financials fundamentals

--- title: "Financials fundamentals for case competitions" slug: "financials-fundamentals" type: "guide" excerpt: "The minimum financial toolkit: revenue drivers, cost structure, and unit economics." difficulty: "intro" readingTime: 7 topics: ["financials", "unit-economics", "metrics"] categories: ["guides"] publishedAt: "2025-12-10" updatedAt: "2025-12-10" ---

You do not need a full model to be credible. You need the few numbers that prove your recommendation is realistic.

Build the revenue bridge

Break revenue into volume times price. Then identify the one lever that matters most.

Know the cost structure

Separate fixed and variable costs. This helps you explain margin impact clearly.

Use unit economics

When the business is transaction-driven, show contribution margin per unit. Judges want to know if the idea scales.

Stress test your math

Run a quick downside and upside scenario. If the decision changes, say so.