backed Indian Company

Identify a publicly listed Indian company that you believe is operationally underperforming vs. its peers (use margin analysis from Screener.in). Build a 3-year value creation plan with 5 specific levers: revenue growth initiatives, gross margin expansion, SG&A reduction, working capital improvement, and capital allocation optimization. For each lever, quantify the EBITDA impact in INR Cr, the KPI that measures progress, and the specific action required. Present as a 100-day plan (first 100 days post-acquisition) and a 3-year EBITDA bridge chart.

Time box: 5-7 days

Data/source: Screener.in, BSE India annual reports, industry benchmarking from IBEF reports

Built 3-year PE value creation plan for [Company] with 5-lever EBITDA bridge model; quantified INR X Cr EBITDA improvement and built 100-day operational action plan with KPI tracking.

Brad Feld's Venture Deals is the reference text. YC Startup School covers the full term sheet curriculum for free on YouTube. Warikoo provides the Hindi Indian startup context. The most important thing: model out the economic impact of a liquidation preference clause in your cap table - the math, not just the definition, is what distinguishes analysts. FinPreparoo prioritizes free or free-to-audit resources so cost does not block learning. Crowd research uses public Reddit threads, web results, and YouTube search — not private social feeds.

Term Sheet Red-Line - Founder vs. Investor Perspective

Download the NVCA model Series A term sheet (free from nvca.org). For each of the 10 most economically significant clauses, write: what the standard NVCA language says, what a founder-friendly version would look like, what an investor-protective version would look like, and the economic impact of each version (quantified in your cap table model). Then build a one-pager summarizing the key negotiating points a founder should push back on and why - with specific language suggestions.

Time box: 4-5 days

Data/source: NVCA model term sheet (nvca.org, free), SAFE Note template (ycombinator.com, free), iSPIRT/IndiaTech Indian VC term sheet notes

Annotated NVCA Series A term sheet from founder and investor perspectives; modeled economic impact of 10 key clauses; built one-page negotiation guide with language recommendations.

Damodaran's 'narrative meets numbers' is the academic gold standard — universally cited for startup valuation. Y Combinator's YouTube is the practitioner VC reference. The Valuation School covers Indian startup ecosystem (SEBI AIF, DPIIT DIPP framework, CCPS structures).

VC Investment Memo - Valuation Using 3 Methods

Choose a well-known Indian startup that recently raised a disclosed funding round (use Crunchbase free tier or Inc42 for deal data). Independently value it using: (1) VC Method - work backwards from a projected exit to justify the current valuation, (2) Revenue Multiple - using comparable SaaS/startup revenue multiples from public market comparables, (3) First Chicago Method - model 3 scenarios (success, sideways, failure) with probability weights. Present all 3 in a 1-page valuation summary. Then write a 1-page investment memo arguing for or against investment at the disclosed valuation.

Time box: 4-5 days

Data/source: Crunchbase free, Inc42, YourStory (startup data), public company revenue multiples from Screener.in

Valued [Indian startup] at disclosed funding round using VC Method, revenue multiples, and First Chicago Model; reconciled 3 outputs in valuation summary and wrote VC investment memo.

Y Combinator and a16z blog posts on TAM are the VC practitioner standard. The Valuation School covers Indian market sizing using government data (IBEF, MCA, RBI, DPIIT). Consulting case interview resources teach mental math market sizing transferable to VC memos.

Market Sizing Exercise - Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down for an Indian Startup Sector

Size the Indian digital lending market using both approaches. Top-down: start from India's total credit market (RBI data), segment by individual vs. MSME vs. corporate, estimate the digital-first portion, and apply a realistic penetration rate. Bottom-up: estimate the number of creditworthy but underserved borrowers (income data from PLFS survey + formal credit exclusion data from CIBIL/TransUnion), average loan size, and repeat rate. Compare both outputs. Write a 2-page market sizing memo defending your best estimate with confidence interval and key assumptions.

Time box: 4-5 days

Data/source: RBI Handbook of Statistics (free), Census India (censusindia.gov.in), MOSPI PLFS data (free), IBEF BFSI report (free), TransUnion CIBIL public reports

Sized Indian digital lending market using bottom-up and top-down approaches; reconciled $X-Y Bn range with confidence intervals using RBI, Census, and PLFS primary data sources.

Patrick Boyle (UCL, former PM) is the top macro analysis educator on YouTube — praised on r/economics and r/SecurityAnalysis. Damodaran covers macro's role in equity valuation. The Valuation School covers India macro in Hindi (RBI MPC, CPI/WPI, GDP, INR dynamics).

