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CasePreper

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📋 Schedule
Plan your interview prep week — customize your schedule below

📅 Schedule

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 🏆
3>Day 1 — Foundation

Review f

Practice core frameworks and mental math. Customize with your target areas.

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Day 3 — Case Practice

Run through practice cases. Add links to cases and track your performance.

Day 4 — Mock Interviews

Schedule mock interviews and fit story rehearsals. Note feedback here.

Day 5 — Final Review

Light review of weak areas. Rest and prepare mentally for interview day.

Day 6 — Interview Day 🏆

Final preparations. Review cheat sheet. You've got this!

🧘 Wellness
Track your sleep, energy, and well-being during prep week

🧘 Wellness & Energy

Sleep & Recovery

  • Sleep target: 7-8 hours minimum. Consistency is key.
  • Interview day: Wake up early, light breakfast, review notes, arrive 15 min early.
  • Caffeine: Moderate. Max 2 coffees/day. Nothing after 4pm.
  • Exercise: 20-30 min daily walk — reduces
  • Exercise: 20-30

Anxiety Management

  • Breathing: Box breathing (4-4-4-4) before each session and on interview day.
  • Visualization: Spend 5 min visualizing a successful interview.
  • Grounding: If anxious, name 5 things you see, 4 you hear, 3 you touch.
  • Power posing: 2 min before interview — proven to reduce cortisol.
📐 Frameworks
Top 10 CaseCoach Frameworks + Academic + Logical — EN/PT Bilingual
🎯 The AIM Test / O Teste AIM

Every structure must pass all 3 / Toda a estrutura deve passar nos 3:

English Português
A Answer-focused — Focus on the right question; provide a prioritized approach to solving it Focado na resposta — Foca na pergunta certa; abordagem priorizada para a resolver
I Insightful — Tailor structure to the client's specific situation Perspicaz — Adaptar a estrutura à situação específica do cliente
M MECE — Break down into an exhaustive set of independent drivers MECE — Dividir num conjunto exaustivo de fatores independentes
TIP: Only ask questions that help you structure. Don't restate the whole brief. / Só faz perguntas que ajudem a estruturar. Não repitas todo o briefing.

🏭 Select Industry for Examples

Choose an industry to see tailored examples in each framework below.

🔨 How to Build a Structure / Como Construir uma Estrutura
Step English Português
1 Break down into first-level drivers Dividir em fatores de primeiro nível
2 Order the 1st level drivers by priority Ordenar por prioridade
3 Add depth and insights Adicionar profundidade e insights

Two approaches / Duas abordagens:

Top-Down Bottom-Up
Break down the problem into components / Decompor o problema em componentes
Leverage the 20+ frameworks / Usar os 20+ frameworks 		Generate ideas that could solve the question / Gerar ideias que possam resolver a questão
Group these ideas into factors / Agrupar ideias em fatores
Requires the right logical approach / Requer abordagem lógica Requires the right insights / Requer os insights certos
🗣️ How to Communicate Your Structure / Como Comunicar a Estrutura

Step 1: List all drivers upfront / Listar todos os fatores à partida

"There are three areas I'd consider. First... Second... Third..."
"Há três áreas que eu consideraria. Primeiro... Segundo... Terceiro..."

Step 2: Signpost before detail / Sinalizar antes do detalhe

"If I go to the first driver — [name] — I think the most important question is..."
"Se for ao primeiro fator — [nome] — a questão mais importante é..."

🏆 Top 10 Case Frameworks (CaseCoach)

💰 1. How to Improve Profits? / Como Melhorar Lucros?
  • How to improve profits? / Como melhorar lucros?
    • Revenue / Receitas
      • Volume / Volume
      • Price / Preço
    • Costs / Custos
      • Fixed costs / Custos fixos
      • Variable costs / Custos variáveis
"To analyze profitability, I'd break it into revenue and costs. On revenue, I'd look at price and volume. On costs, I'd separate fixed and variable."
"Para analisar a rentabilidade, vou dividir em receitas e custos. Nas receitas, olho para preço e volume. Nos custos, separo fixos e variáveis."
✅ When to Use / ⚠️ When NOT
📋 Example Case Prompt
📈 2. How to Grow a Business? / Como Fazer Crescer um Negócio?
  • How to grow a business? / Como crescer?
    • Grow the core business / Crescer no core
      • Grow across current segments / Crescer nos segmentos atuais
        • Better products / Melhores produtos
        • Improved marketing / Marketing melhorado
        • Competitive prices / Preços competitivos
      • Invest in fastest-growing segments / Investir nos segmentos de maior crescimento
    • Grow outside of the core / Crescer fora do core
      • Sell new products to existing clients / Vender novos produtos a clientes atuais
      • Use capabilities to get into new businesses / Usar capacidades para entrar em novos negócios
✅ When to Use / ⚠️ When NOT
📋 Example Case Prompt
📉 3. How to Cut Costs? / Como Reduzir Custos?
  • How to cut costs? / Como reduzir custos?
    • Reduce the need / Reduzir a necessidade
      • Eliminate the need entirely / Eliminar totalmente a necessidade
      • Reduce the service level / Reduzir o nível de serviço
    • Meet the need with less resource / Cumprir com menos recursos
      • Eliminate waste / Eliminar desperdício
      • Improve productivity / Melhorar produtividade
    • Reduce the cost of resources / Reduzir o custo dos recursos
      • Find cheaper alternatives / Encontrar alternativas mais baratas
      • Renegotiate costs / Renegociar custos

Examples / Exemplos: Self-service portal / Portal self-service, Offshoring, Training / Formação

✅ When to Use / ⚠️ When NOT
📋 Example Case Prompt
🚀 4. Whether to Enter a New Market? / Devemos Entrar num Novo Mercado?
  • Whether to enter? / Devemos entrar?
    • Market opportunity / Oportunidade de mercado
      • Market size / Dimensão do mercado
      • Market growth / Crescimento do mercado
    • Potential share / Quota potencial
      • Customer needs / Necessidades dos clientes
      • Our offering / A nossa oferta
      • Competitors / Concorrentes
    • Potential profit / Lucro potencial
      • Investment / Investimento
      • Running costs / Custos operacionais
      • Revenue / Receitas
    • Capabilities & risks / Capacidades e riscos
✅ When to Use / ⚠️ When NOT
📋 Example Case Prompt
🆕 5. How to Launch a New Product? / Como Lançar um Novo Produto?
  • How to launch? / Como lançar?
    • Choose target segments / Escolher segmentos-alvo
      • Size & growth / Dimensão e crescimento
      • Competition / Concorrência
      • Customer needs / Necessidades dos clientes
    • Define marketing strategy / Definir estratégia de marketing
      • Product / Produto
      • Price / Preço
      • Distribution / Distribuição
      • Promotion / Promoção
    • Implementation / Implementação
      • Product design / Design do produto
      • Production / Produção
      • Marketing & sales / Marketing e vendas
      • Logistics / Logística
      • Aftercare / Pós-venda
✅ When to Use / ⚠️ When NOT
📋 Example Case Prompt
🏷️ 6. How to Price a Product? / Como Definir o Preço?
  • How to price? / Como precificar?
    • Costs / Custos
      • Variable costs / Custos variáveis
      • Fixed costs / Custos fixos
      • Investment costs / Custos de investimento
      • Plus enough markup to cover margin / Margem suficiente
    • Competitors or substitutes / Concorrentes ou substitutos
      • Should we price above or below? / Devemos fixar acima ou abaixo?
    • Clients' willingness to pay / Disposição a pagar dos clientes
✅ When to Use / ⚠️ When NOT
📋 Example Case Prompt
💼 7. Whether to Make an Investment? / Devemos Investir?
  • Whether to invest? / Devemos investir?
    • Impact on revenue / Impacto nas receitas
    • Impact on costs / Impacto nos custos
    • Break even? / Ponto de equilíbrio?
    • Implementation / Implementação
✅ When to Use / ⚠️ When NOT
📋 Example Case Prompt
🤝 8. Whether to Acquire a Business? / Devemos Adquirir?
  • Whether to acquire? / Devemos adquirir?
    • Standalone value / Valor autónomo
      • Future revenue / Receitas futuras
      • Future cost / Custos futuros
      • Valuation multiples / Múltiplos de avaliação
    • Synergies / Sinergias
      • Cost reduction / Redução de custos
      • Revenue growth / Crescimento de receitas
    • Capabilities & risks / Capacidades e riscos
✅ When to Use / ⚠️ When NOT
📋 Example Case Prompt
⚔️ 9. How to Respond to a Competitive Threat? / Como Responder a uma Ameaça Competitiva?
  • How to respond? / Como responder?
    • Potential impact on our business / Impacto potencial no nosso negócio
      • Segment affected / Segmento afetado
      • Size / Dimensão
      • Profitability / Rentabilidade
      • Estimated loss / Perda estimada
    • Opportunity pursued by competitor / Oportunidade do concorrente
    • Possible responses / Respostas possíveis
      • Do nothing / Não fazer nada
      • Mitigate (retain clients) / Mitigar (reter clientes)
      • Replicate (launch competing offer) / Replicar (lançar oferta concorrente)
      • Collaborate / Colaborar
      • Align (lower prices) / Alinhar (baixar preços)
✅ When to Use / ⚠️ When NOT
📋 Example Case Prompt
⚙️ 10. How to Optimize a Process? / Como Otimizar um Processo?
  • How to optimize? / Como otimizar?
    • Map out current process / Mapear o processo atual
      • Capacity? / Capacidade?
      • Utilization? / Utilização?
      • Bottleneck? / Gargalo?
    • Look into each step / Analisar cada etapa
      • Eliminate / Eliminar
      • Anticipate / Antecipar
    • Estimate gains / Estimar ganhos
      • Reduce cost / Reduzir custo
      • Increase quality / Aumentar qualidade
      • Increase speed / Aumentar velocidade
✅ When to Use / ⚠️ When NOT
📋 Example Case Prompt
🔍 Second-Level Drivers to Think About / Fatores de Segundo Nível
Category / Categoria English Português
Market / Mercado Geographies, Size & growth, Segments, Distribution channels, Customer segments Geografias, Dimensão e crescimento, Segmentos, Canais de distribuição, Segmentos de clientes
Customers / Clientes Purchasing decision, Preferences, Substitutes Decisão de compra, Preferências, Substitutos
Competition / Concorrência New entrants, Market shares, Profitability, Skills, Barriers to entry, Key success factors, Brand, Capital, Partners Novos entrantes, Quotas de mercado, Rentabilidade, Competências, Barreiras à entrada, Fatores-chave de sucesso, Marca, Capital, Parceiros
Macro Regulation, Political issues, Economy, Unions, Technology, Execution Regulação, Questões políticas, Economia, Sindicatos, Tecnologia, Execução

📚 Academic Frameworks / Frameworks Académicos

📊 Supply & Demand / Oferta e Procura

Price / Quantity equilibrium / Equilíbrio preço / quantidade

Helpful for / Útil para: Price changes / Alterações de preço, Profit forecasting / Previsão de lucro, Operations / Operações, Markets outside of business / Mercados fora do negócio

🔺 The Three Cs / Os Três Cs
  • Three Cs
    • Company / Empresa (Supply / Oferta)
    • Competitors / Concorrentes (Supply / Oferta)
    • Customers / Clientes (Demand / Procura)
⭐ Porter's Five Forces / As 5 Forças de Porter

Helpful for understanding industry attractiveness / Útil para entender a atratividade de uma indústria

  • Five Forces / 5 Forças
    • Competitors / Concorrentes
    • Customers / Clientes
    • Suppliers / Fornecedores
    • Substitutes / Substitutos
    • New Entrants / Novos Entrantes
🎯 The Four Ps / Os Quatro Ps
English Português Sub-elements / Sub-elementos
Product Produto Features / Características, Design, Branding / Marca
Price Preço Pricing strategies / Estratégias de preço, Competitiveness / Competitividade
Place (Distribution) Distribuição Distribution channels / Canais de distribuição, Partnerships / Parcerias
Promotion Promoção Advertising / Publicidade, Communication / Comunicação, PR / Relações públicas

🧩 Logical Frameworks / Frameworks Lógicos

6 Types of Logical Structures / 6 Tipos de Estruturas Lógicas
# Type / Tipo Best for / Melhor para Example / Exemplo
1 Equations / Equações Quantitative questions / Questões quantitativas Profit = Revenue − Costs / Lucro = Receitas − Custos
2 Key Questions / Questões-chave Qualitative decisions / Decisões qualitativas Do they have track record? Is price competitive? / Têm histórico? O preço é competitivo?
3 Hypotheses / Hipóteses Qualitative decisions / Decisões qualitativas "I should hire X if..." / "Devo contratar X se..."
4 Root Causes / Causas-raiz Issue investigations / Investigação de problemas Why are deliveries delayed? / Porquê atrasos nas entregas?
5 Process Map / Mapa de Processo Operations optimization / Otimização de operações Attraction → Screening → Selection → Offer / Atração → Triagem → Seleção → Oferta
6 From-To Reaching a future state / Atingir um estado futuro Define objective → Establish current state → Measure gap / Definir objetivo → Estado atual → Medir o gap

🔑 Quick Selection Guide / Guia Rápido de Seleção

If the prompt mentions... / Se o prompt menciona... Framework
Profits declining / Lucros a cair #1 Profitability / Rentabilidade
Grow, increase revenue / Crescer, aumentar receitas #2 Growth / Crescimento
Reduce costs, efficiency / Reduzir custos, eficiência #3 Cost Cutting / Redução de Custos
Enter a new market / Entrar num novo mercado #4 Market Entry / Entrada no Mercado
Launch a new product / Lançar novo produto #5 Product Launch / Lançamento
Set / change price / Definir preço #6 Pricing / Preço
Should we invest? / Devemos investir? #7 Investment / Investimento
Buy / merge with company / Comprar / fundir #8 M&A / Aquisição
Competitor threat / Ameaça competitiva #9 Competitive Response / Resposta Competitiva
Improve process, operations / Melhorar processo #10 Process Optimization / Otimização
How big is the market? / Qual o tamanho do mercado? Market Sizing (see Math tab / ver tab Math)
⚠️ NEVER name the framework! / NUNCA digas o nome do framework!
❌ "I'll use the profitability framework." / "Vou usar o framework de profitability."
✅ "To analyze this, I'd look at two main dimensions: revenue and costs." / "Para analisar isto, proponho olhar para duas dimensões: receitas e custos."

