How do I improve on my creativity on case interview? Specifically how do I portray an image that I am creative to the interviewer?

Hey there, 

Lacking creativity could mean: 

• Answers were one of the following (or a combination of being) basic, shallow / surface level, and obvious
• Solutions / answers / recommendations are unlikely to excite client, nor be ground-breaking, revolutionary or class-leading 

Here are a few ideas of how to improve creativity:

• Imagining what ground breaking answers would be given by world leading organisations that have some kind of "secret answer" as a competitive advantage.
• Then imagine going a step beyond the above. What would that look like?
• Try not to be held back by constraints, budget, and other limitations when coming up with ideas. Sometimes you can just try brainstorm as if you "had the freedom of a child" (but do balance this with rationality and some degree of reasonableness) 

This does take some practice, and if you'd like more implementation guidance on this and more tips, feel free to reach out! 

All the best

Hi there,

I already replied to your other post here, where I also gave you a piece of advice, which is to work on your brainstorming skills, since that is how creativity is most often assessed in case interviews.

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

Hello,

Showing creativity in case interviews is all about brainstorming and communicating your ideas. Here’s what works:

1. Think in frameworks, but don’t limit yourself:
   Start with broad categories (e.g., customers, products, operations) to structure your thoughts, but within each, push for unique ideas. For instance, instead of just "launching a new product," suggest gamified features or partnerships with unexpected brands.
2. Use MECE and expand your range:
   Make your ideas Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive—this shows creativity through structured thinking. After listing the obvious ones, challenge yourself to add "out-of-the-box" ideas, like tech integrations, sustainability-focused strategies, or bold marketing campaigns.
3. Borrow from other industries:
   Apply solutions from unrelated industries to the problem at hand. For example, using subscription models (from SaaS) for retail businesses or loyalty programs (from airlines) for a healthcare provider. It shows you think broadly.

If you want more targeted help with brainstorming, feel free to reach out!

Understand the case context, offer tailored and structured solutions, get a coach, and practice extensively.

Best,

Alberto

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Explore my latest case inspired by a real MBB interview: Chic & Stitch - Fashion Market Expansion