Strategy Simplified
Strategy Simplified is here to demystify the consulting industry and help you land your dream job in management consulting. Hosted by the expert team at Management Consulted - the world's largest resource for consulting news and interview prep - each episode covers topics related to the consulting world, from interview preparation and case study techniques to networking strategies and industry trends. Whether you're just starting your career or looking to make a transition, Strategy Simplified is the go-to resource for anyone looking to break into the consulting industry. With actionable advice, insider tips, and real-life success stories, this podcast is the ultimate guide to simplifying your career strategy and landing your dream consulting job.
Episodes
735 episodes
S24E24: 80% of AI Projects Fail. These 2 Firms Explain Why.
80% of AI projects fail.Only 10 to 20% of enterprise AI pilots reach production, and 2 firms break down why.Ugo Philippart of Emerton Data calls his firm the fire squad companies phone after an AI project has failed. Damien Chan o...
S24E23: 3 Case Interview Math Mistakes That Cost You the McKinsey Offer
Midway through a practice case, one of George Cary's clients did the math and said 90,000 when he meant 900,000. George didn't care.After 5 years and 100+ interviews at McKinsey, George will tell you the right answer is the bare minimum....
S24E22: Ex-McKinsey Coach Says This Case Passes Round 1
Divya spent 8 years at McKinsey. She sat down with Sanya, a senior at Penn, and ran a case with her, live.Divya told her afterward it would've passed a McKinsey Round 1. Listen to learn how Sanya did it – built her structure,...
S24E21: Why Consulting Demand Is Outpacing Every Firm's Hiring Plan
Over half the firms in our latest consulting industry survey said demand is outpacing their ability to hire and deliver. Healthcare, energy, PE – the same story across the board.The bottleneck is capacity. Firms can't staff fast enough t...
S24E20: Case Competition Applications Close Sunday at Midnight
Applications for the Case Competition World Cup close this Sunday, September 13, at 11:59pm PT. APPLY NOWMore information:
S24E19: Why BCG Is Racing to Hire Forward Deployed Engineers
BCG is racing to hire forward deployed engineers – and the application window closes September 17.This year's pay range for campus hires is $110,000 to $190,000, up from $110,000 to $160,000 last year. Same job, new title, $30,000...
S24E18: Deloitte, PwC, and 4,500 Firms Can't Find Adobe Talent
Deloitte, PwC, IBM, and 4,500 other companies use Adobe Experience Cloud products.And they can't find enough people who know how to implement them.Nick Hilton, Tyler Tu, and Brian Au from Adobe's Customer Experience Certifications...
S24E17: 3 Weeks Before McKinsey and BCG – How Not to Burn Out
Langston got callbacks from McKinsey and BCG. His first instinct: 10 hours a day of studying for three weeks straight, a fast route to burnout.He'd applied to MBB once before and gotten nothing. But this time, two interviews landed in hi...
S24E16: AI Took the Grunt Work – Consultants Are Getting Promoted Faster
Paul Edwards has led more than 1,000 private equity deals. AI took the grunt work, and now Stax consultants are getting promoted faster.He leads the PE practice at Grant Thornton Stax. Inside the firm, that's 3 to 4 more projects a year ...
S24E15: McKinsey's Cases Are Interviewer-Led – Most Candidates Practice the Wrong Way
Most consulting interviews let you drive the case. McKinsey doesn't.McKinsey is one of the only firms that runs interviewer-led cases – the interviewer leads the case, not you.So candidates who prep the way BCG or Bain expects wal...
S24E14: Why McKinsey Asks up to 25 Follow-Up Questions in the PEI
Most candidates prep for the McKinsey PEI like a regular behavioral interview.McKinsey built it to do more than that. One story, and up to 25 follow-up questions testing whether what you said the first time still holds.That's why ...
S24E13: The AI Hire Every Consulting Firm Is Struggling to Find
Every firm on our new 2027 Top Enterprise AI Consulting Firms ranking...
S24E12: A McKinsey Coach's Playbook for Winning Case Competitions
Last year, 500 students on 100 teams competed in the Case Competition World Cup. Before they saw the case, coach Divya – 8 years at McKinsey – taught them the first move that separates winning teams from the rest.It's the day 1 an...
S24E11: Inside Private Equity Consulting: AI Bets, Harder Exits, and Real Diligence
A private equity firm bought a paint company. Turned out their sales reps were handing out 50% discounts to any contractor who asked nicely.That's the kind of blind spot 3 PE leaders talk through in this episode – what actually happens ...
S24E10: The Toothbrush Test: Why Most Case Frameworks Fail at MBB
If your case framework doesn't pass the toothbrush test, it's too generic for McKinsey, Bain, and BCG.Ex-Bain coach Abi Chen walks through the toothbrush test, the 3 mistakes that cost most candidates their offer, and the 4-step process ...
S24E9: Inside a Bates White Economic Consulting Case Interview
Bates White let us inside a real economic consulting case interview.Annie Olecki, a senior consultant in Bates White's antitrust practice, ran a live case interview with a volunteer from the MC community. And economic consulting cases do...
S24E8: Private Equity Consulting Firms Have a Sameness Problem
Namaan talked to dozens of PE practice leaders for our 2026 ranking. Almost every one said the same three things: 1) Cross-practice integration. 2) Strategy through execution. 3) Deep sector expertise. Strip the logo off 7 of 10 fir...
S24E7: MBA Case Prep in 2–4 Weeks: An Ex-Bain Interviewer's Plan
Most 2nd-year MBA candidates have 2 to 4 weeks to get case interview-ready this cycle, not the usual 6 to 8.More cases won't close that gap for McKinsey, Bain, and BCG.Former Bain interviewer and LBS MBA Mitali Jalan compressed he...
S24E6: McKinsey Solve Game 2026: What It Is and How to Prepare
McKinsey screens candidates with a video game – McKinsey Solve – before they ever see a case interview. Most candidates either try to copy other people's answers or panic because they don't know what it's measuring.So here's the breakdow...
S24E5: McKinsey Case Interview Example: Electric Truck Market Entry
George Cary spent five years as a McKinsey EM. In this live case, he coaches candidate Harvey through a real McKinsey market entry study: should a diesel truck manufacturer build and sell electric trucks.Harvey builds a framework, runs t...
S24E4: She Bombed MBB Her First Try – Then Landed 2 Offers the Next Time
Sharon had everything going for her. Top-tier MBA. MBB interview invites across the board. She'd done 50–60 cases – but didn't make it past a single first round.What held her back wasn't her profile. It was her approach.<...
S24E3: 3 Questions That Kill Your Case Interview Opening
"Any other objectives?" sounds polite. But in a case interview opening, it costs you points.Namaan breaks down the 3 questions that kill candidates in the first 2 minutes of a case.The case opening is the first section that...
S24E2: How Consulting Firms Really Score Case Interviews
You can nail every case you practice and still get rejected.That's because firms aren't grading you on vibes. McKinsey scores you piece by piece – opening, structure, math, brainstorming, closing. Other firms use 3 buckets ...
S24E1: The Hottest Consulting Sectors to Target in 2026
McKinsey is making 12% more hires this year than last. But the jobs aren't going to the same profile of candidate.Energy and utilities is projected to grow 11% in 2026 – one of the least sexy practices in consulting, and one of the hotte...
S23E30: Why Retail Consulting Firms Are Losing Market Share
Consumer and retail consulting used to be one market. Now it's 4.Each lane pulls a different lever – growth, margin, or talent. Firms that used to compete on "we do consumer and retail" are getting picked apart by specialists who can pro...