📚 Case Type Playbooks / Playbooks por Tipo de Caso

Default issue trees + high-impact analyses + expected math for each case type / Árvores padrão + análises de alto impacto + math esperada por tipo — from MBB Guide

📉 Profitability / Rentabilidade

Default Issue Tree / Árvore Padrão:

  • Profit Bridge / Ponte de Lucro: Revenue vs Cost / Receita vs Custo
    • Revenue / Receita: Price × Volume → segment by product, customer, channel, geography / segmentar por produto, cliente, canal, geografia
    • Cost / Custo: Variable vs Fixed → segment by major cost buckets / custos variáveis vs fixos
    • Root causes / Causas-raiz: Market vs company-specific / Mercado vs específico da empresa

High-Impact Analyses / Análises de Alto Impacto:

  • Build a profit bridge over time (last year vs this year) / Construir ponte de lucro ao longo do tempo
  • Segment profitability: product line, customer, geography / Rentabilidade por segmento
  • Price-volume-mix decomposition / Decomposição preço-volume-mix
  • Unit economics: contribution margin, break-even, utilization / Economia unitária

Expected Math / Math Esperada:

Profit bridge (absolute + %), contribution margin, break-even, elasticity logic

🌍 Market Entry / Entrada no Mercado

Default Issue Tree / Árvore Padrão:

  • Market attractiveness / Atratividade do mercado: Size, growth, profit pool, trends, regulation / Tamanho, crescimento, pool de lucro, tendências, regulação
  • Competitive dynamics / Dinâmica competitiva: Players, differentiation, barriers, channels / Jogadores, diferenciação, barreiras, canais
  • Ability to win / Capacidade de vencer: Capabilities, cost position, brand / Capacidades, posição de custo, marca
  • Economics / Economia: Investment, margins, NPV/payback / Investimento, margens, VAL/payback
  • Entry strategy / Estratégia de entrada: Build vs partner vs acquire / Construir vs parceria vs adquirir

High-Impact Analyses:

  • Market sizing + realistic share capture (bottom-up)
  • Profit pool: where money is made across value chain / Onde se ganha dinheiro na cadeia de valor
  • Customer needs + willingness to pay / Necessidades do cliente + disposição a pagar
  • Entry options comparison: build vs partner vs acquire / Comparação de opções

Expected Math:

Market sizing (customers × frequency × price), investment vs return (payback, NPV), share build-up

📈 Growth Strategy / Estratégia de Crescimento

Default Issue Tree / Árvore Padrão:

  • Grow in core / Crescer no core: Penetration, frequency, retention, pricing / Penetração, frequência, retenção, preços
  • Adjacent expansion / Expansão adjacente: New segments, channels, geographies / Novos segmentos, canais, geografias
  • New products/services / Novos produtos/serviços: Innovation, bundling, cross-sell
  • Inorganic / Inorgânico: Partnerships, acquisitions / Parcerias, aquisições
  • Feasibility / Viabilidade: Capabilities, investment, timing, risks / Capacidades, investimento, timing, riscos

High-Impact Analyses:

  • Growth decomposition: market growth vs share vs mix / Decomposição do crescimento
  • Customer funnel: awareness → conversion → retention
  • Channel economics: CAC vs LTV
  • Prioritization matrix: impact × feasibility / Impacto × viabilidade

Expected Math:

Funnel math (conversion rates), LTV vs CAC, incremental profit by initiative

💰 Pricing / Precificação

Default Issue Tree / Árvore Padrão:

  • Costs + margin floor / Custos + margem mínima: Variable, fixed, contribution
  • Customer willingness to pay / Disposição a pagar: Segments, value drivers, substitutes / Segmentos, drivers de valor, substitutos
  • Competition / Concorrência: Market reference prices / Preços de referência
  • Strategic objective / Objetivo estratégico: Profit vs share vs positioning
  • Price architecture / Arquitetura de preço: Tiers, bundles, discounts / Escalões, pacotes, descontos

Expected Math:

Contribution margin at different prices, break-even for price change, elasticity scenarios

🤝 M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions)

Default Issue Tree / Árvore Padrão:

  • Strategic rationale / Razão estratégica: Why buy vs build vs partner / Porquê comprar vs construir vs parceria
  • Target attractiveness / Atratividade do alvo: Financials, assets, customers, risks
  • Synergies / Sinergias: Cost + revenue synergies, integration costs / Sinergias de custo + receita, custos de integração
  • Valuation / Avaliação: What is it worth to us? / Quanto vale para nós?
  • Integration plan / Plano de integração: People, systems, culture, regulators / Pessoas, sistemas, cultura, reguladores

Expected Math:

Synergy sizing (cost + revenue), deal economics (premium vs value creation), payback, simple DCF logic

⚙️ Operations & Supply Chain / Operações

Default Issue Tree / Árvore Padrão:

  • Demand + service levels / Procura + níveis de serviço: Customer needs, variability / Necessidades do cliente, variabilidade
  • Capacity + utilization / Capacidade + utilização: Bottlenecks, constraints / Gargalos, restrições
  • Process efficiency / Eficiência do processo: Cycle time, waste, rework, yield / Tempo de ciclo, desperdício, retrabalho
  • Supply chain / Cadeia de abastecimento: Suppliers, logistics, inventory / Fornecedores, logística, inventário
  • Implementation / Implementação: CAPEX, change management, KPIs

Expected Math:

Throughput = capacity of bottleneck, utilization + waiting time, inventory turns, working capital

📋 Case Structuring in Action / Estruturação na Prática

7 example structures from CaseCoach / 7 estruturas exemplo do CaseCoach

🍫 Simple Snack Bar — Pricing / Precificação

Q: Friend created allergen-free snack bar. Help determine the right price. / Amigo criou barra sem alergénios. Ajudar a definir o preço.

  1. Target segments / Segmentos-alvo
    • a. Corporate clients (airlines, schools) liable for reactions / Clientes corporativos responsáveis por reações
    • b. Parents buying for children / Pais a comprar para crianças
    • c. Adults buying for themselves / Adultos a comprar para si
  2. Price of competitors / Preço dos concorrentes (direct + indirect e.g. fresh fruit)
  3. Perceived value vs alternatives / Valor percebido vs alternativas + potential markup
  4. Costs / Custos
Why? Based on 3 pricing factors (competitors, willingness to pay, costs). Starts with target clients since undecided. / Baseado nos 3 fatores de pricing. Começa por target porque não está definido.
🌊 Splash Park — Profitability / Rentabilidade

Q: Water park in Majorca wants to increase profitability. / Parque aquático em Maiorca quer aumentar rentabilidade.

  1. Increase revenue / Aumentar receitas
    • a. Increase # clients / Aumentar nº clientes: capacity (hours, new rides) + demand (promotions, channels)
    • b. Increase spend per client / Aumentar gasto por cliente: prices, add-ons (VIP, restaurants)
  2. Decrease costs / Reduzir custos
    • a. Decrease service level / Reduzir nível de serviço
    • b. Do same with less / Fazer igual com menos (identify waste / identificar desperdício)
    • c. Reduce input costs / Reduzir custos de input
Why? Standard profitability but 3rd-level drivers tailored to water park. Volume is supply/demand issue. / Profitability standard mas drivers adaptados ao parque aquático.
☀️ Sunshine Vacations — Turnaround

Q: Package holiday provider lost 10% bookings. CEO wants turnaround. / Operador turístico perdeu 10% reservas. CEO quer recuperação.

  1. Focus on most profitable offers / Focar nas ofertas mais rentáveis — reduce least-, increase most-profitable
  2. Increase profitability across all / Aumentar rentabilidade geral — demand, pricing, costs
  3. Invest in growth opportunities / Investir em oportunidades de crescimento — UK packages? Lower cost destinations? Cruises? Specialized holidays?
Why? Product mix drives overall profitability. Start with portfolio before individual P&L. / O mix de produtos determina a rentabilidade. Começar pelo portfólio antes do P&L individual.
🏙️ Bristol Valley — Government / Governo

Q: Bristol wants to become Silicon Valley of UK. What does the council need to do? / Bristol quer ser o Silicon Valley do UK.

  1. Identify target technologies / Identificar tecnologias-alvo — trends, university strengths, employer strengths
  2. Strengthen the ecosystem / Fortalecer o ecossistema
    • Universities / Universidades — research funding, students / financiamento investigação
    • Employers / Empregadores — R&D centers / centros I&D
    • Funding / Financiamento — venture funds, investor networks / fundos venture, redes de investidores
    • Entrepreneurs / Empreendedores — incubation, training, workspace / incubação, formação, espaço
  3. Improve location attractiveness / Melhorar atratividade do local — transport, accommodation / transportes, alojamento
🏛️ Social Return Capital — Market Analysis / Análise de Mercado

Q: Why hasn't social investment fund received more investment? / Por que não recebeu mais investimento?

  1. Lack of supply / Falta de oferta — limited need from social enterprises, not enough enterprises, lack of asset managers
  2. Lack of demand / Falta de procura — investors don't know/care, insufficient returns, unfavorable tax
  3. Lack of intermediation / Falta de intermediação — intermediaries don't distribute/know/promote
Why? Root cause analysis using supply/demand + intermediation. / Análise causa-raiz usando oferta/procura + intermediação.
🏦 Milna Bank — Process / Processo

Q: Mortgage applications up but completions down. Why? / Candidaturas hipoteca subiram mas completadas desceram.

