As the title reads, what's your go to source for strategy insights i.e., on what's moving in the industry and to build business acumen? There's a lot of good sources for corporate finance including Damodaran and Michael Mauboussin - im looking at that same caliber of work for corporate strategy both qualitative and quantitive insights one can use in day-to-day; looking to dedicate 30-1hr reading every 2 days.
I've currently looked at:
-Mckinseys strategy insights
-BCG as one too
hey there :)
For high quality strategy thinking beyond firm blogs, I would focus on a mix of Harvard Business Review for structured qualitative insights, Strategy Science papers by people like Michael Porter for first principles, and selected investor letters and industry deep dives from funds such as TCI or Pershing Square for applied strategy logic. McKinsey and BCG insights are fine as a supplement, but they are more useful when read critically rather than as primary learning material. This kind of mix fits well into a 30 to 60 minute routine and builds real business judgment over time. Happy to share more if helpful.
best,
Alessa :)
That is a fantastic question, and one that separates the truly sharp candidates from those just doing surface-level reading. You’re right that the firm white papers (McKinsey Quarterly, BCG Perspectives) are required reading for industry news, but they are often the output of strategy, not the fundamental mechanics you need to master.
If you are looking for that foundational, Damodaran-level depth for corporate strategy, you need to pivot slightly toward independent academic rigor and competitive analysis. Strategy is rooted in structural economics, so you need thinkers who focus on competitive advantage and resource allocation rather than just trends.
I recommend leaning heavily into the work of Roger Martin (especially his book Playing to Win) and Rita McGrath on transient advantage. They provide powerful, actionable frameworks that help you structure ambiguous business problems—which is exactly what happens in a case interview. Complement this with selective reads from Harvard Business Review that focus on organizational design, competitive dynamics, and value chain analysis. Skip the generic leadership articles and focus on the deep-dive strategy essays.
Finally, for quantitative insight and real-time acumen, nothing beats primary source material. Spend that 30-60 minutes every two days reading two or three recent 10-K filings from major companies (pick one dominant player, one disruptor). Analyze the "Management Discussion and Analysis" (MD&A) section. This forces you to understand how strategy translates into risk disclosure, capital deployment, and financial performance—the real mechanics of business.
All the best with the prep!
Good instinct to invest in this. It compounds over time.
For strategy specifically, a few sources I find genuinely useful. The Economist is underrated for building intuition about how industries and markets actually work. Not flashy, but solid. Harvard Business Review has noise, but the deeper strategy pieces are worth it. Filter for authors like Michael Porter, Roger Martin, and Rita McGrath.
For something more practitioner-oriented, read investor letters. Berkshire Hathaway obviously, but also letters from firms like Sequoia and Baillie Gifford. They explain why businesses win or lose in plain language. That is strategy thinking in action.
McKinsey Quarterly and BCG Henderson Institute are good, as you mentioned. BCG Henderson tends to go deeper on frameworks. McKinsey is broader. Bain Insights is worth adding too.
One underrated source: earnings call transcripts of companies you find interesting. Listen to how CEOs explain their strategy, what questions analysts push on, where the CEO gets defensive. You learn a lot about what actually matters versus what is just talk.
For books, if you have not read "Playing to Win" by Lafley and Martin, start there. "Good Strategy Bad Strategy" by Rumelt is also excellent. Both are practical, not academic.
Do not just read passively. After each piece, ask yourself: what was the core strategic choice? What trade-offs did they make? Would I have done the same? That reflection is where the learning happens.
Watch CNBC youtube for good bite-sized perspectives on business models and companies. notice that after a while most takeaways are repetitive - remember and apply those concepts
Hi there,
I enjoy HBR.
You already have more sources than you likely need.
What are you trying to get out of reading these sources?
If it's for the interview, unless you are applying for a specialist role, you are not being tested for knowledge. If you are applying for a specialist role, you likely know most of what appears in the specialist consulting publications.
Let me know and I'm happy to clarify some next steps.
Best,
Cristian
