The session provided a comprehensive overview of the five main types of consulting case interviews and introduced practical frameworks to approach each type efficiently.
Key frameworks were shared for profitability, market entry, market sizing, mergers & acquisitions, and atypical/non-standard cases.
The presenter emphasized the importance of structured thinking, problem identification, and extensive practice for case interview success.
No decisions or group action items were made—this was an individual guidance session focused on case prep strategy.
Action Items
None noted; this was an informational and instructional session.
Profitability Cases
Profitability issues should be broken down into revenues and costs.
Further segment revenues into price per unit and units sold; break costs into fixed and variable costs.
Compare current and past figures to identify where changes have occurred.
Example: If variable costs spike due to supplier changes, address these to restore profitability.
Market Entry Cases
Use a four-part framework: market size, market growth, potential market share, and required investment.
Evaluate the attractiveness of entering a new market using hypothetical data for practice.
Decision hinges on whether potential revenue and market conditions justify the investment required.
Market Sizing Cases
Apply either a top-down (starting from the total market and narrowing down) or bottoms-up (extrapolating from local data) approach.
Use logical, stepwise assumptions to estimate market size; acknowledge that approximations are acceptable for interview purposes.
Market sizing benefits most from repeated practice with different assumptions.
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Cases
Analyze three aspects: value of the standalone target company, potential synergies (cost/revenue), and both quantitative and qualitative considerations.
Assess financials (cost, funding) and strategic fit (brand, operations).
Be prepared to focus on one component in depth during interviews.
Other/Non-Standard Cases
Use principal component analysis: break the overall situation into three to five logical categories (“buckets”) that could each contain the problem.
For example, a university facing brand issues could be investigated in terms of professors, students, curriculum, facilities, and programs.
Systematically investigate each category to locate the core problem, then propose solutions.
Decisions
No formal decisions were made — The session was instructional and focused on sharing frameworks and strategies.
Open Questions / Follow-Ups
None identified. Participants are encouraged to practice and reach out with further questions if needed.