  1. Quality of applications / Qualidade das candidaturas — credit-worthiness declining, wages vs property prices
  2. Our process / O nosso processo — burdensome → abandoned, slow offers
  3. Our approval rules / As nossas regras de aprovação
  4. Competitiveness of offers / Competitividade das ofertas — rates, features, brand
Why? Root cause analysis following application steps. / Análise causa-raiz seguindo as etapas da candidatura.
🏭 Industries Guide / Guia de Indústrias
Key industries in MBB cases — metrics, trends, vocabulary EN/PT
🛒 Retail & Consumer Goods / Retalho e Bens de Consumo
🛒 Industry Brief / Contexto da Indústria
Retail is about selling products to consumers — think supermarkets, fashion, e-commerce. Key drivers are foot traffic, basket size, and same-store sales growth. Margins are typically thin (2-5% net), so volume and efficiency matter enormously.
🇵🇹 Retalho é vender produtos a consumidores — supermercados, moda, e-commerce. Drivers chave: tráfego, dimensão do cabaz, crescimento de vendas mesma loja. Margens tipicamente baixas (2-5% líquida).
📊 Net margin: 2-5%🔑 SSS, basket size, footfall
English Português Explanation
Key Metrics / Métricas-Chave:
Same-store sales growth (SSS) Crescimento vendas mesma loja Revenue growth at stores open 1+ year; removes effect of new openings
Revenue per sqm / sqft Receita por m² Sales productivity of floor space; higher = better use of real estate
Basket size × Footfall = Revenue Ticket médio × Tráfego = Receita Revenue = avg spend per visit × number of visitors
Inventory turnover Rotação de inventário How many times stock is sold & replaced per year; higher = less capital tied up
Gross margin (%) Margem bruta (%) Revenue minus COGS as % of revenue; shows product-level profitability
Customer acquisition cost (CAC) Custo aquisição cliente Total marketing/sales spend ÷ new customers gained
Trends / Tendências:
E-commerce cannibalization of physical stores Canibalização do e-commerce sobre lojas físicas Online sales eating into physical store revenue
Private label growth (+margin) Crescimento de marca própria (+margem) Store's own brand products growing — higher margin than national brands
Omnichannel (click & collect, BOPIS) Omnicanal (compra online, levanta na loja) Integrating online + physical channels into seamless customer experience
Supply chain optimization Otimização da cadeia de abastecimento Reducing cost/time from supplier to shelf (logistics, warehousing, procurement)
Vocabulary / Vocabulário:
SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) SKU (Unidade de Manutenção de Stock) Unique identifier for each product variant (size, color, etc.)
Footfall / foot traffic Tráfego de loja / afluência Number of people entering a store; key driver of retail revenue
Shrinkage (theft/damage loss) Quebras (perdas por roubo/dano) Inventory loss from theft, damage, or admin errors; typically 1-3% of sales
Planogram (shelf layout) Planograma (layout de prateleira) Diagram showing exactly where products go on shelves; optimizes sales per sqm
Markdown / clearance Redução de preço / saldos Price reductions to clear slow-moving or seasonal stock
Sell-through rate Taxa de venda % of inventory sold vs received; measures buying accuracy
Category management Gestão de categoria Managing product groups (dairy, snacks) as strategic business units
Stock-out Rutura de stock Product unavailable when customer wants it; causes lost sales + brand damage
BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick-up In Store) Compra online, levanta na loja Customers order online, collect in-store; saves delivery cost
Typical Cases: Profitability, pricing strategy, market entry, store footprint optimization
💊 Healthcare & Pharma / Saúde e Farmacêutica
💊 Industry Brief / Contexto da Indústria
Healthcare spans hospitals, pharma companies, biotech, and health tech. It's heavily regulated with long product cycles (10+ years for drugs). Key concepts: R&D pipeline, patent cliffs, reimbursement, patient population sizing. Gross margins in pharma are very high (70-90%) but R&D costs are massive.
🇵🇹 Saúde abrange hospitais, farmacêuticas, biotech e health tech. Muito regulado com ciclos longos (10+ anos para medicamentos). Conceitos chave: pipeline I&D, patent cliffs, reembolso, dimensionamento de pacientes. Margens brutas 70-90% mas custos de I&D enormes.
📊 Gross margin: 70-90%🔑 R&D pipeline, patent cliffs, reimbursement
English Português Explanation
Key Metrics:
R&D pipeline (Phase I-III, approval rate ~10%) Pipeline I&D (Fase I-III, taxa aprovação ~10%) Portfolio of drugs in development stages; only ~10% reach market
Patent cliff / exclusivity expiry Queda de patente / expiração exclusividade When drug patent expires, generics enter → revenue drops 80-90%
Gross margin (typically 70-90% for branded drugs) Margem bruta (tipicamente 70-90% medicamentos de marca) Pharma has very high gross margins but massive R&D and SGA costs
Market access & reimbursement Acesso ao mercado e reembolso Whether payers (govt/insurers) will cover the drug and at what price
Patient population × Treatment rate × Price = Revenue Nº pacientes × Taxa tratamento × Preço = Receita Revenue formula: addressable patients × treatment rate × price per treatment
Trends:
Biosimilars / generics competition Concorrência de biossimilares / genéricos Near-copy of a biologic drug after patent expiry; cheaper but not identical
Gene therapy & personalized medicine Terapia genética e medicina personalizada Tailoring treatment to individual patient genetics/biomarkers
Value-based care / outcomes pricing Cuidados baseados em valor / preços por resultados Paying providers for outcomes (patient health) not volume of services
Digital health / telemedicine Saúde digital / telemedicina Remote healthcare via apps/video; growing post-COVID
Vocabulary / Vocabulário:
Patent cliff Queda de patente When drug patent expires, generics enter → revenue drops 80-90%
Formulary (list of approved drugs) Formulário (lista medicamentos aprovados) List of drugs approved for reimbursement by a hospital or insurer
Clinical trial (Phase I-III) Ensaio clínico (Fase I-III) Testing stages: I=safety(20-80), II=efficacy(100-300), III=large-scale(1000+)
FDA/EMA approval Aprovação FDA/EMA Regulatory approval from US (FDA) or EU (EMA) required before drug can be sold
Blockbuster drug (>$1B revenue) Medicamento blockbuster (>$1B receita) Drug generating >$1B annual revenue; defines pharma company profitability
Biosimilar Biossimilar Near-copy of a biologic drug after patent expiry; cheaper but not identical
Epidemiology / incidence / prevalence Epidemiologia / incidência / prevalência Study of disease frequency; incidence = new cases/year, prevalence = total cases
Indication (approved use) Indicação (uso aprovado) Specific disease/condition a drug is approved to treat; more indications = more revenue
Orphan drug (rare disease) Medicamento órfão (doença rara) Treatment for rare diseases (<200K patients); gets special incentives and exclusivity
Typical Cases: Drug launch strategy, M&A, market sizing, pricing new therapy
💻 Technology / Tecnologia
💻 Industry Brief / Contexto da Indústria
Tech/SaaS companies sell software subscriptions. The business model is recurring revenue (MRR/ARR) with high gross margins (70-85%). Key metrics: churn rate, LTV:CAC ratio (>3:1 is healthy), net revenue retention. Growth is king — investors value revenue growth over profitability in early stages.
🇵🇹 Empresas tech/SaaS vendem subscrições de software. Modelo de receita recorrente (MRR/ARR), margens brutas altas (70-85%). Métricas chave: churn rate, rácio LTV:CAC (>3:1 é saudável), retenção líquida. Crescimento é rei.
📊 Gross margin: 70-85%🔑 ARR, churn, LTV:CAC >3:1
English Português Explanation
Key Metrics:
MRR / ARR (Monthly/Annual Recurring Revenue) Receita Recorrente Mensal/Anual Monthly/Annual Recurring Revenue — subscription revenue that repeats predictably
Churn rate (%) Taxa de abandono (%) % of customers leaving per period; 5% monthly = losing half your base yearly
LTV:CAC ratio (target >3:1) Rácio LTV:CAC (objetivo >3:1) Customer lifetime value ÷ acquisition cost; >3:1 means healthy unit economics
Net Revenue Retention (NRR) Retenção Líquida de Receita Revenue from existing customers incl. upsells minus churn; >100% = growing without new sales
Gross margin (SaaS typically 70-85%) Margem bruta (SaaS tipicamente 70-85%) Revenue minus hosting/delivery costs; healthy SaaS = 70-85%
DAU/MAU ratio Rácio Utilizadores Diários/Mensais Ativos Daily vs monthly active users; higher ratio = more engaged, stickier product
Trends:
AI/ML adoption across industries Adoção de IA/ML entre indústrias AI changing how products work, compete, and create value across all sectors
Cloud migration & SaaS transformation Migração cloud e transformação SaaS Moving from on-premise servers to AWS/Azure/GCP; shifts capex to opex
Platform economics & network effects Economia de plataformas e efeitos de rede Two-sided markets where more users attract more supply and vice versa
Cybersecurity spending growth Crescimento gastos em cibersegurança Growing fast as threats increase; now a board-level risk priority
Vocabulary / Vocabulário:
SaaS (Software as a Service) SaaS (Software como Serviço) Software delivered via internet subscription vs one-time license purchase
Churn rate Taxa de abandono / churn % of customers leaving per period; 5% monthly = losing half your base yearly
Freemium model Modelo freemium Free basic product, paid premium features; used to drive adoption then convert
API (Application Programming Interface) API Interface letting software talk to other software; enables integrations & ecosystem
Scalability / scale Escalabilidade / escalar Ability to grow revenue without proportional increase in costs
MVP (Minimum Viable Product) MVP (Produto Mínimo Viável) Minimum Viable Product — simplest version released to test market demand quickly
Burn rate (monthly cash consumption) Burn rate (consumo mensal de caixa) Monthly cash spend / months until money runs out
Product-market fit Adequação produto-mercado When product satisfies strong market demand; validated by retention and organic growth
Cloud-native Nativo da cloud Built specifically for cloud infrastructure; auto-scales, resilient, containerized
Total Addressable Market (TAM) Mercado Total Endereçável Purchase + operating + maintenance + disposal; full lifecycle cost analysis
Typical Cases: Growth strategy, pricing model, market entry, M&A of tech startup
🏦 Financial Services / Serviços Financeiros
🏦 Industry Brief / Contexto da Indústria
Financial services includes banks, insurance, asset management, and fintech. Banks earn on Net Interest Margin (NIM = interest earned - interest paid). Key metrics: cost-to-income ratio, AUM (assets under management), NPL (non-performing loans). Heavily regulated — capital requirements drive strategy.
🇵🇹 Serviços financeiros incluem bancos, seguros, gestão de ativos e fintech. Bancos ganham com NIM (margem de juros líquida). Métricas chave: rácio cost-to-income, AUM, NPL (crédito malparado). Muito regulado — requisitos de capital condicionam a estratégia.
📊 NIM-based, regulated🔑 Cost-to-income, AUM, NPL
English Português Explanation
Key Metrics:
Net Interest Margin (NIM) Margem Financeira Líquida Difference between interest earned on loans and paid on deposits
Cost-to-Income ratio (CIR) Rácio Cost-to-Income Operating costs ÷ income; lower = more efficient; top banks < 50%
Assets Under Management (AUM) Ativos Sob Gestão Total market value of investments managed; fee revenue = % of AUM
Non-Performing Loans (NPL) ratio Rácio de Crédito Malparado Non-Performing Loan — borrower missed payments 90+ days; signals credit quality issues
Combined ratio (insurance) Rácio combinado (seguros) Claims + expenses as % of premium income; <100% = underwriting profit
Revenue = Fees + Interest income + Trading Receita = Comissões + Juros + Trading Sales productivity of floor space; higher = better use of real estate
Trends:
Fintech disruption (neobanks, BNPL) Disrupção fintech (neobancos, BNPL) Startups challenging banks with better UX, lower fees (neobanks, BNPL, crypto)
Open banking / PSD2 Open banking / PSD2 Regulations forcing banks to share data via APIs; enables fintech innovation
ESG investing & green finance Investimento ESG e finanças verdes Investing based on Environmental, Social, Governance criteria alongside returns
Digital transformation of legacy banks Transformação digital de bancos tradicionais Remote healthcare via apps/video; growing post-COVID
Vocabulary / Vocabulário:
Underwriting Subscrição / avaliação de risco Assessing risk to decide whether to offer insurance/loan and at what price
Securitization Titularização Bundling assets (loans, mortgages) into tradeable securities; spreads risk
Yield curve Curva de rendimentos Revenue per passenger per km; higher = better pricing power
Risk-weighted assets (RWA) Ativos ponderados pelo risco Assets weighted by risk level; determines how much capital bank must hold
Basel III / capital requirements Basileia III / requisitos de capital Interface letting software talk to other software; enables integrations & ecosystem
KYC (Know Your Customer) KYC (Conhecer o Cliente) Know Your Customer — verifying client identity to prevent fraud and money laundering
Solvency ratio Rácio de solvência Measures if company can meet long-term obligations; key for insurers and banks
Cross-selling Venda cruzada Selling additional products to existing customers; increases revenue per customer
Loss ratio (insurance) Rácio de sinistralidade (seguros) Insurance claims paid ÷ premiums earned; lower = more profitable underwriting
Typical Cases: Cost cutting, digital transformation, M&A, customer retention
⚡ Energy & Utilities / Energia e Utilities
⚡ Industry Brief / Contexto da Indústria
Energy covers oil & gas, renewables, utilities, and energy tech. It's capital-intensive with long investment horizons. Key concepts: LCOE (levelized cost of energy), capacity factor, energy transition, carbon pricing. Currently undergoing massive shift from fossil fuels to renewables.
🇵🇹 Energia abrange petróleo, renováveis, utilities e energy tech. Capital-intensiva com horizontes longos. Conceitos chave: LCOE (custo nivelado de energia), fator de capacidade, transição energética, preço do carbono. Em transição massiva de fósseis para renováveis.
📊 Capital-intensive, long horizon🔑 LCOE, capacity factor, carbon pricing
English Português Explanation
Key Metrics:
LCOE (Levelized Cost of Energy) Custo Nivelado de Energia Levelized Cost of Energy — total lifetime cost ÷ energy produced; compares sources
Capacity factor (%) Fator de capacidade (%) Actual output ÷ max possible; solar ~25%, wind ~35%, nuclear ~90%
EBITDA / MWh EBITDA / MWh Upstream (extraction) higher margins but more volatility than downstream (refining)
Capex intensity Intensidade de Capex Capital expenditure as % of revenue; telecom is capital-heavy (15-25%)
Trends:
Energy transition (fossil → renewable) Transição energética (fóssil → renovável) Shift from fossil fuels to renewables driven by climate policy and cost declines
Battery storage economics Economia de armazenamento em baterias Storing renewable energy for use when unavailable; costs dropping fast
Grid modernization & smart grids Modernização da rede e redes inteligentes Digitally managed electricity grid that optimizes generation and distribution
Carbon pricing / ETS Preço do carbono / mercado de emissões Cost per tonne of CO₂ emitted; EU ETS ~€60-90/tonne currently
Vocabulary / Vocabulário:
Baseload / peak load Carga base / carga de ponta Minimum constant electricity demand; peak = highest demand (evenings, extreme weather)
Grid parity Paridade de rede When renewable energy costs same as fossil fuels; reached in many markets
PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) Contrato de compra de energia Power Purchase Agreement — long-term fixed-price electricity contract; de-risks investments
Carbon credit / offset Crédito de carbono / compensação Cost per tonne of CO₂ emitted; EU ETS ~€60-90/tonne currently
Curtailment (production cut) Corte de produção Deliberately reducing energy production when supply exceeds demand or grid capacity
Decommissioning Desativação / descomissionamento Cost to safely shut down old power plants (esp. nuclear); can be billions
Interconnector Interligação Physical link between electricity grids of different regions/countries; enables trading
Renewable energy certificate Certificado de energia renovável Government mandate requiring utilities to source X% from renewables
Dispatch (energy) Despacho (energia) Decision of which power plants to activate and when based on demand and cost
Typical Cases: Investment decision, market entry (renewables), cost optimization
✈️ Airlines & Transport / Aviação e Transportes
✈️ Industry Brief / Contexto da Indústria
Airlines are a notoriously tough industry — high fixed costs, low margins (2-3% net), commodity pricing. Revenue = passengers × avg ticket × load factor. Key metrics: CASK (cost per available seat km), RPK (revenue passenger km), load factor. Fuel is typically 25-35% of costs.
🇵🇹 Aviação é uma indústria notoriamente difícil — custos fixos altos, margens baixas (2-3% líquida), pricing commodity. Receita = passageiros × bilhete médio × load factor. Métricas chave: CASK, RPK, load factor. Combustível tipicamente 25-35% dos custos.
📊 Net margin: 2-3%🔑 CASK, RPK, load factor, fuel 25-35%
English Português Explanation
Key Metrics:
RPK (Revenue Passenger Kilometers) RPK (Receita por Passageiro-Km) Revenue Passenger Kilometre — one paying passenger transported one km; measures traffic
Load factor (% seats filled) Taxa de ocupação (% lugares preenchidos) % of seats filled; break-even typically 75-80%; higher = more profitable
CASK (Cost per Available Seat Km) CASK (Custo por Lugar-Km Disponível) Cost per Available Seat Km — total cost ÷ (seats × km); key efficiency metric
Yield (revenue per passenger km) Yield (receita por passageiro-km) Revenue per passenger per km; higher = better pricing power
Revenue = # Passengers × Avg. Ticket × Load Factor Receita = Nº Passageiros × Ticket Médio × Taxa Ocupação % of seats filled; break-even typically 75-80%; higher = more profitable
Trends:
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) Combustível de aviação sustentável Biofuel with lower carbon footprint; currently 2-5x costlier than jet fuel
Low-cost carrier expansion Expansão companhias low-cost LCCs forcing legacy airlines to cut costs or match prices on sensitive routes
Dynamic pricing / revenue management Pricing dinâmico / gestão de receita Adjusting fares in real-time based on demand, competition, and booking time
Vocabulary / Vocabulário:
Hub-and-spoke vs point-to-point Hub-and-spoke vs ponto-a-ponto Passengers connect through central hub; vs point-to-point (LCC model)
Codeshare agreement Acordo de codeshare Two airlines selling seats on same flight under both flight numbers; expands reach
Wet lease / dry lease Wet lease / dry lease Wet = aircraft with crew included; Dry = just the aircraft, you staff it
Slot (takeoff/landing right) Slot (direito de descolagem/aterragem) Permission to use airport runway at specific time; limited at congested airports
Ancillary revenue (bags, food, seats) Receita auxiliar (bagagem, comida, lugares) Non-ticket income (baggage, food, seats); 30-50% of LCC revenue
Turnaround time Tempo de rotação Time between landing and next takeoff; shorter = more flights per day
Block hours (flight time) Horas de bloco (tempo de voo) Time gate-to-gate; basis for crew pay and aircraft utilization metrics
Yield management Gestão de yield / pricing dinâmico Revenue per passenger per km; higher = better pricing power
Typical Cases: Route profitability, fleet strategy, pricing, M&A
🏭 Manufacturing / Indústria e Manufatura
🏭 Industry Brief / Contexto da Indústria
Manufacturing is about converting raw materials into products. Think auto parts, chemicals, electronics. Key concepts: OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), capacity utilization, yield/scrap rates, unit costs. Common levers: lean manufacturing, automation, make-vs-buy, reshoring.
🇵🇹 Manufatura é converter matérias-primas em produtos. Peças auto, químicos, eletrónica. Conceitos chave: OEE (Eficácia Global do Equipamento), utilização de capacidade, taxas de rendimento/desperdício, custo unitário. Alavancas: lean, automação, make-vs-buy, reshoring.
📊 OEE, capacity-driven🔑 OEE, utilization, unit cost, yield
English Português Explanation
Key Metrics:
OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) Eficiência Global de Equipamento Overall Equipment Effectiveness = Availability × Performance × Quality; world-class 85%+
Capacity utilization (%) Utilização de capacidade (%) Actual output ÷ max output; below 70% signals inefficiency or weak demand
Unit cost = (Fixed + Variable) / Units Custo unitário = (Fixos + Variáveis) / Unidades Revenue & cost per single unit (customer, transaction); must work before scaling
Yield rate / Scrap rate Taxa de rendimento / Taxa de sucata % of materials wasted in production; reducing scrap directly improves margins
Lead time (days) Prazo de entrega (dias) Time from order placement to delivery; shorter = more responsive supply chain
Trends:
Reshoring / nearshoring (post-COVID) Reshoring / nearshoring (pós-COVID) Moving production back home/closer; driven by supply chain risks post-COVID
Industry 4.0 (IoT, automation, digital twins) Indústria 4.0 (IoT, automação, gémeos digitais) Smart factories using IoT, AI, robotics for automated manufacturing
Lean / Six Sigma optimization Otimização Lean / Six Sigma Lean = eliminate waste; Six Sigma = reduce variation; combined for efficiency
Vocabulary / Vocabulário:
OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) Eficiência Global de Equipamento Overall Equipment Effectiveness = Availability × Performance × Quality; world-class 85%+
Just-in-Time (JIT) Just-in-Time (produção no momento certo) Minimal inventory (Toyota model); vs safety stock buffer; trade-off efficiency vs risk
Kaizen (continuous improvement) Kaizen (melhoria contínua) Japanese philosophy of continuous small improvements; core of lean manufacturing
Throughput Produtividade / rendimento Rate of production output; units produced per time period through a process
WIP (Work in Progress) Trabalho em curso Work in Progress — partially completed products; too much WIP = inefficiency
Bill of Materials (BOM) Lista de materiais Complete list of materials, parts, and quantities to make one product (BOM)
Quality assurance (QA) Garantia de qualidade Systematic process to ensure products meet defined quality standards (QA)
Bottleneck Gargalo / bottleneck Over-The-Top services (WhatsApp, Netflix) bypassing traditional telco revenue
Capex vs Opex Capex vs Opex (investimento vs custo operacional) Capital expenditure as % of revenue; telecom is capital-heavy (15-25%)
Typical Cases: Cost reduction, plant investment, supply chain, make vs. buy
📡 Telecom & Media / Telecomunicações e Media
📡 Industry Brief / Contexto da Indústria
Telecom is infrastructure-heavy (towers, fiber, spectrum) with subscription-based revenue. Media is shifting from advertising to subscriptions. Key metrics: ARPU (average revenue per user), churn, capex/revenue ratio. Big themes: 5G rollout, content bundling, OTT competition.
🇵🇹 Telecom é intensiva em infraestrutura (torres, fibra, espectro) com receita por subscrição. Media em transição de publicidade para subscrições. Métricas: ARPU, churn, rácio capex/receita. Temas: rollout 5G, bundling de conteúdo, concorrência OTT.
📊 ARPU, infrastructure-heavy🔑 ARPU, churn, capex/revenue, 5G
English Português Explanation
Key Metrics:
ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) Receita Média Por Utilizador Average Revenue Per User — total revenue ÷ subscribers; pricing power metric
Churn rate / subscriber growth Taxa de churn / crescimento subscritores % of customers leaving per period; 5% monthly = losing half your base yearly
Capex / Revenue ratio Rácio Capex / Receita Capital expenditure as % of revenue; telecom is capital-heavy (15-25%)
Content cost per subscriber Custo de conteúdo por subscritor What a telco/streamer pays for content ÷ subscribers; key ARPU driver
Trends:
5G rollout & monetization Implementação 5G e monetização Next-gen network: faster, lower latency; enables IoT, autonomous vehicles
Streaming wars / content bundling Guerras de streaming / bundling de conteúdo Combining mobile + broadband + TV in one package; reduces churn, ups ARPU
Tower company spin-offs / infrastructure sharing Spin-offs de empresas de torres / partilha de infraestrutura Multiple operators sharing same towers; significantly reduces capex
Vocabulary / Vocabulário:
MNO (Mobile Network Operator) Operadora de rede móvel Mobile Network Operator — owns and operates its own wireless network (vs MVNO)
MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) Operadora virtual Mobile Virtual Network Operator — buys wholesale capacity, sells under own brand
Spectrum (frequency bands) Espectro (bandas de frequência) Price paid for radio frequencies; major investment enabling network capacity
OTT (Over-The-Top content) Conteúdo OTT Over-The-Top services (WhatsApp, Netflix) bypassing traditional telco revenue
Latency Latência Data travel time device→server; critical for gaming, video calls, autonomous cars
Bandwidth Largura de banda Maximum data transfer rate of a network connection; higher = faster internet
Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Fibra até casa Running fiber optic directly to homes; highest speed but expensive to deploy
Cord-cutting (cancel cable TV) Corte do cabo (cancelar TV por cabo) Consumers cancelling traditional cable/satellite TV for streaming services
Bundle / unbundle Pacote / desagregar Bundling = selling services together (discount); unbundling = selling separately
Typical Cases: Growth strategy, pricing tiers, M&A, customer retention
🏛️ Non-Profit & Public Sector / Sem Fins Lucrativos e Setor Público
🏛️ Industry Brief / Contexto da Indústria
Non-profits and public sector optimize for impact rather than profit. Key metrics: cost per beneficiary, impact per dollar spent, overhead ratio. Funding comes from donors, grants, or government budgets. Common cases: resource allocation, scaling programs, public-private partnerships.
🇵🇹 Sem fins lucrativos e setor público otimizam impacto em vez de lucro. Métricas: custo por beneficiário, impacto por euro gasto, rácio de overhead. Financiamento: doadores, subsídios, orçamentos públicos. Casos comuns: alocação de recursos, escalar programas, PPPs.
📊 Impact/$ optimized🔑 Cost/beneficiary, overhead ratio
English Português Explanation
Key Metrics:
Impact per $ spent Impacto por € gasto Measurable outcomes (lives saved, children educated); proves effectiveness
Cost per beneficiary Custo por beneficiário Total program cost ÷ people served; key efficiency metric for donors
Funding diversification (grants, donations, earned) Diversificação de financiamento (subsídios, doações, receita própria) Spreading income across grants, donations, earned revenue; reduces risk
Overhead ratio Rácio de custos administrativos Admin + fundraising ÷ total spend; donors prefer <20%, but too low hurts effectiveness
Trends:
Outcome-based funding Financiamento por resultados Donors pay based on results achieved, not activities performed
Public-private partnerships (PPPs) Parcerias público-privadas (PPPs) Govt + business + nonprofit collaboration; leverages different strengths
Digital transformation of public services Transformação digital de serviços públicos Remote healthcare via apps/video; growing post-COVID
Vocabulary / Vocabulário:
Theory of change Teoria de mudança Logic model: activities → outputs → outcomes → impact; shows how change happens
Donor retention Retenção de doadores Cost to get one new donor; analogous to CAC in for-profit world
Grant making Atribuição de subsídios % of revenue from grants; high dependency = volatility risk
Social enterprise Empresa social Nonprofits earning revenue through market activities (fair trade, job training)
Outcomes framework Quadro de resultados Structured model defining what success looks like and how to measure it
Beneficiary Beneficiário Total program cost ÷ people served; key efficiency metric for donors
Capacity building Capacitação / reforço de capacidades Strengthening org's ability to deliver (training, systems, governance)
Social ROI (SROI) Retorno Social do Investimento Nonprofits earning revenue through market activities (fair trade, job training)
Scalability (of programs) Escalabilidade (de programas) Ability to grow revenue without proportional increase in costs
Typical Cases: Resource allocation, program effectiveness, stakeholder strategy

