My mind goes blank when I try to brainstorm and come up with a framework

it's a big issue given first impression is what matters also in case interviews.

based on my experience, you don’t have a “no ideas” problem; you have a pressure + structure + perfectionism problem. The fix is: use a very simple default structure, practice it a lot under time pressure, and deliberately lower the bar from “perfect” to “good enough.”

• In interviews, your nervous system goes into fight‑or‑flight, which literally narrows your thinking and makes your mind go blank
• Without a simple mental template, you’re trying to invent both ideas and structure from scratch under pressure.
• On top of that, perfectionism makes you reject half your ideas as “unrealistic,” so it feels like you have none.

When they ask you to brainstorm or structure, default to:

1. Goal
2. Drivers
3. Constraints
4. Risks / Next steps

Do short, daily reps rather than “big study sessions”:

• Take 1 random prompt a day (e.g., “How to grow a gym?”) and force yourself to speak out loud for 2 minutes using the 4‑part structure above.
• Record yourself; you’re training top‑down communication: start with your structure, then go into each bucket with 2-3 sub‑points.
• Add time pressure on purpose (set a 60-90 second timer before you start talking) so your brain learns to think while nervous, not only when calm.

Let go of perfectionism and performance anxiety

• In a case, “reasonable and structured” beats “perfect and frozen.” Interviewers prefer 3 grounded buckets over silence.
• Assume your first framework is a working draft: you can refine it as you learn more. Say things like, “Let me start with an initial structure and we can iterate.”
• Treat each idea as “possibly useful,” not “right or wrong.” Your job is to explore, not to magically know the business better than the interviewer.

during the interview

• When you feel a blank, pause on purpose: take 5–10 seconds, breathe, and restate the question; this alone often unlocks ideas
• Always start top‑down: “I’ll structure my answer in three parts…” then list them, then go deeper
• If you run out of ideas, don’t panic; go back to your buckets and ask, “Did I consider customers? Operations? Economics? Risks?”

Top‑down thinking and communication is a trainable skill, not a personality trait. With a simple default framework, consistent short practice, and a “good enough, then improve” mindset, you will see your idea flow and confidence change quickly.

text me if you need help - without fixing this asap I am afradi you stand no chance to get near an offer. 

First of all — what you are describing is very common.
When the mind goes blank in an interview, it’s usually pressure + lack of structure, not lack of intelligence.

A few important reframes:

1. Frameworks don’t come from “having many ideas.”
They come from having a clear structure first.
Strong candidates don’t brainstorm randomly — they define buckets and then fill them.

For example, instead of thinking:

“What ideas do I have?”

Think:

“What are the 2–3 major drivers of this problem?”

Structure reduces panic. Ideas follow structure.

2. You don’t need deep industry knowledge.
Consulting interviews test logical thinking, not expertise.

Most businesses, regardless of industry, revolve around:

• Revenue (price × volume)
• Costs (fixed vs. variable)
• Customers
• Competition
• Operations

If you anchor yourself in fundamentals, you will rarely go blank.

3. If your mind freezes, slow down — don’t push harder.
Take 10–15 seconds.
Write down the objective.
Ask yourself:

“What would logically need to be true for this to work?”

That question alone often unlocks new angles.

4. Depth > number of ideas.
Two well-developed buckets are stronger than five shallow ones.

Interviewers are not counting points — they’re evaluating:

• Is your structure logical?
• Is it MECE enough?
• Can you go deeper when asked?

5. This is trainable.
If you consistently practice:

• Breaking problems into 2–3 clear drivers
• Using first principles (how does the company make money?)
• Expanding each bucket one level deeper

Your “blank mind” moments will decrease dramatically.

It’s rarely about creativity.
It’s about having a reliable thinking process under pressure.

Let me know if you’d like to walk through a live example — happy to help 🙂

Hi there
If I may it sounds like interview anxiety is getting the better of you. What I have seen when working with candidates is that when we strip away the 'intense' environment of doing an interview and start casually brainstorming everyone is able to get to the main elements of how to drive a case - and in this topic- develop the structure. 

My recommendation?

