Intuition
The first sixty seconds of a case are like the opening of a chess game: you haven't won anything yet, but you can absolutely lose. A confident, tailored structure tells the interviewer "this person knows where they're going" — and they relax and follow you. A vague, generic one ("I'll look at the company, the customer, and the competition…") makes them brace for a long, painful ride.
You only get one opening. Make it sound like a plan, not a panic.
Framework
The four-move open:
- Pause and write (30–90 sec). "Could I take a moment to structure my thoughts?" — always yes.
- Restate the objective. "So we're trying to decide whether this regional bank should launch a credit card, with the goal of growing profit." Confirms you heard the real question.
- Present 2–4 tailored buckets, each with a one-line "why it matters." Name the client and the decision inside the buckets.
- Prioritize. End with "I'd start here, because…" — you lead, they follow.
Worked Example
Prompt: "A premium gym wants to launch a budget brand. Should they?" A strong 60-second open: "Our goal is to decide whether launching a budget gym brand grows total profit for the group. I'd look at three things: the market — is there real budget demand we don't already capture; the economics — can a budget model be profitable at lower price points; and cannibalization — will it steal our own premium members. I'd start with cannibalization, since that's the biggest risk to a premium brand." Tailored, prioritized, and it took under a minute.
Pitfalls
- Naming a framework ("I'll use Porter's Five Forces") instead of building buckets for this problem.
- Going silent for several minutes — structure fast, then talk.
- Forgetting to prioritize, leaving the interviewer to choose your starting point for you.