PM Foundations · Chapter 10 · Group Simulation
You just inherited
a mess.
CampusConnect — a student event management app — launches in 14 days. The previous PM resigned. You're in. And things are already on fire.
Assign your team roles (4 members)
🧑💼
Project Manager
Leads discussion, calls the final decision each round, speaks in the role play
→ Reads scenario aloud
💻
Lead Developer
Advocates for the team's technical limits — speaks up when something is unrealistic
→ Argues the tech angle
📣
Stakeholder Liaison
Represents the client's pressure and expectations in every debate
→ Argues the client angle
📋
Documenter
Records every decision and the group's reasoning — fills out the Incident Report
→ Notes choices + reasons
📋 Documenter: Keep notes on every choice your group makes AND why. You'll need this for the PM Incident Report submission.
Round 1 of 4
The Scope Bomb
📱 Slack — from: Marco (Senior Dev) · 9:02 AM
"Hey, welcome aboard. Quick heads-up — the client added a live chat feature to the requirements last week. Nobody told the old PM officially, but it's in the latest email chain. It's... not small."
Situation
You dig into the project files. The live chat feature would take at least 2 weeks to build — and you only have 14 days until launch. The original approved scope doesn't include it. The client's email does. Your team doesn't know yet.
This is your first decision as PM.
This is your first decision as PM.
Decide in
2:30
Your group must debate and agree — PM makes the final call
📋 Documenter: Note which option your group chose and the main argument that won the debate.
Round 2 of 4
Team vs. Client
📧 Email — from: Director Santos (Client) · 11:48 AM
"The live chat is non-negotiable for us — our student board voted on it. I trust your team can make it work. We're counting on you."
Situation
Your lead developer pulls you aside: "If we build live chat, we skip testing. And if we skip testing, I can't promise the app won't crash on launch day — in front of everyone."
Director Santos has no technical background. She believes "make it work" is a reasonable ask. Your team is already logging 10-hour days.
Director Santos has no technical background. She believes "make it work" is a reasonable ask. Your team is already logging 10-hour days.
Decide in
2:30
What does the PM do?
📋 Documenter: Note the decision and what your Stakeholder Liaison and Developer argued.
Round 3 of 4
The Cover-Up Temptation
💬 DM — from: Rina (UX Lead) · 3:15 PM
"I found a bug in the event registration flow. It's not crashing the app — but it records duplicate signups sometimes. Maybe 1 in 10 users. I don't think anyone else noticed."
Situation
You're 4 days from launch. Fixing this bug properly takes 2–3 days. A quick patch might reduce it to 1 in 20 users. Or you could log it as a known issue, launch, and fix it post-launch — but the client won't know. This is an ethics decision.
Decide in
2:30
What does your team do?
📋 Documenter: This round connects directly to PM ethics — note the group's reasoning carefully.
Round 3.5 · Peacemaker
The Team is Fracturing
⚠️ CONFLICT ALERT
Loading conflict...
🔥 Conflict Situation
Loading scenario...
📖 Chapter 10 — PM as Peacemaker
Project managers don't just manage tasks — they manage people and the relationships between them. Unresolved conflict kills morale, derails timelines, and destroys trust faster than any technical problem.
De-escalate in
2:00
How does the PM handle this?
📋 Documenter: This round tests PM as peacemaker — note what the group debated and what the PM ultimately chose to do.
Round 4 of 4 · Final Decision
Launch or Hold?
📱 Text — from: Director Santos · 6:47 AM (Launch Day)
"Good morning! We're so excited. 300 students registered overnight. The dean's office will be watching the dashboard live. Today's the day! 🎉"
Situation
It's launch morning. Your developer just found that under heavy load — like, say, 300 concurrent signups — the server may time out. It's never been tested at this scale. It might be fine. It might not.
The dean is watching. 300 students are waiting. You have 45 minutes before the platform goes live.
The dean is watching. 300 students are waiting. You have 45 minutes before the platform goes live.
Decide in
2:00
This is your final call as PM.
📋 Documenter: Final decision noted. After this, your group gets your outcome + role play brief.