🎯 Quick Reference: When a case mentions...

Keyword / Palavra-chave Industry / Indústria Think about / Pensar em
"hospital", "drug", "patients" Healthcare R&D pipeline, reimbursement, patient pop.
"airline", "routes", "fleet" Airlines Load factor, CASK, yield
"SaaS", "users", "subscription" Tech MRR, churn, LTV:CAC
"stores", "SKUs", "footfall" Retail Basket size, sqm, inventory
"factory", "units", "capacity" Manufacturing OEE, utilization, unit cost
"bank", "loans", "insurance" Financial NIM, CIR, NPL
"subscribers", "ARPU", "content" Telecom/Media Churn, 5G, bundling
"renewable", "MW", "grid" Energy LCOE, capacity factor, carbon
"NGO", "donors", "beneficiaries" Non-profit Impact/$ , overhead, PPP
🎲 Case Prompt Generator / Gerador de Casos
Pick an industry, framework, and math type — or hit Random for a surprise. Each case has 3 guided sections with model solutions.
📊 Key Metrics
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🎯 Self-Assessment / Autoavaliação
Structure
Math/Analysis
Communication
🔢 Math & Estimations / Matemática e Estimativas
Formulas, mental math, market sizing — EN/PT Bilingual

📏 Market Sizing & Estimations / Dimensionamento de Mercado

⚡ Core Profit Chain / Cadeia de Lucro Fundamental

Know these by heart — they appear in 80%+ of cases / Saber de cor — aparecem em 80%+ dos casos

🇬🇧 Profit = Revenue − Cost
🇵🇹 Lucro = Receita − Custo

🇬🇧 Revenue = Price × Volume
🇵🇹 Receita = Preço × Volume

🇬🇧 Volume = Market Size × Market Share
                — OR — = Customers × Frequency × Price
🇵🇹 Volume = Tamanho do Mercado × Quota de Mercado
                — OU — = Clientes × Frequência × Preço

🇬🇧 Cost = Fixed Costs + Variable Costs
🇵🇹 Custo = Custos Fixos + Custos Variáveis

🇬🇧 Contribution Margin = Price − Variable Cost
🇵🇹 Margem de Contribuição = Preço − Custo Variável

✅ Mini Checklist for Every Calculation / Mini Checklist para Cada Cálculo

  1. State assumptions and rounding / Dizer pressupostos e arredondamentos
  2. Write the equation first / Escrever a equação primeiro
  3. Compute step-by-step / Calcular passo a passo
  4. Say the result with units / Dizer o resultado com unidades
  5. Interpret / Interpretar: "This means... so..." / "Isto significa... portanto..."

📊 Exhibit Handling in 20 Seconds / Leitura de Exhibits em 20 Segundos

  1. READ / LER: What is on axes/columns, units, time period, segment / O que está nos eixos/colunas, unidades, período, segmento
  2. EXTRACT / EXTRAIR: 2-3 insights — trends, deltas, outliers, drivers / tendências, deltas, outliers, drivers
  3. SO WHAT / E ENTÃO: How this changes the hypothesis or next step / Como isto muda a hipótese ou próximo passo
  4. ASK / PEDIR: What data you need next / Que dados precisa a seguir
Top-Down vs Bottom-Up (CaseCoach)
Top-Down Bottom-Up
Approach / Abordagem Break down a large number (market, population) / Decompor um número grande (mercado, população) Extrapolate a small number (observation, locality) / Extrapolar um número pequeno (observação, local)
Pros / Vantagens Gets to right order of magnitude / Ordem de grandeza correta Very tangible / Muito tangível. Great for sanity checks / Ótimo para verificação
Cons / Desvantagens Intangible / Intangível Small mistakes are magnified / Pequenos erros são amplificados
Bottom-up is the preferred approach / Bottom-up é a abordagem preferida
🔄 The Replacement Method / Método de Substituição

For products that are replaced periodically / Para produtos substituídos periodicamente:

🇬🇧 Sales = Stock ÷ Lifetime + Growth
🇵🇹 Vendas = Stock ÷ Vida útil + Crescimento

Example / Exemplo: Cars sold in US / Carros vendidos nos EUA

  • # Cars sold / # Carros vendidos
    • To maintain current stock / Para manter stock atual
      • # Cars in US / # Carros nos EUA
      • Lifetime of a car / Vida útil do carro
    • To increase stock / Para aumentar stock
📊 Segmentation Technique / Técnica de Segmentação

Example / Exemplo: Number of cars per household / Número de carros por família

# Cars / Carros 0 1 2 3 Total / Média
% of households / % famílias 10% 50% 30% 10% 100%
Weighted / Ponderado 0.0 0.5 0.6 0.3 1.4
🌍 Key Numbers to Know / Números-Chave a Saber

World & Major Countries / Mundo e Países Principais

Country / País Population / População
World / Mundo ~8 billion / mil milhões
US / EUA 330M (~300M)
China 1.4B (~1.5B)
India / Índia 1.4B (~1.5B)
Germany / Alemanha 83M (~80M)
UK / Reino Unido 67M (~70M)
Portugal ~10.3M

US Demographics & Economics / Demografia e Economia EUA

Life expectancy / Esperança de vida ~80 years / anos
People per household / Pessoas por família 2.5
GDP per capita / PIB per capita $70,000
Median individual income / Rendimento mediano individual $50,000
Median household income / Rendimento mediano familiar $75,000
Work hours per year / Horas trabalho por ano ~2,000

Portugal Reference Numbers / Números de Referência Portugal

Population / População ~10.3M
GDP / PIB ~€260B / mil milhões
GDP per capita / PIB per capita ~€25,000
Average salary / Salário médio ~€1,400 gross / bruto
Households / Famílias ~4M
Lisbon metro / Lisboa metro ~3M
Porto metro ~1.7M
Tourists per year / Turistas por ano ~25-30M

📐 Core Formulas / Fórmulas Essenciais

1. Breakeven / Ponto de Equilíbrio
🇬🇧 BE (units) = Fixed Costs ÷ (Price − Variable Cost per Unit)
🇵🇹 BE (unidades) = Custos Fixos ÷ (Preço − Custo Variável por Unidade)

🇬🇧 Contribution Margin = Price − Variable Cost
🇵🇹 Margem de Contribuição = Preço − Custo Variável
Example / Exemplo: FC=€100K, Price=€50, VC=€30 → BE = 100,000÷20 = 5,000 units / unidades
2. Payback Period / Período de Retorno
🇬🇧 Payback = Initial Investment ÷ Annual Cash Flow
🇵🇹 Payback = Investimento Inicial ÷ Fluxo de Caixa Anual
Example: Investment=€500K, Annual CF=€125K → 4 years / anos
3. ROI (Return on Investment)
🇬🇧 ROI = (Gain − Investment) ÷ Investment × 100%
🇵🇹 ROI = (Ganho − Investimento) ÷ Investimento × 100%
Example: Invested €200K, gained €280K → ROI = (280−200)÷200 = 40%
4. Margins / Margens
📊 Income Statement Waterfall / Cascata da Demonstração de Resultados:
Revenue (Receita)
  − COGS (Custo das Mercadorias Vendidas) = raw materials, direct labor, manufacturing
= Gross Profit (Lucro Bruto)
  − OpEx (Custos Operacionais) = salaries, rent, marketing, R&D, admin
= EBIT (Earnings Before Interest & Tax) = Lucro antes de Juros e Impostos
    → Also called Operating Profit / Lucro Operacional
  − Interest (Juros) on debt
  − Tax (Impostos)
= Net Profit (Lucro Líquido) = what's left for shareholders

EBITDA = EBIT + Depreciation + Amortization (removes non-cash charges → shows cash generation capacity)
🇬🇧 Gross Margin = (Revenue − COGS) ÷ Revenue
🇵🇹 Margem Bruta = (Receita − COGS) ÷ Receita

🇬🇧 Operating Margin = EBIT ÷ Revenue
🇵🇹 Margem Operacional = EBIT ÷ Receita
→ EBIT = Revenue − COGS − OpEx (all operating costs before interest & tax)

🇬🇧 Net Margin = Net Profit ÷ Revenue
🇵🇹 Margem Líquida = Lucro Líquido ÷ Receita
→ Net Profit = EBIT − Interest − Tax (the bottom line, what shareholders keep)

🇬🇧 Contribution Margin = (Price − VC) ÷ Price
🇵🇹 Margem de Contribuição = (Preço − CV) ÷ Preço
Ratio / Rácio Benchmark
Gross Margin / Margem Bruta Retail 30-40%, Tech 60-80%, Services 40-60%
EBITDA Margin 15-25% (good / bom)
Net Margin / Margem Líquida 10-20% (good / bom)
5. Growth & CAGR / Crescimento e CAGR
🇬🇧 Growth = (Final − Initial) ÷ Initial × 100%
🇵🇹 Crescimento = (Final − Inicial) ÷ Inicial × 100%

CAGR = (Final ÷ Initial)^(1/n) − 1

Rule of 72 / Regra dos 72:

72 ÷ growth rate = years to double / anos para duplicar

7% growth / crescimento → doubles in ~10 years / duplica em ~10 anos
10% → ~7 years / anos
15% → ~5 years / anos
6. NPV / VAL + CLV/CAC + Market Share / Quota de Mercado
🇬🇧 NPV = Σ [CF_t ÷ (1 + r)^t] − Initial Investment
🇵🇹 VAL = Σ [CF_t ÷ (1 + r)^t] − Investimento Inicial

🇬🇧 CLV = Avg Revenue × Margin × Retention Time
🇵🇹 CLV = Receita Média × Margem × Tempo de Retenção

🇬🇧 CAC = Total Marketing+Sales Cost ÷ # New Customers
🇵🇹 CAC = Custo Total Marketing+Vendas ÷ # Novos Clientes
Healthy ratio: CLV÷CAC > 3

🇬🇧 Market Share = Company Sales ÷ Market Sales
🇵🇹 Quota de Mercado = Vendas Empresa ÷ Vendas Mercado

🇬🇧 Elasticity = % Change Quantity ÷ % Change Price
🇵🇹 Elasticidade = % Variação Quantidade ÷ % Variação Preço
|E| > 1: Elastic (price-sensitive)   |E| < 1: Inelastic

🧮 Mental Math Shortcuts / Atalhos de Cálculo Mental

Percentages / Percentagens

10% = ÷10   5% = ÷20   1% = ÷100
15% = 10%+5%   20% = ÷5   25% = ÷4
33% = ÷3   50% = ÷2   75% = X − 25%

Multiplication / Multiplicação

×5 = ×10 ÷ 2   ×15 = ×10 + ×5
×25 = ×100 ÷ 4   ×50 = ×100 ÷ 2
×1.1 = ×1 + 10%

Strategic Rounding / Arredondamento Estratégico

RULE: Always round to simplify. Adjust after if needed. / REGRA: Arredondar SEMPRE. Ajustar depois.

