As part of a two-week Americas Innovation Festival hosted by a leading global bank, Capco was invited to deliver an experiential GenAI learning session for employees from across the organization. Co-hosted by the Jersey City Leadership Council, the event brought together 30 participants of varying roles and levels for a dynamic two-hour Promptathon.
What started as a team-based challenge quickly evolved into something much more: a hands-on learning experience, a crash course in effective prompting, and a powerful demonstration of how GenAI can drive collaboration and creativity in a business setting.
And the feedback? Overwhelmingly positive.
A roaring success... a meaningful learning experience... they really worked together and brought the best ideas forward.
Over the course of a month, Capco and leaders from a leading blog bank’s Transformation Office worked together to design the Promptathon to simulate a realistic and high-stakes business scenario. A fictional EU country, Virelia, had just launched a national digital payments infrastructure, and teams were tasked with deciding whether their bank should enter the market now – or wait. This was not a simple ‘yes or no’ decision: teams had to consider market potential, regulatory complexity, and strategic risk across multiple dimensions.
To guide their decision-making, each team received a packet of curated documents that included market intelligence, executive briefings, and internal memos. Based on their initial decision (to enter or delay), teams were then handed a second, tailored set of materials with new developments – forcing them to reassess their approach.
The exercise was intentionally dynamic. Some documents contained contradictions, and others required interpretation. The goal was not to ‘find the right answer’ – it was to use GenAI to synthesize insights, adapt quickly, and build a compelling business recommendation, all within a tight 90-minute window.
When people think about using AI, they often picture a solitary user chatting with a bot. While that is certainly one facet of the experience, what we saw unfold during the Promptathon was something much richer: collaborative prompting.
Teams quickly realized that the magic was not just in typing the right question – it was in how they shared the keyboard. We saw all five teams debate prompt phrasing, build on each other’s ideas, test variations, and combine responses to get closer to a decision. In some teams, one person took the lead on interacting with the AI while others synthesized results and connected dots. In others, they rotated roles, pressure-testing different approaches until they landed on the one that clicked.
Watching these dynamics emerge in real time was one of the most interesting – and encouraging – parts of the day. GenAI was not just a tool: it became a shared surface for creative thinking.
At the end of the challenge, each team had just a few minutes to present their findings and pitch their solution to a panel of judges. The criteria went beyond right answers; the judges considered how teams worked together, how they approached problem-solving, and how they used the AI to enhance – not replace – their thinking.
This was not a test of who could ‘prompt best’ in isolation. It was a test of team-level ingenuity, strategic thinking, and adaptability.
The winning team did not have the flashiest output. Rather, it was their thoughtful approach, clear collaboration, and smart use of AI to navigate ambiguity that ultimately stood out.
Several elements came together to make the event a success.
- Realism: The scenario felt close enough to real business challenges to spark genuine interest and strategic thinking.
- Constraints: The fixed timeframe, defined inputs and clear deliverable created just the right amount of pressure to focus the teams without overwhelming them.
- Supportive facilitation: Facilitators kept energy high and guided teams through the challenge without interfering, letting natural collaboration take the lead.
- A safe space to experiment: As this was a simulation, people felt more comfortable trying bold ideas, asking “what if”, and pushing the boundaries of how they used the tool.
GenAI is transforming how teams work, make decisions, and unlock innovation – but adoption is not driven by theory alone. Capco’s Talent Modernization offerings such as immersive Promptathons bridge the gap between curiosity and capability by putting GenAI tools into the hands of your people in realistic, high-engagement simulations.
Whether you’re launching a broader innovation program, investing in AI upskilling, or looking to foster cross-functional collaboration, our team can help modernize and upskill your workforce to better adapt to an AI-infused future state.
Capco brings together deep financial services knowledge, AI expertise, and proven change enablement approaches to help you unlock value – safely, creatively, and collaboratively.
Let’s bring the power of prompting to your organization.