There is no single type of player
Some people come to BoardMasters because they enjoy creating companies and competing. Others prefer analysing businesses, building a portfolio and following the market. There are also people looking for a practical way to apply ideas from strategy, finance or corporate governance.
The game connects these profiles within the same economy. A company needs to generate results and find finance. An investor needs to interpret information and decide where to allocate capital. A shareholder may seek returns, influence or control. A CEO must respond to both the financial position and the owners of the company.
Find your way to play
BoardMasters does not force everyone down the same path. These four profiles represent some of the main ways to enter the simulation.
Build, compete and grow
For people who enjoy developing a company from its first resources and making decisions with lasting consequences.
02 InvestorAnalyse and find opportunities
For people who prefer comparing companies, interpreting the market and building a portfolio.
03 Student or executiveApply business concepts
For people who want to turn financial and strategic theory into observable decisions.
04 School or companyCreate a practical experience
For organisations interested in simulation, discussion and applied learning activities.
For people who enjoy building companies
This type of player is not only trying to win one match. They want to see how a company develops over time, how its equity changes and which opportunities become available as it reaches a larger scale.
The company keeps its cash, results, debt, investments and ownership structure. Each decision therefore becomes part of a longer journey: compete, protect liquidity, reinvest, raise finance or prepare a corporate transaction.
What you do
- found or manage a company;
- compete to generate results;
- manage cash and equity;
- plan growth and financing;
- deal with investors and shareholders.
A good fit for players who value continuity
The appeal is not only in one isolated decision, but in seeing how a series of coherent decisions creates a stronger, larger or more influential company.
For people who prefer investing and analysis
You do not need to focus your entire experience on founding a company. You can also approach BoardMasters through your portfolio, comparing assets and looking for opportunities within the game economy.
A company is more than its share price
Price may be the point of entry, but a decision can also rely on financial development, debt, news, ownership and the company's strategy.
This profile can participate in shares, IPOs, bonds, capital increases and other transactions. It can also build a relevant holding and move from a purely financial investment towards a strategy of corporate influence.
For learning finance through decisions
Reading a definition of debt or equity is different from choosing between financing a transaction, preserving cash or accepting potential dilution. BoardMasters places concepts inside situations that require a decision.
Concept
A need appears involving cash, debt, investment or returns.
Decision
The player compares alternatives and commits resources.
Consequence
The decision affects results, the balance sheet, shareholders or market position.
Report
The data makes it possible to review what happened and why.
Next decision
The resulting situation becomes the starting point for the next strategy.
For business, finance or MBA students
BoardMasters can work as a practical complement for students already studying management, finance, strategy, investing or corporate governance.
It does not replace an MBA, a degree, a master's programme or a course. Its value lies in turning theoretical ideas into decisions within a connected simulation.
For business schools and executive programmes
A simulation can help a session move beyond explaining a concept. It can also create an experience that can later be compared and discussed.
A situation, objective or restriction is introduced.
Participants choose how to use their resources.
The simulation shows financial and strategic consequences.
Differences between companies and approaches are reviewed.
Decisions, assumptions, risks and alternatives are examined.
BoardMasters is not presented here as a complete teaching platform or a validated academic methodology. It can be used as a practical environment within an activity designed by the school, lecturer or programme.
For teams and companies
In a corporate context, a simulation can generate conversations about how people analyse information, set priorities and justify decisions.
The value lies in observing the process, not in converting final equity into an automatic score. Two people may reach similar outcomes through very different levels of risk, strategies and reasoning.
What may be observed during a simulation
BoardMasters creates situations in which different approaches to analysis and decision-making may become visible. That does not mean the game certifies a competence, but it may provide material for a later conversation.
Analysis
How relevant information is selected before taking action.
Prioritisation
Which needs receive resources when not everything can be funded.
Risk management
Which exposures are accepted and how cash and equity are protected.
Financial judgement
How profit, debt, liquidity and returns are interpreted.
Adaptability
How strategy changes when markets or results do not develop as expected.
Strategic vision
How an immediate decision is connected to the future of the company.
Outcome versus judgement
The final number does not tell the whole story. One company may grow quickly by taking on debt that is difficult to sustain. Another may advance more slowly while preserving liquidity and room to respond.
Accelerated growth
- Final equity
- Higher
- Debt
- High
- Liquidity
- Tight
- Risk
- High
Gradual growth
- Final equity
- Lower
- Debt
- Controlled
- Liquidity
- Strong
- Risk
- Moderate
Which company is better managed?
The answer depends on the context, objective, timeframe and ability to withstand risk. That is precisely why analysing decisions can be more useful than only looking at rankings.
What BoardMasters is and what it is not
Clear limits improve the usefulness of any simulation. BoardMasters can provide a rich environment for playing and practising, but it does not replace tools designed for different purposes.
It is
- a business simulation;
- a persistent strategy game;
- a practical environment;
- a source of situations to analyse;
- an economy connecting companies and investors.
It is not
- an MBA or academic programme;
- an exact reproduction of reality;
- a professional qualification;
- a definitive talent test;
- a guarantee of management ability.
Which profile fits you?
The best starting point depends on which part of the experience interests you most.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need business or financial knowledge to start?
No. BoardMasters allows you to begin with accessible decisions and gradually learn how to interpret cash, profit, debt, equity and returns.
Can I play only as an investor?
Yes. You can build a portfolio, analyse companies, buy shares, participate in IPOs or bonds and look for opportunities without focusing your entire experience on managing a company.
Can BoardMasters be used in a class?
It can be used as a complementary practical environment for business, finance, strategy, investing and corporate governance. It does not replace academic education.
Does BoardMasters replace an MBA?
No. It is a practical simulation that may help apply business concepts, but it does not replace an MBA, an executive programme or an academic qualification.
Can it be used to assess candidates?
It can create situations in which decisions, priorities and reasoning may be observed, but it should not be used on its own as a definitive test of talent, professional ability or suitability for a role.
Does BoardMasters provide a professional certification?
Activity or progress within the game does not by itself represent an official academic or professional qualification.