Hi all,
I’m preparing for consulting interviews and was wondering if anyone could share some tips or frameworks for approaching market entry cases. Specifically, how do you structure your analysis when entering a foreign market vs a domestic one? Any key factors that should be prioritized?
I’d appreciate any insights or examples that can help me refine my approach!
Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
This largely depends on the specific case and prompt. A one-size-fits all framework leads to an average performance, which leads to a rejection.
My advice is to move away from putting cases into certain categories, e.g., market entry, product launch etc. These might have been relevant 15 years ago, but they are not anymore. In top firms' interviews you won't find a case type where any standard framework would fit.
If you even receive a case about a company trying to enter a new market, there will be a specific twist in the prompt, rendering any cookie-cutter framework useless.
If you want to receive an offer you need to learn how to create structures from scratch and move towards a first-principles problem-solving approach.
Quoting parts of an article I wrote on that:
Why framework memorization fails
1. No points for problem-solving
Case interviews are designed to test your problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, not your ability to regurgitate memorized information. Frameworks are meant to be a guide, not a script. Using a memorized framework can make it obvious that you are not thinking critically about the problem at hand. Interviewers want to see tailored, relevant, and concrete analytical constructs. Using generic categories and ideas not tailored to the case will score poorly in problem-solving.
2. Creative and unique scenarios
Case interviews often involve unique and unpredictable scenarios. No two cases are the same, so a memorized framework will not apply to the specific problem you are presented with. For example:
"You are working with an operator of a specific type of machine. They break down at different rates at different locations. What factors can you think of why that would happen?"
Which Victor Cheng framework or Cosentino idea would you present here? There isn’t a single bucket that would work. We covered that before.
Even in more traditional settings, firms want to see your own perspective, no cookie cutter approach
3. Limiting creativity
Using a memorized framework limits your ability to think creatively. If you always have something to fall back on, then your mind will automatically stop looking at new ideas and angles for a case.
When you try to fit the problem into a pre-existing framework, you may miss opportunities to come up with innovative solutions. Welcome to the 99% of non-offer holders...
4. Lack of rationale
Case interviews also test your ability to communicate and present your thought process effectively. When relying on a memorized framework, you may struggle to explain the reasoning behind your solutions. You have no clear hypotheses.
Interviewers want to understand why you think a certain way, not just what you think. Memorizing frameworks can hinder your ability to support and defend your choices.
The memorized framework approach was developed by Marc Cosentino, a career advisor with no skin in the game who has never seen a consulting firm's office from the inside. When I was at McKinsey there was a saying that his advice is preventing more offers than the actual difficulty of the interviews. Something that makes you think…
There is a reason why only 1% of applicants get the offer, yet everyone continues to rely on the faulty framework approach.
How to change this?
At the core, all consulting firms want to see creative ideas communicated in a structured manner, the more exhaustive the better.
Your goal should be to develop a tailored and creative answer that fits the question. The framework should - broadly speaking - follow these three characteristics:
You would need to go into detail and qualify your answer with practical examples and more details.
All the best,
Florian
Hi Abelnicholas,
Great to hear you're preparing for consulting interviews! Market entry cases are a common theme, and it’s important to have a structured approach. Before diving into a specific framework: while there are typical cases with frameworks behind them, it’s important that you don’t learn these frameworks by heart. Every case is unique and usually comes with special twists that won’t fit neatly into a cookie-cutter structure.
When presented with a case, never just apply a framework you’ve seen before. Use that framework as a starting point, but think critically about what’s specifically needed for this case. Customize your approach by adapting your framework to the nuances of the problem you’re solving.
That being said, it’s still useful to familiarize yourself with general frameworks—they provide a solid foundation and help with structuring your thinking. I recommend starting with the basics, then tackling more complex cases to practice building your own approach based on what you’ve learned. It’s about using these frameworks as tools to guide your thinking, not rigid templates.
Here’s a basic structure you can build on:
There are also some differantiation points depending on whether you are talking about a domestic or foreign market.
As mentioned earlier, start with general frameworks like the one above to get a feel for how to structure your thinking. Once you're comfortable, tackle more complex cases where you’ll need to adapt and build on these frameworks to address unique twists. The key is flexibility - don’t apply frameworks mechanically, but use them as a foundation to develop customized, case-specific solutions.
Feel free to reach out if you'd like to practice cases or need further guidance! I can help you master the basic frameworks and then work through more complex cases where you'll learn how to build your own approach.
Best of luck with your interviews!
Kairavee
Hey there,
while it is difficult to generalise, since the important factors to focus on are often already identified in the case prompt, here are some important things to keep in the back of your mind when considering a framework for a market entry case.
Hope this helps and let me know if you have any questions!!
Best regards,
Laura
Hi Abelnicholas,
I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:
If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to best prepare for your upcoming interviews, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.
Best,
Hagen
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