397 → 400   1,243 → 1,250   €4.7M → €5M

💡 Math Tips During the Case / Dicas de Math no Caso

  1. Round first, adjust after / Arredondar primeiro, ajustar depois: "I'll round to simplify... 397 ≈ 400" / "Vou arredondar... 397 ≈ 400"
  2. Think aloud / Falar em voz alta: "5M ÷ 200K units gives us €25 per unit" / "5M ÷ 200K unidades dá-nos €25"
  3. Sanity check: "€25/unit for a premium product seems reasonable" / "€25/unidade para premium parece razoável"
  4. State implications / Dizer implicações: After every calculation / Após cada cálculo
🧮 Drills
CaseCoach 6 Drill Categories + Math Exercises — EN/PT

⚡ CaseCoach Drill Categories / Categorias de Drills CaseCoach

Practice these daily on the platform / Praticar diariamente na plataforma:

# Category / Categoria Description / Descrição Target / Objetivo
1 Structures / Estruturas Build MECE structures for case prompts / Construir estruturas MECE 5-10 per session / por sessão
2 Calculations / Cálculos Mental math speed drills / Cálculo mental rápido 15-30 sec each / seg cada
3 Case Math Full case math problems / Problemas de math de caso completos 2-3 min each / min cada
4 Market Sizing Bottom-up and top-down estimations / Estimativas bottom-up e top-down 5 min each / min cada
5 Charts / Gráficos Interpret exhibits and extract insights / Interpretar exhibits e extrair insights 2-3 min each / min cada
6 Creativity / Criatividade Brainstorm ideas in structured buckets / Brainstorming em categorias estruturadas 2 min each / min cada

📊 Chart Types / Tipos de Gráfico (from CaseCoach)

How to Identify Insights / Como Identificar Insights
Objective / Objetivo Chart Types / Tipos de Gráfico Characteristics / Características
Comparison / Comparação Bar charts, Harvey balls Several data series against same axis / Várias séries no mesmo eixo
Composition / Composição Pie chart, Waterfall, Mekko, Area chart, Stacked bar A total broken into components / Total decomposto em componentes
Distribution / Distribuição Bar chart, Line chart How many times an event occurs / Frequência de ocorrências
Trend / Tendência Line chart, Dual axis Time as an axis / Tempo como eixo
Relationship / Relação Scatter plot, Bubble chart At least 3 dimensions / Pelo menos 3 dimensões

🔢 Math Exercises / Exercícios de Math

Nível 1: Aquecimento (10 exercícios)
  1. 10% de €4.500 = ? Ver€450
  2. 25% de 1.200 = ? Ver300
  3. €800 × 12 meses = ? Ver€9.600
  4. €15.000 / 3 = ? Ver€5.000
  5. Aumento de 20% sobre €500 = ? Ver€600
  6. €2.400 / 8 = ? Ver€300
  7. 15% de €6.000 = ? Ver€900
  8. €350 × 52 semanas = ? Ver€18.200
  9. €80.000 / 12 meses = ? Ver≈ €6.667
  10. Desconto de 30% sobre €1.500 = ? Ver€1.050
Nível 2: Case Math (15 exercícios)
  1. Empresa fatura €2M com margem de 15%. Lucro? Ver€300K (€2M × 0.15)
  2. CF: €500K. CV: €20/unid. Preço: €50/unid. Breakeven? Ver16.667 unid (€500K / €30)
  3. Investimento: €300K. CF anual: €75K. Payback? Ver4 anos
  4. 300K clientes × churn 8%/ano. Quantos se perdem? Ver24.000
  5. Receita: €5M → €8M em 3 anos. Crescimento total? Anual? Ver60% total. Anual ≈ 17%
  6. Custo produção €40. Margem desejada 60%. Preço venda? Ver€100 (€40/0.4). Atenção: 60% MARGEM ≠ 60% markup!
  7. Market share 15% de €200M. Receita? Ver€30M
  8. ROI: Investiu €400K, gerou €560K. ROI? Ver40%
  9. 5.000 funcionários × €45K/ano. Custo total? Ver€225M
  10. Redução 12% sobre base de €8M. Poupança? Ver€960K
  11. CLV: €500/ano receita, 40% margem, 4 anos retenção. CLV? Ver€800
  12. CAC: €2M marketing, 10K clientes. CAC? CLV/CAC se CLV=€800? VerCAC=€200. CLV/CAC=4.0 (saudável)
  13. 2.311 potenciais, conversão 5%. Clientes ganhos? Ver≈ 116
  14. Fábrica: 1.000/dia, 250 dias/ano. Produção anual? Ver250.000 unidades
  15. Preço +10%, volume -15%. Receita base €10M. Resultado? Ver€9.35M (CAI 6.5%)
Nível 3: Avançado / MBB-style (15 exercícios)
  1. Mercado €500M, cresce 5%/ano. Valor em 3 anos? Ver≈ €579M (×1.157)
  2. A: €100M receita, 8% margem. B: €60M, 15% margem. Qual gera mais lucro? VerA: €8M. B: €9M. B gera mais!
  3. Cliente compra 3x/ano, €120 ticket, 35% margem. Se frequência → 4x, ganho incremental? Ver+€42/cliente
  4. PT: 10M pessoas, 4M famílias, 70% têm carro, 30% têm 2+. Total carros? Ver5.2M carros (2.8M+2.4M)
  5. Armazém: 500 encomendas/dia, 5% devoluções (€15/cada). Custo anual? (250 dias) Ver€93.750/ano
  6. Subscrição €10/mês, churn 3%/mês. Vida média? CLV bruto? Ver≈ 33 meses. CLV = €330
  7. Receita €50M. COGS 55%, OPEX 30%. EBIT? Margem? Ver€7.5M. 15%
  8. Aquisição €40M. EBITDA alvo €5M. Múltiplo? Sinergias +€2M/ano → múltiplo efetivo? Ver8x. Com sinergias: 5.7x
  9. 10K clientes. 40% compram A (€100), 35% B (€200), 25% ambos (€280). Receita? Ver€1.8M
  10. Desconto 15% ↑ volume 25%. Preço €80, volume 100K, CV €30. Vale a pena? VerNÃO. Contribuição cai €5M→€4.75M
Nível 4: Speed Round (10 exercícios, 10 seg cada)
  1. €3M ÷ 6 Ver€500K
  2. 17% de €400K ≈ Ver≈ €68K
  3. €85 × 200 Ver€17.000
  4. €1.2M × 0.35 Ver€420K
  5. €750K ÷ 25K Ver€30
  6. €450 × 365 ≈ Ver≈ €164K
  7. 12% de €55M ≈ Ver≈ €6.6M
  8. €2.8M - 23% ≈ Ver≈ €2.16M
  9. 45.000 ÷ 150 Ver300
  10. €180K × 4.5 Ver€810K

💡 Dicas de Math durante o Caso

  1. Arredonda primeiro, ajusta depois: "Vou arredondar para facilitar... 397 ≈ 400"
  2. Fala em voz alta: "5M dividido por 200K unidades dá-nos 25€ por unidade"
  3. Sanity check: "€25/unidade para um premium parece razoável"
  4. Simplifica frações: 3/8 → ≈ 37.5% → ≈ 40%
  5. Usa benchmarks: "€1B mercado × 15% share → €150M"
🗺️ Framework Map
How the 10 case frameworks nest inside each other — all roads start from Profitability. BETA — Experimental

Key insight: Every case framework is a "zoom-in" on a branch of the Profitability tree. Click any node to see its framework chain and expand the framework tree below.

🇬🇧 EN / 🇵🇹 PT
💰 PROFITABILITY
📈 Revenue
📉 Costs
📊 Volume
💲 Price
🏢 Fixed Costs
📦 Variable Costs
📈 2. GROWTH
🏷️ 6. PRICING
⚔️ 9. COMP. RESPONSE
📉 3. COST REDUCTION
💼 7. INVESTMENT
🚀 4. MARKET ENTRY
🆕 5. NEW PRODUCT
🤝 8. M&A
⚙️ 10. PROCESS OPT.
📚 ACADEMIC FRAMEWORKS / FRAMEWORKS ACADÉMICOS
📊 Supply & Demand
🔺 Three Cs
⭐ Porter's 5 Forces
🎯 Four Ps
🧩 LOGICAL STRUCTURES / ESTRUTURAS LÓGICAS
🔢 Equations
❓ Key Questions
🧪 Hypotheses
🔍 Root Causes
🗺️ Process Map
➡️ From-To

💡 Example:

Connection (parent → child)
Cross-cutting (e.g. Pricing)
Click a pill to expand the framework tree

🧠 How to read this map

Level Question Framework
0 — Start "How to improve profits?" 💰 Profitability (Revenue − Costs)
1 — Revenue "Volume problem or price problem?" Volume / Price decomposition
1 — Costs "Fixed costs or variable costs?" Fixed / Variable decomposition
2a — Volume "How to sell more?" 📈 Growth
2b — Price "How to optimize price?" 🏷️ Pricing
2c — Revenue "How to defend from threats?" ⚔️ Competitive Response
2d — Costs "How to reduce costs?" 📉 Cost Reduction
2e — Costs "Should we invest to improve?" 💼 Investment
3a — Growth "Enter a new market?" 🚀 Market Entry
3b — Growth "Launch a new product?" 🆕 New Product
3c — Growth "Acquire a company?" 🤝 M&A
3d — Cost Red. "Optimize this process?" ⚙️ Process Optimization

💡 The Venn Diagram Insight

Think of it as concentric circles: Profitability is the outer ring (every case is ultimately about profit). Inside it, Revenue and Costs are the two halves. Revenue decomposes into Volume and Price; Costs into Fixed and Variable. Each of those leads to specific frameworks. Pricing and Investment cut across both sides. Competitive Response defends revenue when external threats appear.

In an interview: The prompt tells you WHERE in this map you are. "Profits are declining" → start at Level 0. "Should we enter China?" → jump to Level 3a. But always know which outer framework led here — it gives context for your recommendation.

🇵🇹 Termos PT
Business vocabulary EN/PT for the interview / Vocabulário de negócios EN/PT para a entrevista
🏢 General Business Terms / Termos Gerais de Negócio
English Português Notas
Company Empresa / Companhia "Empresa" mais comum
Market share Quota de mercado NUNCA "share de mercado"
Value chain Cadeia de valor
Competitive advantage Vantagem competitiva
Value proposition Proposta de valor OK dizer em EN
Competitor Concorrente
Supplier Fornecedor
Retail Retalho
Wholesale Grossista "Grossista" é PT-PT
Distribution channel Canal de distribuição
Business model Modelo de negócio
💰 Financial Terms / Termos Financeiros
English Português Notas
Revenue Receitas / Faturação "Faturação" muito PT-PT ✅
Profit Lucro / Resultado "Resultado líquido" = net profit
Loss Prejuízo
Fixed / Variable costs Custos fixos / variáveis
Gross / Operating margin Margem bruta / operacional
Contribution margin Margem de contribuição
Breakeven Ponto de equilíbrio
Cash flow Fluxo de caixa OK usar "cash flow"
Payback period Período de retorno OK usar "payback"
NPV Valor atual líquido (VAL)
Balance sheet Balanço
P&L (Income Statement) Demonstração de resultados
Assets / Liabilities Ativo / Passivo
Equity Capital próprio
Leverage Alavancagem
Capital / Operating expenditure CAPEX / OPEX OK em inglês
📊 Analysis & Strategy Terms / Termos de Análise e Estratégia
English Português
Market sizing Dimensionamento de mercado
Growth / Penetration / Retention / Churn rate Taxa de crescimento / penetração / retenção / cancelamento
CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost) Custo de aquisição de cliente
CLV (Customer Lifetime Value) Valor do ciclo de vida do cliente
Economies of scale Economias de escala
Synergies Sinergias
Barriers to entry Barreiras à entrada
Bargaining power Poder negocial
Disruption Disrupção
Sustainability Sustentabilidade

🗣️ Case Expressions / Expressões durante o Caso

Structuring / Estruturar:

  • "To answer this question, I propose analysing three dimensions..." / "Para responder a esta questão, proponho analisar três dimensões..."
  • "I'll split my analysis into two main blocks..." / "Vou dividir a minha análise em dois grandes blocos..."
  • "My approach would be as follows..." / "A minha abordagem seria a seguinte..."
  • "Does this structure make sense? Shall I start with...?" / "Faz sentido esta estrutura? Posso começar por...?"

Making Hypotheses / Fazer hipóteses:

  • "My initial hypothesis is that..." / "A minha hipótese inicial é que..."
  • "I'll assume that... Does that seem reasonable?" / "Vou assumir que... Parece-lhe razoável?"

Synthesizing / Sintetizar:

  • "So, summarizing what we've seen so far..." / "Então, resumindo o que vimos até agora..."
  • "Therefore, the main conclusion is that..." / "Portanto, a principal conclusão é que..."
  • "In other words, the main driver here is..." / "Ou seja, o driver principal aqui é..."

Recommending / Recomendar:

  • "My recommendation would be..." / "A minha recomendação seria..."
  • "I would recommend three main actions..." / "Eu recomendaria três ações principais..."
  • "There are, however, risks to consider..." / "Há, no entanto, riscos a considerar..."

When you're stuck / Quando ficas preso:

  • "Let me take a step back and reframe..." / "Deixe-me recuar um passo e reformular..."
  • "May I take a moment to organize my approach?" / "Posso pensar um momento para organizar a minha abordagem?"
  • "I'll make an approximation and then refine." / "Vou fazer uma aproximação e depois refinamos."

⚠️ Common Mistakes / Erros Comuns

❌ Don't say / Não digas

  • "I'll use profitability" / "Vou usar profitability"
  • "Revenue" (alone / sozinho)
  • "O market share"
  • "I don't know" / "Não sei"
  • "That's hard" / "Isso é difícil"

✅ Say instead / Diz antes

  • "I'll analyse revenues and costs separately" / "Vou analisar receitas e custos separadamente"
  • "Revenues" or "Turnover" / "Receitas" ou "Faturação"
  • "Market share" / "A quota de mercado"
  • "I'll make an estimate based on..." / "Vou fazer uma estimativa baseada em..."
  • "Interesting. Let me think of an approach" / "Interessante. Deixe-me pensar numa abordagem"

📏 Reference Numbers Portugal / Números de Referência Portugal

Indicator / Indicador Value / Valor
População ~10.3 milhões
PIB ~€260 mil milhões
PIB per capita ~€25.000
Salário médio mensal ~€1.400 bruto
Salário mínimo ~€870 (2026)
Nº famílias ~4 milhões
Lisboa metro ~3 milhões
Porto metro ~1.7 milhões
Restaurantes ~40.000
Supermercados ~3.500-4.000
Farmácias ~3.000
Turistas/ano ~25-30 milhões
🧠 Criatividade
How to shine in brainstorming questions / Como brilhar nas perguntas de brainstorming — EN/PT

What MBB Evaluates / O que a firm avalia:

  1. Structure / Estrutura — Organize ideas in MECE categories? / Organizas ideias em categorias MECE?
  2. Breadth / Amplitude — Think in multiple dimensions? / Pensas em múltiplas dimensões?
  3. Quality / Qualidade — Are ideas sound and actionable? / As ideias fazem sentido e são acionáveis?
  4. Communication / Comunicação — Present clearly? / Apresentas de forma clara?
NEVER / NUNCA answer with an unstructured list / respondas com lista desestruturada. ALWAYS / SEMPRE group into 3-4 categories / agrupa em 3-4 categorias.