Macro Research Note - Indian Economy 12-Month Outlook

Write a 4-page macro research note on the Indian economy for the next 12 months - as if you were the macro strategist at an Indian asset management firm writing for your CIO. Cover: GDP growth outlook (with your forecast vs. RBI/IMF consensus and why you agree or disagree), inflation trajectory, RBI rate policy expectations, INR outlook, and the three biggest macro risks to your base case. Each section must cite actual data (RBI, MOSPI, World Bank). Conclude with asset class implications: what does your macro view imply for Indian equities, G-Secs, and INR?

Time box: 5-6 days

Data/source: RBI Handbook of Statistics (free), MOSPI National Accounts (free), IMF WEO (free), World Bank India data (free)

Authored 4-page macro research note on Indian economy with 12-month GDP, inflation, and rates forecast; derived asset class implications across equity, fixed income, and currency.

Patrick Boyle covers FX hedging from an institutional perspective with rigour. The Valuation School covers Indian corporate hedging context (RBI/FEMA regulations, CCIL, forward cover guidelines). CFI's treasury module is well structured.

Corporate FX Hedging Program Design - Indian IT Exporter

Choose any mid-large Indian IT services company (Infosys, Wipro, HCL, Mphasis). From their annual report: identify total USD revenue, USD cost base, and existing hedging disclosure. Calculate the net USD exposure. Design a 12-month hedging program: choose a hedge ratio (e.g. 50-70% of exposure), select instruments (forward contracts vs. options vs. options collar), calculate the cost of hedging at current market rates, and show the P&L impact at INR/USD scenarios of 82, 84, 86, 88, and 90. Write a 1-page hedging policy recommendation memo for the CFO and board.

Time box: 4-5 days

Data/source: BSE India annual reports (free), RBI USD/INR reference rates (free), NSE FX derivatives settlement prices

Designed 12-month FX hedging program for [Company]'s $X Mn USD exposure; compared forward, option, and collar strategies; showed P&L impact at 5 INR/USD scenarios in CFO memo.

CFI + Emory/Coursera for the conceptual and technical foundation. Screener.in for live Indian company working capital data. CA Rachana Ranade for Hindi-language applied working capital analysis. The key practical exercise: build a 5-year working capital trend analysis for 3 peers in a sector and identify which company is the most efficient cash generator - this is a real PE/credit analyst interview case. FinPreparoo prioritizes free or free-to-audit resources so cost does not block learning. Crowd research uses public Reddit threads, web results, and YouTube search — not private social feeds.

Working Capital Deep Dive - 5-Year Trend and Peer Benchmarking

Choose 5 NSE-listed companies in the same sector (e.g. 5 auto ancillary companies). For each, calculate 5 years of: DSO (Debtors / Revenue x 365), DIO (Inventory / COGS x 365), DPO (Creditors / COGS x 365), and Cash Conversion Cycle (DSO + DIO DPO). Plot each metric over time and compare across all 5 companies. Identify: which company has the shortest cash conversion cycle and why, which company's DSO is deteriorating and what it signals, and which company most effectively uses payables as a financing tool. Write a 2-page working capital analysis memo.

Time box: 3-4 days

Data/source: Screener.in (free, all 5 years of balance sheet and P&L data)

Conducted 5-year working capital trend analysis for 5 Indian auto ancillary companies; computed DSO/DIO/DPO/CCC and benchmarked cash conversion efficiency; wrote 2-page analyst memo with credit and investment implications.

BIWS covers channel check methodology from a sell-side ER angle. Expert network discussions on r/SecurityAnalysis and Bloomberg Forums. Hindenburg, Muddy Waters, and Capitalmind publish the best investigative research models to study.

Pre-Earnings Channel Check Report - 10 Contacts, 1 Company

Choose a listed Indian retailer, FMCG, or consumer durables company with an upcoming quarterly results announcement. Before the results, conduct 10 primary contacts: call or visit 5 retail stores/dealers carrying the brand, call 3 distributors, and speak with 2 industry professionals or former employees (LinkedIn is fine for finding former employees). Ask each about: sales momentum in the last quarter, inventory levels, price changes, competitor activity, and any surprising developments. Synthesize into a 3-page primary research report with your earnings preview forecast. After results, compare your primary data to management guidance - where did they match and where did they diverge?

Time box: 2 weeks (interview phase) + 2-3 days (write-up)

Data/source: Primary contacts (in-person, phone, LinkedIn), BSE India quarterly results for post-event comparison

Conducted 10-contact primary research program for [Company] ahead of quarterly results; synthesized channel check findings into 3-page earnings preview; compared primary data to management's reported results identifying 3 divergences.

Damodaran's governance lectures cover how governance affects valuation. Capitalmind publishes the best Indian governance case studies. Labour Law Advisor covers SEBI LODR governance requirements in Hindi. SEBI enforcement orders (sebi.gov.in) are primary sources.

