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BCG Growth Matrix Application in Other Consulting Firms

Hi there,

 

Is BCG growth matrix important in solving case studies? Can it be used to solve case studies at other consulting firms than BCG? 

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Top answer
Brad
Coach
on Jan 12, 2024
Expert coach | Head of recruiting for Bain | 8+ years interviewing | Free intro call

Hi there,

 

The direct answer to your question is no, you won’t use the growth/share matrix (or any other framework) to crack interview cases.

 

The deeper answer to your question is that case studies don’t test you ability to recall and apply frameworks, they test you ability to take an amorphous problem, apply a structure to it, and run the analysis down to the ground. 

 

The ‘apply a structure to it’ is akin to applying a framework, but its one that you need to come up with yourself. It doesn’t require any precedent knowledge to do so but it does require good problem solving skills (and it is a skill in the sense it can be practiced and improved).

 

It is by far the hardest part of case cracking, and your interview success will swing on you ability to crack the structure well.

 

B.

Florian
Coach
on Jan 12, 2024
1400 5-star reviews across platforms | 500+ offers | Highest-rated case book on Amazon | Uni lecturer in US, Asia, EU

Hi there,

I have yet to see a modern case, where you would benefit from this framework. 

I do not recommend using it, neither in a BCG, nor in any other case interview setting. You need to learn to deconstruct problems from an analytical first-principles approach.

Reach out if you want to learn more about this approach.

Cheers,

Florian

Ian
Coach
on Jan 13, 2024
#1 BCG coach | MBB | Tier 2 | Digital, Tech, Platinion | 100% personal success rate (8/8) | 95% candidate success rate

It's one of about 1,000 things that are helpful.

Yes, it's a good thing to know!

Just by saying the words now, you probably already know it (it's pretty simple…2x2 matrix).

So, great job! You've learned it!

But, willl it “solve” cases for you now? Not really…there's SO much more to casing!

Here's some reading for you:

The Most Common Pitfalls in Case Interview Preparation
Candidate-Led Cases: What to Expect With Example Cases

Dos and Don'ts in a Case Interview
 

How to Shift Your Mindset to Ace the Case
 

on Jan 15, 2024
#1 rated MBB & McKinsey Coach

The BCG matrix is an old-school framework. Honestly, I wouldn't recommend you bring it up in an interview.

Interviewers want to assess how candidates think. They are turned off by candidates who memorise frameworks and then try to apply them in interviews. 

But to respond directly to your question, the framework could be applied to cases that are not from BCG. Only that using such frameworks is not the right thing to do in today's interviews. 

Instead, there's significantly more value in starting to think from first principles. You can read more about it here:

https://www.preplounge.com/en/shop/coaching-packages-5/first_principles_structuring_masterclass

Best,
Cristian

Pedro
Coach
on Jan 12, 2024
Bain | EY-Parthenon | Private Equity | Market Estimates | Fit Interview

No. And none of those tools that where invented by consulting firms is useful to solve case interviews.

Case interviews are NOT about applying pre-existing frameworks

Nikita
Coach
on Jan 13, 2024
MBB & Tier2 preparation | 100+ offers | 7 years coaching | 2000+ sessions

Hey,

It may be helpful when dealing with some low-level issue related to a product lifecycle, but in general, no, it won't be of much use to you.

Hope this helps,
Nick

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