📐 Method: Structured "Buckets" / Método: "Buckets" Estruturados

  1. Ask for 30 seconds / Pede 30 segundos: "Good question. Can I take a moment?" / "Boa pergunta. Posso pensar um momento?"
  2. Define 3-4 categories / categorias: "I'll organize my ideas into [3/4] categories..." / "Vou organizar em [3/4] categorias..."
  3. Give 2-3 ideas per category / Dá 2-3 ideias por categoria: Present in structured way / Apresentar estruturadamente
  4. Prioritize / Prioriza: "I'd highlight [X] and [Y] as highest impact because..." / "Destacaria [X] e [Y] como as de maior impacto porque..."

🔧 Brainstorming Frameworks

Who / What / How — Quem / O quê / Como
  • WHO / QUEM (stakeholders)
    • Current clients / Clientes atuais
    • New clients / Novos clientes
    • Partners / Channels / Parceiros / Canais
    • Internal team / Equipa interna
  • WHAT / O QUÊ (what to change / o que mudar)
    • Product / Service / Produto / Serviço
    • Price / Preço
    • Experience / Experiência
    • Channel / Distribution / Canal / Distribuição
  • HOW / COMO (mechanisms / mecanismos)
    • Technology / Digital / Tecnologia / Digital
    • Marketing / Communication / Marketing / Comunicação
    • Operational / Operacional
    • Partnerships / Parcerias
Impact × Feasibility / Impacto × Facilidade (to prioritize / para priorizar)
Alto Impacto Baixo Impacto
Fácil ⭐ QUICK WINS Nice-to-have
Difícil Projetos grandes ❌ Ignorar
Internal vs. External / Interno vs. Externo
  • INTERNAL / INTERNO (we control / controlamos)
    • Product / Service / Produto / Serviço
    • Processes / Processos
    • People / Team / Pessoas / Equipa
    • Technology / Tecnologia
  • EXTERNAL / EXTERNO (we influence / influenciamos)
    • Clients / Clientes
    • Market / Competition / Mercado / Concorrência
    • Regulation / Regulamentação
    • Partnerships / Parcerias
Short / Medium / Long Term — Curto / Médio / Longo Prazo
  • SHORT / CURTO (0-3 months / meses)
    • Quick wins, low-hanging fruit
    • Quick optimizations / Otimizações rápidas
  • MEDIUM / MÉDIO (3-12 months / meses)
    • New processes, channels / Novos processos, canais
    • Operational changes / Mudanças operacionais
  • LONGO (1-3+ anos)
    • Novos produtos/mercados
    • Transformação digital, M&A

💡 Exemplo Completo

Pergunta: "Como pode um banco aumentar a receita?"

"Vou organizar as minhas ideias em três dimensões: clientes, produtos e canais.

1. Clientes: Adquirir novos (campanhas segmentadas, referral), aumentar utilização dos atuais (cross-selling crédito → seguros), reduzir churn (fidelização).

2. Produtos: Lançar novos (robô-advisor, conta digital jovens), repricing (comissões, spreads), serviços de valor acrescentado (consultoria financeira).

3. Canais: Expandir digital (app, onboarding online), parcerias (fintechs, embedded finance), expandir rede em zonas subservidas.

Priorizaria cross-selling a existentes e expansão digital, por melhor rácio impacto vs. investimento."

🎯 Pratica (2 min cada)

  1. How to reduce food waste in a supermarket? / Como reduzir desperdício alimentar num supermercado?
  2. How can an airline retain more customers? / Como pode uma companhia aérea reter mais clientes?
  3. What ways can a hospital reduce wait times? / Que formas tem um hospital de reduzir tempos de espera?
  4. How can a fashion brand become more sustainable? / Como pode uma marca de moda tornar-se mais sustentável?
  5. What ways can a municipality attract more tourists? / De que formas pode um município atrair mais turistas?
🏢 MBB Patterns
What MBB tests specifically / O que a firm testa especificamente — EN/PT

🔄 Universal Case Flow / Fluxo Universal do Caso

Memorize this — it works for almost every case / Memorizar — funciona para quase todos os casos

Step / Passo What You Do / O que fazes What You Say / O que dizes
1. Clarify / Clarificar (30-60s) Lock metric, time horizon, scope, constraints / Fixar métrica, horizonte, âmbito, restrições "Just to confirm, success means X by Y, within Z constraints. Is that right?" / "Só para confirmar, sucesso significa X até Y, com Z restrições. Correto?"
2. Structure / Estruturar (60s) MECE issue tree covering the problem / Árvore de questões MECE "I'll break this into A, B, C. I'll start with A because it's likely the biggest driver." / "Vou dividir em A, B, C. Começo por A porque é o maior driver."
3. Hypothesize / Fazer hipótese Pick a likely answer and test it / Escolher resposta provável e testar "My initial hypothesis is X. I'll validate by checking 1, 2, 3." / "A minha hipótese inicial é X. Vou validar verificando 1, 2, 3."
4. Analyze / Analisar 2-3 killer analyses, quant where possible / 2-3 análises decisivas, quantificar "The data suggests the main driver is... so the priority should be..." / "Os dados sugerem que o driver principal é... logo a prioridade deveria ser..."
5. Synthesize / Sintetizar Mini-summaries every 5-7 min / Mini-sumários a cada 5-7 min "So far we learned A and B, which implies C. Next I'll test D." / "Até agora vimos A e B, o que implica C. A seguir vou testar D."
6. Recommend / Recomendar Answer + numbers + rationale + risks + next steps / Resposta + números + razão + riscos + próximos passos "I recommend X because 1, 2, 3. Impact is Y. Risks are R, mitigated by M." / "Recomendo X porque 1, 2, 3. Impacto é Y. Riscos R, mitigados por M."

🎤 Final Recommendation Structure (CEO-Ready) / Estrutura da Recomendação Final

  1. Answer first / Resposta primeiro: Yes/no or do/don't, plus the main action / Sim/não e ação principal
  2. Quantified impact / Impacto quantificado: Profit, revenue, costs, NPV, payback, timeline
  3. Top 2-3 reasons / 2-3 razões principais: Each backed by evidence / Cada uma suportada por evidência
  4. Risks and mitigations / Riscos e mitigações: Show you're not naive / Mostrar que não és naïf
  5. Next steps / Próximos passos: What you'd do in week 1 and month 1 / Semana 1 e mês 1

💀 Mistakes That Sink Strong Candidates / Erros que Afundam Candidatos Fortes

  • Framework dumping: Reciting Porter and 4Ps without relevance / Recitar Porter e 4Ps sem relevância
  • No synthesis until the end / Sem síntese até ao fim
  • Analysis without linking to decision / Análise sem ligar à decisão
  • Overcomplicating math / Complicar a matemática: Losing track of units / Perder unidades
  • Not segmenting / Não segmentar: Averages hide the truth / Médias escondem a verdade
  • Weak close / Fecho fraco: No numbers, no risks, no next steps / Sem números, sem riscos, sem próximos passos

✅ Self-Review Checklist (After Every Case) / Checklist de Auto-Revisão

  1. Did I clarify success metric and constraints? / Clarifiquei a métrica de sucesso e restrições?
  2. Was my structure MECE and tailored (not generic)? / A estrutura foi MECE e personalizada?
  3. Did I lead with a hypothesis and update it? / Comecei com hipótese e atualizei?
  4. Did I prioritize 2-3 analyses that change the decision? / Priorizei 2-3 análises que mudam a decisão?
  5. Did I synthesize along the way? / Sintetizei ao longo do caminho?
  6. Was my recommendation quantified and actionable (risks + next steps)? / A recomendação foi quantificada e acionável?

🎯 Format / Formato (Interview Round)

  • INTERVIEW 1 / ENTREVISTA 1 (45 min)
    • Fit: 10-15 min
      • 1-2 questions / perguntas
    • Case / Caso: 25-30 min
      • Full case / Caso completo
  • INTERVIEW 2 / ENTREVISTA 2 (45 min)
    • Fit: 10-15 min
      • 1-2 questions (different) / perguntas (diferentes)
    • Caso: 25-30 min
      • Tipo diferente

Cada entrevistador avalia independentemente e depois comparam notas.

📊 Tipos de Caso Favoritos MBB

💰 1. Rentabilidade e Margem (mais comum) — Decomposição receita/custo, análise de drivers, quantificação
⚙️ 2. Operações / Eficiência — Cadeia de valor, processos, lean thinking. MBB forte aqui
🏷️ 3. Pricing — Value-based vs. cost-plus, segmentação, elasticidade
🌍 4. Entrada no Mercado — Atratividade, modo de entrada, riscos
📱 5. Digital / Tech — Disrupção, digital strategy. digital/tech arms
🌿 6. Sustentabilidade / ESG — MBB coloca crescente ênfase em ESG

🔑 Pesos de Avaliação

Structured Thinking / Pensamento Estruturado — 45%

Custom MECE framework. Clear and concise. Max 2 min. / Framework MECE personalizado. Claro e conciso. Máx 2 min.

Quantitative Analysis / Análise Quantitativa — 25%

Fast, correct calculations. Interpret numbers. Sanity check. / Cálculos rápidos e corretos. Interpretar os números.

Business Judgment — 15%

Hipóteses sensatas. Priorização. Recomendações fundamentadas.

Communication / Comunicação — 15%

Frequent synthesis. Top-down storytelling. Confidence. / Síntese frequente. Confiança.

📋 Perfect Case Flow / Flow de Caso Perfeito

1

Listen / Ouvir (1 min)

Listen, take notes. Repeat problem. Clarify: objective, definition, scope. / Escutar, tomar notas. Repetir problema. Clarificar: objetivo, definição, âmbito.

2

Structure / Estruturar (2 min)

Ask for a moment. CUSTOM framework. Initial hypothesis. "I'd propose analyzing 3-4 dimensions..." / Pedir momento. Framework PERSONALIZADO. Hipótese inicial. "Proponho analisar em 3-4 dimensões..."

3

Analyze / Analisar (15-20 min)

Hypothesis-driven. Request data. Math out loud. Synthesize after each block. Brainstorm when appropriate. / Pedir dados. Math em voz alta. Sintetizar após cada bloco.

4

Recommend / Recomendar (2-3 min)

Top-down: Recommendation → 3 reasons → Next steps → Risks. / Recomendação → 3 razões → Próximos passos → Riscos.

📋 CaseCoach Scoring Rubric / Rubrica de Avaliação (1-3-5)

Dimension / Dimensão 1 (Below / Abaixo) 3 (Meets Standard / Cumpre) 5 (Stands Out / Destaca-se)
Structuring / Estruturação Did not offer clear structure / Não apresentou estrutura clara Clarified ambiguity; MECE set of independent drivers / Clarificou ambiguidades; fatores MECE independentes Prioritized steps; shared helpful insights / Passos priorizados; partilhou insights úteis
Math Made mistakes, needed help / Erros, precisou de ajuda Calculated correctly and confidently; stated implications / Calculou corretamente e com confiança; declarou implicações Clear efficient approach; calculated particularly quickly / Abordagem clara e eficiente; calculou muito rapidamente
Judgement & Insights / Julgamento e Insights Missed key insights / Perdeu insights-chave Connected findings to develop sound recommendations / Ligou achados para recomendações sólidas Processed info quickly; shared deep insights and far-reaching implications / Processou info rapidamente; insights profundos
Creativity / Criatividade Struggled to generate ideas / Dificuldade em gerar ideias Shared numerous, varied and sound ideas / Partilhou ideias numerosas, variadas e sólidas Exceptional creativity in structured way / Criatividade excecional de forma estruturada
Synthesis / Síntese No clear recommendation / Sem recomendação clara Supported recommendation with key points + next steps / Recomendação apoiada em pontos-chave + próximos passos Particularly convincing / Particularmente convincente
Case Leadership / Liderança de Caso Appeared passive or lost / Pareceu passivo ou perdido Built on findings; stayed focused; made reasonable assumptions / Construiu sobre achados; focado; pressupostos razoáveis Progressed quickly; asked probing questions; adapted approach / Avançou rapidamente; perguntas incisivas; adaptou abordagem

🤝 Fit Scorecard / Rubrica Fit (1-3-5)

Dimension / Dimensão 1 3 5
Rapport-building Failed to set stage / Não iniciou bem Maintained fluid back-and-forth / Conversa fluida Made personal connection; authentic; revealed unique traits / Conexão pessoal; autêntico
Performance Track Record / Histórico Did not demonstrate top performance / Não demonstrou performance Provided evidence of top performance / Provou alta performance Presented demanding environment; not boastful / Ambiente exigente; sem se gabar
Transferable Abilities / Capacidades Transferíveis Did not demonstrate target abilities / Não demonstrou capacidades Showed ambition, initiative, persistence, adaptability, leadership, teamwork, persuasion / Mostrou ambição, iniciativa, persistência, adaptabilidade, liderança, trabalho em equipa, persuasão Impressive achievements; detailed own actions and thought process / Feitos impressionantes; detalhou ações e raciocínio
Motivation / Motivação No good reason for pursuing this / Sem boa razão Convincing rationale for consulting + this firm / Racional convincente para consultoria + esta firma Explained in personal terms; evidence of self-development / Explicou pessoalmente; prova de autodesenvolvimento

✨ General Impression / Impressão Geral (both scorecards / ambas as rubricas)

Dimension / Dimensão 1 3 5
Presence / Presença Was not professional / Não foi profissional Professional, engaging, energetic and confident / Profissional, envolvente, energético e confiante Built genuine rapport; positive personality; expert-like credibility / Rapport genuíno; personalidade positiva; credibilidade de especialista
Communication / Comunicação Unclear and scattered / Pouco claro e disperso Listened well; spoke precisely and concisely / Ouviu bem; falou precisa e concisamente Particularly organized; main idea before details; communicated visually / Muito organizado; ideia principal primeiro; comunicou visualmente

⚠️ Red Flags

❌ AVOID / EVITAR

  • Analyse without structuring / Analisar sem estruturar
  • Generic framework / Framework genérico
  • Silent calculations / Contas em silêncio
  • Only one recommendation / Só uma recomendação
  • Being passive / Ser passivo
  • Ignoring new data / Ignorar dados novos

✅ DO / FAZER

  • Always structure first / Sempre estruturar primeiro
  • Custom framework / Framework personalizado
  • Think out loud / Raciocínio em voz alta
  • 3 points + steps + risks / 3 pontos + steps + riscos
  • "I propose looking at X" / "Proponho olhar para X"
  • Adapt hypothesis / Adaptar hipótese

🇵🇹 Hot Topics Portugal / Tópicos Quentes Portugal

  • Tourism / Turismo: post-COVID recovery, overtourism Lisbon/Porto / recuperação pós-COVID, overtourism Lisboa/Porto
  • Energy / Energia: energy transition, renewables (PT wind leader) / transição energética, renováveis (PT líder em eólica)
  • Real Estate / Imobiliário: housing crisis, golden visa, rental market / crise habitação, golden visa, arrendamento
  • Tech: [major events], startup ecosystem Summit, ecossistema startup Lisboa
  • Healthcare / Saúde: NHS under pressure, private sector opportunities / SNS sob pressão, oportunidades no privado
  • Retail / Distribuição: Jerónimo Martins vs. Sonae
  • Banking / Banca: digitalisation, neobanks, consolidation / digitalização, neobancos, consolidação
  • Industry / Indústria: reshoring, automation, paper/cork / reshoring, automação, papel/cortiça
🎓 CaseCoach Hub
Plano completo de utilização do CaseCoach — Cursos, Drills, Cases, Practice Room

Plataforma CaseCoach — O que tens disponível

Recurso Conteúdo Prioridade MBB
📹 Case Interview Prep Course 19 aulas, 4h10 (stated) → ~7-8h reais CRÍTICO
📹 Case Math Course 21 aulas, 3h52 (stated) → ~6-7h reais CRÍTICO
📹 Fit Interview Prep Course 7 aulas, 1h07 (stated) → ~2h reais IMPORTANTE
📚 Case Library 100+ casos com soluções top-tier CRÍTICO
🤝 Practice Room Mock interviews ilimitadas com parceiros CRÍTICO
⚡ Drills 6 categorias: Structures, Case Math, Market Sizing, Calculations, Charts, Creativity CRÍTICO
📹 Sample Interviews 20+ entrevistas reais com feedback de ex-interviewers IMPORTANTE

⏱️ Tempo Real dos Vídeos

Os vídeos CaseCoach demoram 1.5-2× mais do que o tempo indicado porque:

  • Pausar para tomar notas e absorver frameworks
  • Rebobinar secções complexas (math, structures)
  • Praticar técnicas imediatamente após cada aula
  • Testar conceitos (escrever estrutura de memória)

Factor de ajuste usado: 1.7× para courses, 1.3× para sample interviews

📹 Plano de Estudo — Video Courses

🎯 Case Interview Prep Course (19 aulas, ~7-8h reais)

Prioridade máxima. Cobre todas as 6 dimensões que a MBB avalia.

