Framework Help

Totally hear you — and honestly, the north star with frameworks should really be: does it help you solve the case efficiently and get to the crux of the problem?

If this were Bain, the goal would be to get to an effective 80/20 framework fast, hitting ~80% of the real issues without wasting time over-engineering. In Bain-speak, it’s “answer first” — structure only matters if it gets you to a better answer, faster.

From interviewing candidates, I’ve found speed is usually the best indicator of whether someone gets it or is just going through the motions. A solid framework doesn’t need to be custom for the sake of it — it needs to be logical, MECE-ish, and actionable for this case.

Here’s what I’d recommend:

- Don’t start by memorizing — but do study a handful of clean, archetype frameworks (profitability, M&A, growth, etc.). Understand why they work.

- When drilling, spend less time perfecting buckets and more time asking: “What’s actually driving this problem? How do I articulate the key questions to answer?” Then reverse-engineer your buckets from that.

- And honestly — this kind of nuance only clicks through live feedback. You need someone to push you, call out fluff, and show you when you’re optimizing for the wrong thing.

Hi there,

You’re on the right track—custom frameworks are what MBB wants, but it’s normal to feel stuck at first. A few suggestions to make your drills more effective:

• Don’t start from scratch each time. It’s fine to know a few “classic” structures (profitability, market entry, M&A). Use these as training wheels, then adapt them instead of reinventing the wheel.
• Anchor in the case objective. Before listing buckets, ask: “What is the client really trying to achieve?” (grow revenue, cut costs, enter a market). That makes it easier to prioritize what matters.
• Think in drivers. For any business problem, break it down into supply vs. demand, revenue vs. cost, internal vs. external, short vs. long term. These contrasts help you design logical buckets quickly.
• Limit buckets to 3–4. Overstuffed frameworks dilute impact. Better to be sharp and MECE than exhaustive.
• After each drill, review. Ask: Did my framework directly answer the case? What buckets were irrelevant? What key driver did I miss? That reflection builds intuition faster than just repetition.

So yes—memorize a handful of base frameworks to avoid blank-page panic, but always adapt to the client’s goal. With 20–30 drills under your belt, you’re doing the right reps—now focus on clarity, not quantity.

Happy to help you prep and practise frameworks together in a session – feel free to reach out.

Best,
Evelina

Hi there,

As you do more cases, you'll start to be able to notice patterns on how to design the frameworks. It's useful to memorize some of the basic frameworks but dangerous to stick to them like the gospel, that's why some may suggest to not memorize but actually learn how to come up with the frameworks from scratch. However, this approach may not be for everyone. If you've done ~40 and not yet picked up on some patterns, then you may explore the approach of starting off with some basic frameworks and modifying to adapt to the case. If you need more help in honing this skill, I suggest you work with a coach.

hey there :)

Totally normal to feel stuck here, many candidates hit that point. The key is not to reinvent the wheel every time but also not to rely blindly on “plug-and-play” frameworks. A good approach is: first learn a handful of standard structures (profitability, market entry, M&A, growth). Once you know those inside out, practice flexing them: adapt 70–80% from something standard, and then add 1–2 buckets that are unique to the case context. Over time, that “customization muscle” gets stronger.

When deciding what to include, always ask yourself: what’s the core question I need to solve? Then, think through the value chain and where risks/opportunities could lie. If a bucket doesn’t clearly help answer the main question, leave it out. That way your frameworks stay sharp and relevant rather than long laundry lists.

So yes, memorize first, then build from there, and with each drill reflect: which part of my framework actually helped solve the case, and which part was noise? That reflection step is where you’ll improve fastest.

best, Alessa :)

My suggestion... don't worry that much about "frameworks" and focus instead of thinking about how one would solve the problem or make a decision.

If you are using buckets you are doing this wrong. Consultants NEVER use buckets. They always use specific analysis to figure out specific things. Buckets are, but their nature, overly generic.

Reach out if you want a session with a senior coach that will not try to teach you frameworks, but instead explain you how to solve problems! :)