How detailed should the case framework be? (Assuming we have 1 min to write it down)

Question

Vlad · Accepted Answer

Hi,

The general rule is the following:


	If your structure consists of buckets and bullet points - 2 levels deep is enough
	If your structure is more an issue tree type (e.g. profitability) - you can go 3-4 levels deep


The main thing to remember - your bullet points should be very specific. E.g. instead of asking WHO are the competitors or how many competitors we have (both questions are irrelevant) you should ask for market shares and growth rates of the competitors

Best

Ben · Answer

Hi there,

Completely agree with Vlad here, and I would also add the differentiation between an interviewer led case (McKinsey) and a candidate led one (BCG, Bain mostly).

In the former, you are expected to have a much more comprehensive framework, as you you won't have a chance to build it out further, since the interviewer is deciding down which branch you will go and will likely provide you with some relevant data.

In the candidate led case, you can develop your framework "as you go", and hence the initial one could be just a roadmap / process to solving the case.

Hope it helps.