Bloco Aulas (est.) Tempo Real Quando
1. Estruturação Intro + Structuring (3-4 aulas) ~1.5h Domingo
2. Math & Análise Math in cases + Exhibits (3-4 aulas) ~1.5h Segunda manhã
3. Criatividade & Judgment Creativity + Insights (3-4 aulas) ~1.5h Segunda tarde
4. Síntese & Leadership Synthesis + Case Leadership (3-4 aulas) ~1.5h Terça manhã
5. Sample Interviews Full case examples + feedback (4-5 vídeos) ~2h Terça/Quarta
📝 Após cada bloco: Escrever um "cheat card" com os 3-5 takeaways mais importantes. Testar: consegues explicar em PT em 2 min?
🔢 Case Math Course (21 aulas, ~6-7h reais)

Área fraca declarada. Investir tempo sério aqui.

Bloco Tópicos Tempo Real Quando
1. Fundamentos 4 operações, frações, percentagens, potências ~1.5h Domingo noite
2. Conceitos-chave Weighted averages, growth rates, breakeven ~1.5h Segunda
3. Pro Tips Atalhos, arredondamento, zeros, simplificação ~1.5h Terça
4. Business Math P&L, investimentos, valuations, NPV/ROI ~2h Terça/Quarta
⚠️ Não vás para casos antes de completar pelo menos blocos 1-3! Math é pré-requisito — fazer casos sem math sólida desperdiça sessões de prática.
📝 Fit Interview Prep Course (7 aulas, ~2h reais)

MBB usa formato de fit clássico (background + behavioral + motivation). Relevante para preparar:

Aula Tópico Ação pós-aula
1-2 Como te apresentar + background Escrever intro de 45 seg em PT
3-4 Behavioral questions + achievement stories Selecionar 5-6 histórias + praticar em voz alta
5-6 Motivation (Why consulting? Why this firm?) Refinar "Why [firm]?" script
7 Sample fit interviews com feedback Observar timing, tom, concisão

Melhor timing: Terça à noite ou Quarta de manhã

⚡ Drills — Plano de Treino

Target mínimo: 50+ drills antes de Sexta

Os drills são rápidos (2-5 min cada). Podem ser feitos em sessões de 15-30 min entre outras atividades.

Categoria O que treina Prioridade Target Quando
🏗️ Structures Criar frameworks MECE custom para prompts de caso MÁXIMA 15+ drills Diariamente
🔢 Calculations Cálculos rápidos sob pressão MÁXIMA 15+ drills Diariamente
📊 Case Math Math aplicada a contextos de caso MÁXIMA 10+ drills Seg-Qua
📏 Market Sizing Estimativas rápidas com sanity check ALTA 5+ drills Seg-Ter
📈 Charts Interpretar gráficos e extrair insights ALTA 5+ drills Ter-Qua
💡 Creativity Brainstorming estruturado ALTA 5+ drills Qua-Qui

📋 Drill Schedule Template (15-20 min/sessão)

  1. Warm-up: 3 calculations rápidos (3 min)
  2. Main: 3 structures OU 3 case math (9 min)
  3. Cool-down: 1 market sizing OU 1 chart (5 min)

Repetir 2-3× por dia entre casos e vídeos

🏗️ Structures Drill — Deep Dive

O drill mais importante para a MBB (45% da avaliação = pensamento estruturado).

  • O exercício: Receber prompt de caso → Criar framework MECE em 2 min → Comparar com solução CaseCoach
  • Target: Framework personalizado (NÃO genérico) que passa o teste AIM:
    • Answer-focused — Identifica o objetivo e como o resolver
    • Insightful — Tailored ao caso específico, não reutilizável
    • MECE — Mutuamente exclusivo, coletivamente exaustivo
  • Benchmark: Saiti (MBB, Yale): "structuring drills foram os mais úteis"

📚 Case Library — Casos Recomendados

Estratégia: Escolher casos por tipo favorito MBB

MBB testa predominantemente: Profitability (20%), Revenue Growth (15%), Market Entry (12%), Cost Cutting (10%), Operations (9%). Escolher casos que treinem estas áreas.

Caso CaseCoach Tipo Dificuldade Porquê Quando
Roko Hotel Profitability Easy Warm-up perfeito, hotel → turismo PT relevant Domingo/Segunda
Clean-All Growth Strategy Easy Crescimento + ameaça de novos entrantes Segunda
FlashFash M&A Medium Aquisição — tipo comum MBB, vídeo incluído Terça
Canadian Wildlife Fed. Strategy Medium Non-profit — tipo não convencional (MBB testa cada vez mais) Terça
A-EYE Pricing Medium Tech + Pricing — dois favoritos MBB numa pancada Quarta
Fruit Nation Market Entry Medium Entrada no mercado chinês — stretch em math + judgment Quarta

+ 10 casos adicionais conforme disponibilidade na Practice Room (parceiros escolhem)

📋 Como usar um caso CaseCoach (solo)

  1. Ler prompt (1 min) — tomar notas como se estivesses a ouvir o entrevistador
  2. Estruturar (2 min, timer!) — framework MECE personalizado no papel
  3. Resolver (20-25 min) — seguir o flow do caso, fazer toda a math em voz alta
  4. Sintetizar (2 min) — recomendação top-down com 3 razões + riscos
  5. Comparar com solução (10 min) — anotar: onde a estrutura difere? O que faltou? Math correta?
  6. Registar 3 takeaways (2 min) — o que vou fazer diferente no próximo caso?

🤝 Practice Room — Mock Interviews

Target: Mínimo 6-8 sessões na Practice Room + 3-4 com amiga PT

CaseCoach recomenda 25+ sessões para candidatos que recebem oferta. Com o tempo disponível, maximizar qualidade.

🗓️ Sessões Planeadas

Dia Parceiro Tipo Caso Foco Especial
Seg manhã CaseCoach partner Profitability Estruturação + math setup
Seg tarde CaseCoach partner Market Entry / Growth Criatividade + hipótese
Ter manhã CaseCoach partner Operations / Pricing MBB favorites
Ter noite 🇵🇹 Amiga PT Profitability (em PT) Comunicação em português
Qua manhã CaseCoach partner MBB-style (interviewer-led) Simulação realista
Qua tarde CaseCoach partner Cost Reduction / M&A Criatividade + judgment
Qua fim dia 🇵🇹 Amiga PT Market Entry (em PT) Mock duro, feedback brutal
Qui manhã 🇵🇹 Amiga PT (Mock 1) MBB-style completo Condições reais: timer, sem notas, formal
Qui tarde 🇵🇹 Amiga PT (Mock 2) Tipo diferente em PT Entrevistadora tough

📋 Practice Room — Best Practices

  • Antes da sessão: Agendar 5 min antes para prep mental. Ter papel A4 e caneta prontos.
  • Durante: Tratar como REAL — timer de 30 min, estruturar formalmente, math em voz alta
  • Feedback: Pedir feedback em 3 dimensões: Estrutura, Math, Comunicação
  • Depois: Anotar 3 coisas a melhorar. Não fazer mais que 3 casos seguidos (fadiga = maus hábitos)
  • Dica: MBB usa maioritariamente candidate-led cases — pedir ao partner para te deixar liderar

📺 Sample Interviews — O que Ver

CaseCoach tem 20+ sample interviews com candidatos reais que entraram em MBB. Priorizar:

Prioridade O que ver Tempo est. Aprendizagem
1 1-2 full case interviews (alta performance) ~40 min Ver flow perfeito: estrutura → análise → síntese
2 1 fit interview example ~20 min Timing, tom, profundidade das histórias
3 1 case com feedback detalhado ~30 min Entender scoring, red flags, green flags

Melhor timing: Ver 1 sample no Domingo (motivação) + 1-2 na Terça/Quarta (calibrar performance)

🔍 Research Target Firm — Target Firm & Office

CaseCoach recomenda: 1h de research antes da entrevista

Investigar a firma a fundo faz diferença tanto no fit ("Why [firm]?") como nos casos (contexto, tópicos quentes).

📋 Checklist de Research Target Firm

  • [Firm] Portugal — quem são os partners, que projetos recentes
  • Firm website: casos de estudo públicos em Portugal/Ibéria
  • Digital/tech arms — oferta digital (relevante p/ teu perfil tech)
  • Cultura da firma — diversidade, strengths-based feedback, ambiente colaborativo
  • LinkedIn: 3-4 perfis de consultores da firma/Portugal → background, projetos
  • Notícias recentes [Firm] Portugal (últimos 3 meses)
  • Setores fortes [Firm] Portugal: energia, banca, retalho, turismo
  • Preparar 2-3 perguntas genuínas para o entrevistador sobre a firma

🇵🇹 [Firm] Portugal — Quick Facts para a Entrevista

  • Escritório: Lisboa (Avenida Eng. Duarte Pacheco / área do Marquês)
  • Fundação PT: Escritório mais recente da firma na Ibéria
  • Digital arm: Braço digital/tech — IA, analytics, digital transformation
  • Setores foco: Energia, Financial Services, TMT, Consumer, Public Sector
  • Diferenciador: Strengths-based feedback, cultura sem imposição de conformismo, colaborativo
  • 3 qualities MBB procura: Intellectual curiosity, Creative thinking, Integrity, Drive, Collaborative mindset

📝 Preparar Achievement Stories

CaseCoach Prep Calendar Task: "Prepare your achievement stories"

Selecionar 5-6 histórias fortes e preparar com o framework SCAR (não STAR — CaseCoach method):

Passo O que é Tempo alvo
S Situação Onde, quando, contexto (2-3 frases). Qualquer pessoa percebe. 10-15 seg
C Complicação O grande problema, o turn of events, a dificuldade. Hook do interesse. 10-15 seg
A Ação O que TU fizeste — 3-5 ações específicas, primeira pessoa. O BULK da história. 60-90 seg
R Resultado Resultado QUANTIFICÁVEL + o que aprendeste. 15-20 seg

As tuas melhores histórias (bancos para escolher)

História Dimensão MBB Resultado-chave
[Company A] — Founder, sales team Leadership + Drive €41.2K revenue, 11 meses, exit
[Company B] — Major presentation Impact + Communication [significant savings] identified
Amazon — Benchmark 21× acima Performance + Analytics De -56% para +25% (turnaround)
[Company A] — Co-founder exit Resilience + Integrity Decisão difícil, exit negociado
NOVA Social Consulting — 23 voluntários Teamwork + Collaborative Liderança voluntária, impacto social
EY — Equipa auditoria Working under pressure Coordenação, deadlines, stakeholders

📅 CaseCoach — Plano Diário Integrado

Domingo 22 — CaseCoach Activities (~3h)
Hora CaseCoach Activity Detalhes
16:00-17:00 📹 Case Prep Course: Bloco 1 (Structuring) 3-4 aulas iniciais + notar takeaways
21:30-22:30 📹 Case Math Course: Bloco 1 (Fundamentos) Rever operações, frações, percentagens
23:00-00:00 📚 Caso Solo: Roko Hotel (Profitability) Caso fácil de warm-up + comparar com solução
Segunda 23 — CaseCoach Activities (~6h)
Hora CaseCoach Activity Detalhes
10:15-11:15 📹 Case Prep Course: Bloco 2 (Math & Exhibits) + 5 Structures drills após
11:15-12:15 📚 Caso Solo: Clean-All (Growth) Praticar growth framework
12:30-13:30 📹 Case Prep Course: Bloco 3 (Creativity & Judgment) + 5 Creativity drills após
14:00-15:00 🤝 Practice Room: Profitability TU lideras. Pedir feedback em estruturação.
15:30-16:30 ⚡ Drills: Calculations + Case Math 10 calculations + 5 case math
18:00-19:00 🤝 Practice Room: Market Entry/Growth Tipo diferente. Foco em criatividade.
Terça 24 — CaseCoach Activities (~6h)
Hora CaseCoach Activity Detalhes
10:15-11:00 📹 Case Prep Course: Bloco 4 (Synthesis & Leadership) + rever 1 sample interview
11:00-12:00 🤝 Practice Room: Operations/Pricing MBB favorites. Praticar hipótese inicial.
12:30-13:30 📹 Case Math Course: Blocos 2-3 (Conceitos + Pro Tips) Weighted averages, breakeven, atalhos
14:00-15:00 📚 Caso Solo: FlashFash (M&A) ou Canadian Wildlife Caso médio. Seguir protocol completo.
17:00-17:30 ⚡ Drills: Structures + Charts 5 structures + 3-4 chart interpretation
18:00-19:00 🇵🇹 Mock com amiga (usando caso CaseCoach) Caso profitability em PT. Full flow.
20:30-21:30 📹 Fit Prep Course (4 aulas) Background intro + behavioral questions
Quarta 25 — CaseCoach Activities (~7h) — PEAK DAY
Hora CaseCoach Activity Detalhes
10:15-10:45 ⚡ Drills: 5 Structures speed round 2 min cada. Timer estrito.
10:45-12:00 🤝 Practice Room: MBB-style interviewer-led Simulação mais realista. Feedback detalhado.
12:15-13:15 🤝 Practice Room: Cost Reduction / M&A Foco em CRIATIVIDADE brainstorming
14:00-15:00 📹 Case Math Course: Bloco 4 (Business Math) P&L, investimentos, valuations — último bloco
15:00-16:00 🇵🇹 Mock com amiga: A-EYE ou Fruit Nation Caso médio em PT. Entrevistadora dura.
17:00-17:30 📹 Fit Prep Course (3 últimas aulas) Motivation + sample fit interview
18:00-19:00 📚 Caso Solo speed run (25 min) Caso completo a velocidade real
20:00-20:30 ⚡ Drills: Final mix (10 drills) 3 calc + 3 structures + 2 market sizing + 2 creativity
21:00-22:00 🤝 Practice Room: Último caso hard Tipo que menos dominas. Acabar forte.
Quinta 26 — CaseCoach Activities (~4h) — CONSOLIDAÇÃO
Hora CaseCoach Activity Detalhes
10:15-11:00 📹 Rever 1 sample interview (alta performance) Calibrar: "é assim que quero soar amanhã"
11:00-12:00 🇵🇹 Mock PT: CRITICAL SESSION Condições reais. Timer, sem notas, formal.
13:30-14:30 🇵🇹 Mock PT: 2º mock Tipo diferente. Entrevistadora tough.
16:00-17:00 🔍 Research Target Firm (1h) Seguir checklist Research Target Firm acima
17:30-18:00 📚 Caso Solo confidence (fácil/médio) Acabar o dia com VITÓRIA
🛑 PARAR às 18:30! Sem CaseCoach depois. Relaxar, comer bem, dormir cedo.

