The 60-second structure: how to open a case

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:

1. Pause and write (30–90 sec). "Could I take a moment to structure my thoughts?", always yes.
2. 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.
3. Present 2–4 tailored buckets, each with a one-line "why it matters." Name the client and the decision inside the buckets.
4. 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.

Cold prompt, new industry: "A low-cost airline's costs rose 18% in a year." A strong open: "Our goal is to find what's driving the 18% and fix what's controllable. Three buckets: input prices, fuel is typically a third of a low-cost carrier's base; utilization, are planes flying fewer hours, so fixed costs spread thinner; and network changes, new routes carry startup costs. I'd start with fuel: biggest line, fastest to check." Sixty seconds, no framework named, completely tailored.

In the room

The open is the most scriptable minute in the case, so script yours. The ask: "Could I take thirty seconds to structure my thoughts?" The return, objective first: "So our goal is to decide whether a budget brand grows total group profit, not just revenue. Is that fair?" That trailing "is that fair?" does real work: it catches a mis-scoped objective before you build on it. Then your buckets, each with the client's name inside it, and a close that takes the wheel: "I'd start with cannibalization, because that's the branch that could kill the whole idea." Know what the silence costs: nothing. Scoring starts the instant you speak again, and what's graded is whether your first sentence back sounds like a plan built for this client.

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.