Reference · Frameworks
Case frameworks, made to stick.
Every major case type — each with a memory hook, an explicit step-by-step play, its issue tree, key questions, and common pitfalls. Built so you can recall the structure under pressure and always know your next move. Based on Case in Point and MBB interview standards.
The Case Spine
Open → Structure → Solve → Recommend
Every case rides the same five beats. Lost mid-case? Find your beat and take the next step — don't hold the whole case in your head.
- 1Clarify
Repeat it back
Restate the objective, ask for magnitude + timeframe, confirm the metric. Two questions max — then move.
- 2Structure
Buy 60 seconds
Take 30–60s of silence, draw a tailored MECE tree on paper, then walk the interviewer through it top-down.
- 3Hypothesize
Call your shot
Say where you think the answer lies and which branch you'll test first. A hypothesis gives you a rail to follow.
- 4Analyze
So what?
Use the data and exhibits to kill branches, do the math cleanly, and say 'so what?' out loud after every number.
- 5Recommend
Answer first
Lead with the answer (BLUF), give 2–3 quantified actions, then name the risks and next steps.
Remember more, freeze less — tactics for a busy working memory
- One screen, one job — open a single framework and close the rest before you start.
- Say the mnemonic out loud before you structure; spoken cues survive interview nerves better than silent ones.
- Always take the next numbered step instead of staring at the whole case at once.
- Externalize memory: write the issue tree on paper so you're not holding branches in your head.
- Time-box the structure: 60 seconds, then commit and start talking. Done beats perfect.
- Park stray ideas in the margin ('check pricing later') so they stop stealing attention, then return to your step.
Memory Hook
“Two branches, one culprit”
- P = R − CProfit is Revenue minus Cost — draw both branches before analyzing.
- R = P × VRevenue = Price × Volume (then Volume = customers × frequency).
- C = F + VCost = Fixed (rent, overhead) + Variable (COGS, labor).
Step-by-Step Play
- 1Clarify first: is the decline in $ or %, how big, and since when? (Magnitude → Definition → Timeframe.)
- 2Say the spine out loud — Profit = Revenue − Cost — and lay both branches down before touching data.
- 3Ask for revenue and cost trends, then use the data to KILL one branch. If revenue is flat, the problem is cost — say so.
- 4Decompose the surviving branch: Revenue into Price × Volume; Cost into Fixed + Variable. Find the line growing fastest.
- 5Quantify the outlier with a counterfactual: 'if it had grown normally, profit would be X.' That gap IS the problem.
- 6Recommend 2–3 specific, quantified levers — answer first (BLUF), then the supporting math.
Worked Math Example
Labor rose from $12.4M to $16.1M while inflation ran 5%. How much of the profit drop is the labor anomaly?
- 1Normal labor = $12.4M × 1.05 = $13.0M
- 2Excess labor = $16.1M − $13.0M = $3.1M
- 3Share of the $4.2M decline = $3.1M ÷ $4.2M ≈ 73%
Answer: ≈$3.1M — about 73% of the decline is the labor anomaly.
Key Formulas
Profit = Revenue − Cost
Revenue = Price × Volume
Volume = Customers × Frequency × Units per visit
Cost = Fixed + Variable
CM = Price − Variable cost (per unit)
CM% = (Price − Variable cost) ÷ Price
Issue Tree
When to use
- Profits are declining or below industry benchmarks
- Client wants to improve margins without revenue context
- Post-merger integration where cost structure changed
Key Questions
- 1Is the decline in revenue, costs, or both?
- 2Is it driven by price or volume on the revenue side?
- 3Which cost category grew faster than revenue?
- 4Is the issue industry-wide or company-specific?
- 5Is this a one-time event or a structural shift?
Common Pitfalls
- Jumping to solutions before isolating the root cause
- Forgetting to use data to eliminate branches first
- Treating all cost increases as equal without quantifying
- Missing mix effects (product/segment mix can explain flat average prices)
Case in Point Ch. 4 — Profitability Cases
Practice this case type