Governance Scorecard - Red Flags vs. Best Practice for 2 Companies

Choose 2 Indian listed companies: one with a strong governance reputation and one you suspect (based on public information) may have governance concerns. Evaluate each across 10 governance dimensions using publicly available data: (1) Board independence %, (2) Auditor tenure and any qualifications in auditor report, (3) Related-party transactions as % of revenue, (4) Promoter pledging %, (5) Management compensation as % of PAT, (6) Disclosure of contingent liabilities, (7) Consistency of accounting policy, (8) Cash flow vs. reported PAT reconciliation, (9) SEBI enforcement actions or show-cause notices, (10) Annual report quality and readability. Score each 1-5. Write a 3-page comparative governance report.

Time box: 5-6 days

Data/source: BSE India annual reports (free), SEBI enforcement orders (free), Screener.in cash flow data (free), MCA21 director database (free)

Conducted 10-dimension governance audit comparing [Company A] and [Company B]; identified 3 governance red flags in [Company B] using SEBI filings and annual report disclosures; assessed valuation multiple impact.

NIRI (National Investor Relations Institute) publishes free guidance. The Valuation School covers Indian IR (SEBI LODR, price-sensitive information rules). BIWS covers IR from the analyst/investor-side perspective.

Investor Relations Audit + Earnings Call Simulation

Part 1 - IR Quality Audit: Choose any 2 Nifty 50 companies. Compare their IR programs across 6 criteria: frequency and clarity of earnings call commentary, quality of investor presentation, speed of SEBI disclosure filing (time from event to BSE filing), analyst coverage breadth, website IR section quality, and annual report readability. Score each company 1-5 per criterion. Write a 2-page IR quality audit. Part 2 - Earnings Call Simulation: From a company's most recent earnings call transcript and press release, write the CFO's prepared remarks (5 minutes, covering key financial highlights and guidance) and prepare 10 tough analyst Q&A responses - as if you were the IR Director prepping the CFO.

Time box: 4-5 days

Data/source: NSE earnings call audio recordings (free), BSE India SEBI filings (free), company IR websites

Conducted IR quality audit for 2 Nifty 50 companies across 6 best practice criteria; simulated CFO earnings call remarks and prepared 10 analyst Q&A responses for [Company]'s recent quarter.

Stanford's Matt Abrahams is the most respected English communication educator for professionals. Ankur Warikoo is undisputably India's #1 career communication resource in Hindi - his combination of ISB MBA background, Fortune recognition, and 5 bestselling career books gives him unmatched credibility for Indian students. FinPreparoo prioritizes free or free-to-audit resources so cost does not block learning. Crowd research uses public Reddit threads, web results, and YouTube search — not private social feeds.

3-Minute Stock Pitch - Recorded and Self-Reviewed

Record yourself delivering a 3-minute verbal pitch on a stock of your choice. The pitch must include: investment thesis, key financial metrics, one risk and how you'd mitigate it, and a buy/sell recommendation. Record on your phone or Loom. Review it critically against a rubric: clarity of thesis, handling of numbers, pacing, filler words, eye contact. Revise and record a second version. Compare both.

Time box: 2 days (including revisions)

Data/source: Your own equity research project (link to valuation project above)

Delivered stock pitch for [Company] in simulated investment committee setting; recorded, self-reviewed, and revised against professional communication rubric.

The Pyramid Principle is the non-negotiable framework - learn it before your first day at any finance or consulting firm. The Coursera Business Writing course is the best free structured path. Warikoo covers the Hindi-language side of professional communication with credibility. FinPreparoo prioritizes free or free-to-audit resources so cost does not block learning. Crowd research uses public Reddit threads, web results, and YouTube search — not private social feeds.

Investment Memo - 2 Pages, Pyramid Structure

Write a 2-page investment memo for a fictional IC (Investment Committee) recommending whether to invest INR 10 Cr in a listed Indian mid-cap company. Use the Pyramid Principle: lead with your recommendation, then support it with 3 key arguments, then provide evidence for each. No bullet-point dumps - write in professional prose. Get someone to read it cold and tell you what your recommendation was after reading only the first paragraph.

Time box: 2-3 days

Data/source: Your valuation project as the analytical foundation

Authored 2-page IC-format investment memo for INR 10 Cr equity investment using Pyramid Principle structure; memo communicated recommendation within opening paragraph.

HBR YouTube is the English professional standard for stakeholder management education. Warikoo is the Hindi equivalent for Indian workplace context. The most important principle: over-communicate before deliverables are late, not after. This single habit separates trusted analysts from unreliable ones. FinPreparoo prioritizes free or free-to-audit resources so cost does not block learning. Crowd research uses public Reddit threads, web results, and YouTube search — not private social feeds.

