Step 1 of 6
1
Phase 1

The Academic Baseline

Review the case materials and theoretical frameworks before engaging with AI.

Your Task: Before using AI, review the 5 Steps of Decline framework. Formulate a hypothesis: At what specific stage of decline was Nokia when Elop wrote the "Burning Platform" memo? Which systemic failures were most fatal?
2
Phase 1

AI-Assisted Literature Synthesis

This AI assistant has been loaded with your course materials and can ONLY reference those documents. It cannot search the web. Every claim includes a citation you can trace back to the source.

Open Research Assistant ↗
Suggested Prompt

Analyze Nokia's trajectory leading up to the 2011 Burning Platform memo strictly through the lens of the 5 Steps of Decline framework. Identify exactly which stage of decline Nokia was in when Stephen Elop wrote the memo. Quote specific phrases from the Elop memo that map directly to the symptoms of that specific stage. Provide a structured brief detailing the mapping, the evidence, and the immediate structural threats.

Note: This AI will refuse to answer questions not covered in the uploaded materials. This is by design — it enforces academic rigor.
3
Phase 1

Critique the AI

The AI gave you a structured analysis. Now tear it apart.

What does the model identify as Nokia's core trajectory? Does it accurately capture the internal cultural inertia, or is it overly focused on external market forces like Apple?

How well did the AI map Nokia's situation to the 5 Steps of Decline? Did it miss any stages? Did it conflate stages?

According to the model, was Nokia set up for inevitable failure, or was a turnaround feasible at the time of the memo? Do you agree? Why?

4
Phase 2

Expand Beyond the Syllabus

Now we remove the constraints. The AI will autonomously research the open web — SEC filings, earnings reports, market data — to find information the case study doesn't contain.

5
Phase 2

Critique the Expanded Research

The AI now had access to real financial data, SEC filings, and market analysis. Did this change your view?

What new information did the Deep Research reveal that wasn't in the course materials? Did any data points surprise you?

If the AI proposed a turnaround strategy, what specific actions did it recommend? Are they realistic given Nokia's 2011 constraints?

Where did the AI get it wrong? Did it ignore legacy supply chain contracts, the Symbian developer ecosystem, carrier relationships, or internal politics?

Has your assessment of Nokia's decline stage changed since Step 3? If so, how and why?

6
Phase 3

Triangulate Your Final Analysis

This research assistant searches both your course materials AND the open web simultaneously. Use it to synthesize everything you've learned.

Suggested prompt starters â–¸
  • Simulate an interview with a 2011 Nokia board member. What internal friction would they describe?
  • Compare Nokia's R&D allocation vs Apple and Samsung 2008-2012. Where did the money actually go?
  • Benchmark Nokia's 2010 consumer sentiment against Samsung. What did social media trends show?

Now Build Your Own

You've used pre-built AI tools. Now create your own document-grounded research assistant using NotebookLM.

  1. 1 Go to notebooklm.google.com
  2. 2 Click "Create new notebook"
  3. 3 Upload the course documents from Step 1 (download links above)
  4. 4 Upload YOUR new research from Steps 4–5 (export your Deep Research reports)
  5. 5 Ask questions that combine both the academic frameworks AND the financial data
  6. 6 Notice how the citations trace back to specific sources
This is the skill. Anyone can ask ChatGPT a question. Building a curated, source-grounded research assistant — and knowing when to trust its output — is what separates you in the corporate world.

Executive Brief

Produce a 1-page executive brief: not just why Nokia failed, but how a modern board equipped with GenAI would have detected the downward spiral sooner. What would you have done differently?