After appearing on Jeopardy!, Goizueta MBA student Aahil Makhani 27MBA is still processing the experience of stepping onto one of television’s most recognizable stages.
For Makhani, the moment was years in the making. A lifelong trivia enthusiast, he grew up drawn to quiz-based competition and later deepened that interest through quiz bowl, trivia hosting, and local team play around metro Atlanta. He’s also been featured on television twice before for his trivia prowess: once representing Auburn for the “Capital One College Bowl” and another time on the logic deduction show “The 1% Club.”
Now, after making his mark on the national stage, he is reflecting on what it took to get there—from managing nerves before taping to relying on the same structured thinking he has sharpened in business school.
Below, Makhani shares more about the experience.
What was the very first moment you thought, “I could actually do Jeopardy!”? Is this a childhood dream?
It was absolutely a childhood dream! I remember a teacher telling me about her or her daughter taking the test when I was in elementary school and I was immediately hooked. I did quiz bowl all throughout school and was a trivia host in the metro Atlanta area before coming to Emory, so I’ve always had the trivia itch and finally got the chance to hit the big leagues.
Walk me through the audition process—what surprised you most?
Nothing was particularly surprising, Jeopardy! was the third show I’ve been on, and most productions are fairly similar. One thing I haven’t seen talked about much is that sets are usually pretty cold, so they tell you to wear warm clothes.
How did you prep: daily habit, apps, flashcards, random Wikipedia rabbit holes… what worked? Are you on any local trivia teams, and if so, what’s the team name?
I didn’t get tons of time to prep after I got the call because I was getting ready for internship interviews, but I mostly relied on my years of quiz bowl experience! I did some flashcards before the show, but most of it was my daily routine of playing NYT Games, LinkedIn games, and my 650+ day streak on Sporcle. I also play on a couple of local trivia teams, on Wednesdays you can typically find me in Avondale Estates playing with Woof and Thursdays I like to play with the Witches of Decatur.
What was your pre-taping routine that morning (food, music, pep talk, etc.)? Were you nervous?
I was definitely nervous. I wanted to make sure I didn’t make a fool of myself! The morning was mostly spent getting ready, doing my nerve-relaxation exercises, and chugging a Celsius in my Uber to the studio!
Best part of meeting other contestants—any memorable conversations?
The other contestants were super nice! The most memorable part was that Quentin and I had a mutual friend. He was in the Peace Corps in Timor-Leste and a girl I knew from undergrad was a Fulbright Scholar there at the same time.
How did your friends/family/classmates react—any funny group chat moments?
All of my group chats went insane! One of my friends said, “AGAIN??? THREE TIMES??? WERE YOU A SAINT IN YOUR LAST LIFE WHAT THE ****”
What’s a misconception people have about being on Jeopardy!?
I think it’s easy to look at questions that get missed on the show that you at home knew the answer to and immediately think “that was so easy! Why are these idiots on Jeopardy!?” but in actuality, it’s hard to map out which guesses are worth it or aren’t. For me, I definitely had guesses go flat and skipped guessing on questions I would have gotten. To get invited to compete means you have displayed a baseline level of knowledge, once you’re on stage, it’s all about how you do with the buzzer and what questions are on the board that day.
What’s a non-obvious skill that matters most on the show (beyond trivia)?
Confidence and the gift of gab are very helpful. They can make you look so much better on screen and help tremendously in terms of who is or isn’t rooting for you. On top of that, feeling comfortable will help you play the game to the best of your ability.
Has anything in the MBA experience helped you with Jeopardy!—quick synthesis, staying calm in cold-call moments, etc?
I think the biggest help is probably the amount of time I spent preparing for consulting case interviews with the Goizueta Consulting Association. They teach structured, level-headed thinking in high-pressure scenarios, while putting on the façade that you are 100% comfortable and confident in your answers.
You’ve done operations work and you’re heading into strategic ops consulting—did you approach the game like a “system” (process, probabilities, game theory)?
Absolutely. Jeopardy! die-hards know that there are categories that come up more often than others, so the studying I did focused on those areas. Presidents, geography, Shakespeare, etc.
Anything else you’d like to add? What’s next for you?
Despite the somewhat disappointing finish, I am extremely proud of how I played. I will definitely be looking for other shows to appear on in the future, but in the immediate future, I’m focused on doing well in my classes, my internship this summer, and setting up life for myself and my partner post-grad.
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