Stakeholder Map + Difficult Conversation Role-Play

For any internship, college project, or mock deal scenario you have done: create a stakeholder map identifying all people involved, their interests, their power level, and how you would manage each. Then write out 3 difficult conversations you would need to have (e.g. telling an MD the model has an error, asking a client for an extension, pushing back on an unrealistic deadline). Script each conversation using the HBR 'SBI' (Situation-Behavior-Impact) framework. Role-play them with a friend or record yourself.

Time box: 2-3 days

Data/source: Your own experience (internship, project, capstone)

Managed cross-functional stakeholder communication across [X] parties during [project]; navigated conflicting priorities by proactive expectation-setting and structured escalation.

Ali Abdaal for evidence-based productivity systems in English. Warikoo for the Hindi-language equivalent with Indian professional context. The most important thing is not which system you choose - it is building the habit of weekly planning and daily prioritization before you start your job, not after. FinPreparoo prioritizes free or free-to-audit resources so cost does not block learning. Crowd research uses public Reddit threads, web results, and YouTube search — not private social feeds.

Personal Workflow Audit and System Build

Conduct a 2-week time audit using Toggl (free). Track every hour across 5 categories: deep work, reactive work (email/messages), meetings, admin, and breaks. Analyse where your actual time goes vs. where you think it goes. Then design your personal workflow system: weekly planning template, daily top-3 priorities method, email batching, and a focus block schedule. Run the new system for 2 weeks and compare output quality and stress levels before/after.

Time box: 4 weeks total (ongoing habit, not a one-time task)

Data/source: Your own time tracking data

Designed and implemented personal productivity system using time-block scheduling and weekly review; sustained output quality across 80+ hour simulated deal week during capstone project.

FinPreparoo prioritizes free or free-to-audit resources so cost does not block learning. Crowd research uses public Reddit threads, web results, and YouTube search — not private social feeds.

Role-specific interview answer bank

Create a technical and behavioral interview bank for a target finance role with STAR stories, model explanations, and project talk tracks.

Built a role-specific finance interview bank with technical answers, behavioral stories, and project talk tracks.

Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic is the undisputed authority on data storytelling - her book and YouTube channel are used in MBA programs globally. For Hindi-language visual communication education, Avi Singh covers the finance-specific application. The most impactful exercise: take your last financial model output and redesign it as if you were presenting it to someone who has never seen a spreadsheet. FinPreparoo prioritizes free or free-to-audit resources so cost does not block learning. Crowd research uses public Reddit threads, web results, and YouTube search — not private social feeds.

Annual Report Turned Into a 5-Slide Data Story

Take the annual report of any listed Indian company and distill its financial performance story into exactly 5 slides - no more. Each slide must make one clear point. No data dumps, no standard bar charts copied from Excel. Every chart must be redesigned following Cole Nussbaumer's SWD principles: clear title that states the insight, minimal non-data ink, one highlighted data point that drives the message. The audience is a CEO with 5 minutes.

Time box: 2-3 days

Data/source: BSE India annual reports (free)

Distilled [Company] annual report into 5-slide CEO-facing data story; redesigned financial charts following SWD principles to drive single clear insight per slide.

CIMA for the professional framework. CFO.University for the practitioner perspective. Warikoo for Hindi communication skills. The most important question in business partnering: 'So what does this number mean for the decision we need to make?' - if your analysis answers this, you're partnering; if it just reports, you're not. FinPreparoo prioritizes free or free-to-audit resources so cost does not block learning. Crowd research uses public Reddit threads, web results, and YouTube search — not private social feeds.

Business Case Preparation - Finance Partnering Simulation

Simulate a finance business partnering engagement. Scenario: the Head of Sales wants to hire 20 more field sales reps at a cost of INR 50 Lakh/year total. They believe this will increase revenue by INR 5 Cr in Year 1 and INR 12 Cr by Year 3. As the FP&A business partner, you need to challenge and validate this business case. Build a business case model: payback period, NPV, IRR, sensitivity (what if revenue is only 60% of target?). Prepare a 5-slide deck for the Investment Committee - framed not as 'here's the analysis' but as 'here's the decision you need to make and the tradeoffs'. Prepare 3 probing questions you would ask the Sales Head before believing their revenue projections.

Time box: 3-4 days

Data/source: Self-constructed assumptions (use industry benchmark sales productivity data from LinkedIn Sales Navigator free tier or FMCG industry publications)

Built business case model for 20-rep sales force expansion; computed NPV, IRR, and payback; prepared 5-slide IC deck framing the investment decision with sensitivity analysis and go/no-go recommendation.