-Study case frameworks (yes these are the "cookie cutter" ones, but they will give us a launch pad when needed, and realistically some cases do require those cookie cutter frameworks

-Always add case nuance to the frame work (this is done through adding any case data or making educated assumptions)(e.g., when you're discussing Variable Costs for a Gum Manufacturer likely it will include the ingredients to the gum and packaging, which can be broken down further into gum substance, flavor, etc and paper wrappers, boxes etc)

-Review frameworks from past cases - see how it was approached based on the problem (a HUGE case prep tool that many do not leverage is reviewing cases that they have already solved)

Hope this helps - happy to chat further about it if helpful!

What's not clear from your description is whether you 'freeze' because of the interview pressure or because of a lack of knowledge/practice. 

As in, if you're just practising on your own, do you still experience the same issue? 

If yes, then you might need some support in understanding how structuring works, what the underlying principles are (e.g., how to approach structuring from first principles) and once you figure out what the right techniques are, putting in the practice. 

If you only have this experience in actual interviews, or simulations of interviews, then it's likely how you manifest when you are nervous. Techniques around gradual stress exposure are an example of what would help. 

Best,
Cristian

First of all, relax! This is a skill that can be learned 🙂 The good structure starts with great understanding of the case and asking the right clarifying questions. If you don’t clarify properly, it’s extremely hard to build a tailored structure.

What you’re experiencing is very common — especially under pressure.

The real issue is usually not creativity or intelligence, but three things:

1️⃣ You’re starting too early

If you jump into brainstorming without:

• Clarifying the objective
• Understanding the business model
• Defining the scope

… your brain has no anchor. Good structures are not random ideas — they are logically derived from the objective.

2️⃣ You lack mental “buckets”

Frameworks are easier when you rely on a few universal lenses:

• Revenue = Price × Volume
• Costs = Fixed vs Variable
• Market = Customers / Competition / Company
• Risks = Operational / Financial / Strategic

You don’t need 20 ideas. You need 3–4 solid buckets, and then go one level deeper in each.

3️⃣ Nerves block retrieval

Under stress, recall drops. That’s normal.
The solution is repetition until structuring becomes mechanical, not creative.

Important:
You don’t need deep industry knowledge. Consulting cases test logical completeness, not expert insight.

A simple rule:
If you can explain how the company makes money, you can build a framework.

Example:
If profits are down → Revenue or Costs
If entering a market → Attractiveness, Capabilities, Risks
If growth is slow → Market size, Share, Expansion levers

Start simple. Depth comes after.

You’re not stuck because you lack experience — you just need structured reps with feedback.

As a coach, I’m here to help you — we can build your structuring muscle step by step, create repeatable mental templates, and get you to the point where frameworks feel automatic instead of intimidating.

Hi there,

What you’re describing is very common. That “blank mind” moment is usually stress, not lack of intelligence or industry knowledge. When you’re nervous, your brain narrows instead of generating ideas.

The key shift: stop trying to be creative. Start from first principles.

Almost every case can be broken into simple building blocks:

• Revenue (price × volume)
• Costs (fixed vs variable)
• Customer
• Competition
• Capabilities
• Risks

You don’t need 10 ideas. You need 3–4 clean buckets. For example, if profits are down: revenue side and cost side is already a solid start. If it’s market entry: market, competition, economics, capabilities. That works in almost any industry.

The fear that your ideas are “unrealistic” is usually perfectionism. It’s better to propose something reasonable and refine it than to freeze.

You’re not lacking ability. You’re still building pattern recognition under pressure. With repetition, those building blocks will become automatic.

Happy to help you practice this if helpful

Best
Evelina

I completely understand that feeling – it's incredibly frustrating when your mind goes blank, especially under pressure. Many candidates struggle with this, and it often feels like you need to be an industry guru to even start.

Here's the reality: You're not expected to be an industry expert or invent a revolutionary framework on the spot. The core skill isn't deep industry knowledge; it's the ability to logically decompose a problem. Frameworks are essentially structured hypotheses based on fundamental business levers, designed to ensure you're Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive (MECE) in your approach. Even seasoned consultants leverage well-established frameworks (e.g., profitability = revenue - costs, market entry = company, market, competition, risk) and then adapt them.

Instead of trying to come up with completely new ideas, focus on internalizing these standard structures and the common sub-elements that fall under them. For profitability, for instance, always think about price vs. volume for revenue, and fixed vs. variable for costs. Then, practice connecting the specific case details to these universal buckets. This builds the muscle memory for a structured approach, which is far more valuable than trying to conjure up innovative ideas from scratch during an interview.

You've got this. Keep practicing that systematic decomposition.