📊 CaseCoach Progress Tracker

Recurso Target Progresso
Case Prep Course 19/19 aulas
Case Math Course 21/21 aulas
Fit Prep Course 7/7 aulas
Structure Drills 15+ completados
Calculation Drills 15+ completados
Other Drills (sizing, charts, creativity) 15+ completados
Practice Room Sessions 6-8 completadas
PT Mock Sessions 3-4 completadas
Sample Interviews watched 3+ vistos
Firm Research Checklist completa
Achievement Stories 5-6 prepared in SCAR

Resumo do investimento CaseCoach — 3 DIAS (Ter-Qui):

📹 ~10-12h em video courses (Case Prep 4 blocos + Math 4 blocos + Fit + 1 Sample) | ⚡ ~3h em drills (30+) | 🤝 ~5h em Practice Room (5 sessões) | 🇵🇹 ~3h com amiga PT (3 mocks) | 📚 ~3h em casos solo (3 cases) | 🔍 ~1h research da firma

≈ 25-30h de prep em 3 dias (Ter 24 → Qui 26)

📝 Fit / MBB
MBB Fit Interview — Formato clássico

O que a firm avalia no Fit:

Nota: MBB usa formato fit clássico (background + behavioral + motivation).

  1. Performance track record — Tens historial de impacto em ambientes exigentes?
  2. Transferable abilities — Persuasão, teamwork, drive, liderança, adaptabilidade
  3. Motivation — Porquê consultoria? Porquê esta firma especificamente?
  4. Presence & Communication — Rapport, profissionalismo, comunicação clara

🏢 5 Qualities MBB procura:

  • Intellectual curiosity — Genuinamente curioso sobre problemas complexos
  • Creative thinking — Abordagens não-convencionais
  • Integrity — Honesto, transparente, ético
  • Drive — Ambição, iniciativa, não espera instruções
  • Collaborative mindset — Trabalha bem em equipa, eleva os outros

Prepara exemplos de cada um! MBB também avalia presence & communication ao longo de TODA a entrevista.

⏱️ Formato típico MBB Fit (10-15 min)

  1. Intro/Background (2-3 min) — "Walk me through your resume" ou "Tell me about yourself"
  2. Behavioral questions (5-8 min) — 1-2 perguntas sobre experiências/achievements. Podem focar num período específico da tua vida.
  3. Motivation (2-3 min) — "Why consulting?" + "Why this firm?"
  4. Your questions (2 min) — Perguntas ao entrevistador

História 1: Liderança / Influência

🔑 Mnemónica: [COMPANY B] — [MNEMONIC]

"Tell me about a time you led a project or influenced senior stakeholders."

S Situação: At [Company B] in [year], I was an intern on the [team name] team. The company's flagship partner event was approaching with [X]+ senior clients from top partners. The team needed someone to own a key presentation segment.

T Tarefa: I volunteered to lead the segment. The challenge: I had [X] weeks to research, build, and present original insights to an audience of [X]+ senior executives — people with 15-20 years more experience than me. No template existed.

A Ação: First, I mapped the audience — different stakeholders care about different metrics. I tailored my research to bridge both perspectives. Second, I analyzed internal data on key activation patterns using the company's analytics tools, identifying 3 counter-intuitive trends. Third, I structured the presentation as "myth vs. data" to challenge assumptions. Fourth, I rehearsed with 3 senior colleagues and incorporated their feedback. On the day, I opened with a provocative question that challenged conventional thinking."

R Resultado: Presented to [X]+ senior clients. Post-event feedback scored [X]/5. My manager said it was "the most data-driven segment we've had from an intern." The research directly fed into a dashboard I later built that projected [significant savings] across client spend optimization.

Key Qualities shown: Intellectual curiosity, drive, creative thinking, communication

História 2: Superar Desafio

🔑 Mnemónica: [COMPANY C] — [MNEMONIC]

"Tell me about a significant challenge you faced and how you overcame it."

S Situação: At [Company C] in [year], I was a Business Development intern assigned to lead the expansion into [new market] — a brand new market with zero existing accounts. I managed a large portfolio of companies. The challenge: my territory performance started significantly below the team average because I was cold-starting a new market while colleagues had mature territories.

T Tarefa: I needed to build the entire pipeline from scratch, prove the market was viable, and turn my performance metrics around — all as an intern competing against full-time employees.

A Ação: First, I did my own market research — compiled a comprehensive consulting-style report analyzing the market landscape, company territories, and conducted targeted client interviews to understand buying patterns. Second, I segmented my portfolio by size/urgency and created a prioritized outreach sequence. Third, I identified that local businesses responded better to relationship-building than pure efficiency pitches, so I adapted my messaging. Fourth, I tracked my conversion funnel daily and iterated my approach weekly.

R Resultado: Outperformed KPI benchmarks by [X]x in key metrics. Raised my territory share from significantly below to above team average, outperforming all full-time colleagues in the region. The report became a reference document for future market expansion.

Key Qualities shown: Drive, intellectual curiosity, analytical rigor, resilience

História 3: Trabalho em Equipa / Conflito

🔑 Mnemónica: [COMPANY A] — [MNEMONIC]

"Describe a situation where you had to work with someone difficult or manage a conflict."

S Situação: In [year], I co-founded [Company A], a [type] startup. After [duration] of intense building, I realized my co-founder and I had fundamentally different visions for the company's direction and pace. I was pushing for enterprise sales traction; he wanted to pivot to a different product. Tensions escalated as we both felt the other was blocking progress.

T Tarefa: I needed to navigate a co-founder disagreement without destroying the company, the relationship, or the value we'd built — including a [significant pipeline] of contracted enterprise pilots.

A Ação: First, I separated emotion from analysis. I wrote down both visions side-by-side and honestly evaluated the market evidence for each. Second, I initiated a structured conversation — not a fight — where we each presented our case with data. Third, when it became clear we couldn't align, I proposed a fair exit framework: I designed a Services Agreement and transition plan that protected both parties. Fourth, I handled the handover professionally — documenting all processes, client relationships, and the AI-powered outbound engine I'd built so nothing was lost.

R Resultado: We executed a clean exit in [month/year]. The company retained the [significant pipeline] and [X] enterprise pilots I'd built. We preserved the relationship — no legal disputes. I learned that the hardest business decisions aren't about being right; they're about being honest with yourself about what the data says. The experience taught me more about negotiation, emotional intelligence, and stakeholder management than any classroom ever could.

Key Qualities shown: Integrity, collaborative mindset, emotional intelligence, maturity

História 4: Conquista Excepcional

🔑 Mnemónica: [COMPANY A] — [MNEMONIC 2]

"What is the achievement you're most proud of?"

S Situação: After [Company B], I could have taken a safe corporate path. Instead, I co-founded [Company A] — a B2B SaaS platform connecting enterprises with tech partners. We had no funding, no network in the US market, and were competing against established players.

T Tarefa: As Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, I needed to build an entire go-to-market engine from zero — prove product-market fit, generate revenue, and create a scalable pipeline, all pre-funding.

A Ação: First, I built an AI-powered outbound engine that processed thousands of leads, automating 80% of the pipeline using a custom tech stack (various tools + automated sequences). Second, I personally ran the enterprise sales process — from cold outreach to closing, navigating 6-9 month B2B sales cycles with Fortune 500 and Big 4 firms. Third, I created all investor pitch materials and led partnership negotiations with major companies and enterprise prospects. Fourth, I closed the first paying customers, generating revenue — proving the business model worked.

R Resultado: In 11 months, built a [significant pipeline] of contracted enterprise pilots, [X] enterprise pilots including Fortune 500 and Big 4, and revenue from first paying customers — all pre-funding, with a 2-person team. This taught me that the gap between strategy and execution is where real value is created. Consultants design strategies; I've executed them. That's what I bring to consulting.

Key Qualities shown: Drive, creative thinking, execution, entrepreneurial mindset

🔑 Regras

Tempo 2-3 min por história. S+T=30s, A=90s, R=30s
Pessoa Sempre 1ª pessoa. "Eu identifiquei..." nunca "Nós decidimos..."
Detalhes "Aumentei de 12% para 31% em 3 meses" não "Melhorei os resultados"
Raciocínio "Analisei a situação e percebi que o problema era X"
Final Resultado quantificável + 1 frase de aprendizagem

Porquê esta firma? — Script

"A firma atrai-me por três razões. Primeiro, pela cultura de inovação — a a firma tem sido pioneira em áreas como digital e analytics com a a área digital, que é algo que me entusiasma dado o meu background em tecnologia. Segundo, pelo impacto real — os projetos da firma não ficam na gaveta, têm implementação concreta. E terceiro, pelas pessoas — nas conversas que tive com consultores da MBB, senti uma energia e curiosidade intelectual que me identifico muito."

❓ Outras Perguntas

Porquê consultoria? Paixão por resolver problemas complexos, impacto, aprendizagem acelerada
Porquê agora? Experiência em startup + tech deu visão prática, quero combinar com rigor analítico
O que trazes? Experiência real de vendas B2B, startup, [Company B]/[Company C], perfil híbrido tech + estratégia
5 anos? Crescer na consultoria, liderar projetos, especialização em tech/digital
🏆 Game Day
Interview Day — Read this on the morning. Nothing else.

⏰ Timeline

10:00 Acordar. Duche. Pequeno-almoço calmo.
10:30 Ler APENAS esta folha + frameworks rápido
11:00 Andar/exercício leve (20-30 min)
11:30-13:00 Tempo livre. NÃO estudar. Relaxar.
13:00 Almoço leve (proteína + carbos complexos)
14:00 Vestir. Preparar materiais.
14:30 🧘 Pre-interview calm routine
14:45 Sair de casa
15:00 Chegar ao local (15 min antes)
15:30 🎯 ENTREVISTA

📋 Checklist

  • Caneta preta + caneta azul de reserva
  • Bloco de notas A4 (liso, não pautado)
  • Cópia do CV impressa (2 cópias)
  • Garrafa de água
  • ID / Cartão de Cidadão
  • Telemóvel em silêncio (não vibrar)

🧠 Os 5 Mandamentos

1

ESTRUTURA PRIMEIRO

"Obrigado pelo caso. Deixe-me tomar um momento para organizar os meus pensamentos..."
Sempre pedir 30-60 seg. Sempre apresentar framework ANTES de mergulhar.
2

HIPÓTESE SEMPRE

"A minha hipótese inicial é que... vamos testar isto."
MBB ADORA hipóteses. Formula uma. Ajusta com dados novos.
3

MATH EM VOZ ALTA

"Então, 5 milhões dividido por 200 mil unidades dá-nos 25€ por unidade."
Nunca calcular em silêncio. Sanity check no final.
4

SO WHAT?

"Isto sugere que... e a implicação é..."
Depois de cada dado/cálculo, dizer o que significa. Nunca só dizer o número.
5

SÍNTESE NO FINAL

"Em resumo, recomendo X por três razões: primeiro... segundo... terceiro..."
Top-down. Recomendação primeiro. Depois razões. Próximos passos.

🗣️ Frases Chave

Início do Caso

  • "Posso tomar um momento para estruturar?"
  • "Para confirmar, o objetivo é [X], correto?"
  • "Gostaria de explorar esta questão em três dimensões..."

Durante o Caso

  • "Antes de continuar, gostaria de verificar se estou no caminho certo"
  • "Isto é interessante porque sugere que..."
  • "Poderia fornecer-me dados sobre [X]?"
  • "Deixe-me resumir o que sabemos até agora..."

Quando Estás Stuck

  • "Vou recuar um passo e pensar nisto de outra forma..."
  • "Com a informação disponível, a minha melhor estimativa seria..."
  • "Que perspetiva adicional me poderia ajudar aqui?"

Final

  • "Em síntese, recomendaria [X]..."
  • "As principais razões são: primeiro..., segundo..., terceiro..."
  • "Como próximos passos, sugeriria..."
  • "Há riscos a considerar, nomeadamente..."

💪 Mindset

Não és um candidato. És um futuro colega.

  • Conversa de negócios, não exame
  • Mostra como PENSAS, não o que memorizaste
  • Se errares math, corrige com confiança

A tua vantagem:

  • Fundaste uma empresa ([Company A]) — experiência real de negócio
  • Google + Amazon — tech de ponta
  • Bilingue PT/EN — mercado ibérico, África, Brasil
  • Your degree — analytical training

Se sentires ansiedade:

  1. Respira fundo (4 seg inspira, 7 seg segura, 8 seg expira)
  2. Olha para o entrevistador, não para baixo
  3. Fala mais devagar, não mais rápido
  4. Lembra-te: és bom o suficiente para estar aqui. You got through the screening. You belong here.

O que o MBB quer ver:

Estrutura clara. Pensamento analítico. Pragmatismo. Comunicação confiante. Curiosidade genuína.


A coisa mais importante:

Diverte-te.

Se gostares da conversa, isso nota-se. E é contagioso.


🍀

You've got this. Good luck!

🌳 Framework Finder
Answer yes/no questions → get the ideal framework for any case

💡 "But isn't every case just about profits?"

You're partly right — every company ultimately wants profit. But the question being asked determines the structure, not the end goal. Think of it like medicine: every patient wants health, but the doctor picks a different treatment based on the symptom.

Question Type Why NOT just "Profitability" Right Framework
"Should we enter market X?" You need to assess market size, capability fit, and competitive dynamics before you can even estimate profit Market Entry
"How should we grow?" Growth has different levers (core vs. adjacent vs. new) that aren't captured by Revenue = P×Q Growth
"Competitor just launched X" You need to assess threat magnitude and response options — profitability is the outcome, not the analysis Competitive Response
"Should we buy Company Y?" You need standalone valuation + synergies + integration risk — much richer than cost/revenue split M&A
"Our operations are slow" Process optimization looks at bottlenecks, capacity, utilization — not revenue/cost Process Optimization

TL;DR: The framework matches the QUESTION, not the end goal. Profitability is for "why are profits declining?" Everything else has a more specific tool.

🔀 Interactive Framework Finder

Answer the questions below. The tree will guide you to the best framework in 2-3 clicks.

📋 Quick Reference — When to Use Each Framework
Framework Trigger Words in Prompt Key Question
💰 Profitability "profits declining", "margins shrinking", "losing money", "cost overruns" Why is profit changing?
📈 Growth "grow revenue", "expand", "scale", "increase market share" How to grow the business?
📉 Cost Reduction "cut costs", "reduce expenses", "improve efficiency", "budget pressure" How to spend less?
🚀 Market Entry "enter market", "new geography", "new segment", "launch in" Should we enter? How?
🆕 New Product "launch product", "new offering", "product strategy" How to launch successfully?
🏷️ Pricing "set price", "pricing strategy", "premium vs value" What should we charge?
💼 Investment "invest in", "CapEx decision", "ROI", "build vs buy" Is this worth the investment?
🤝 M&A "acquire", "merger", "buy company", "target valuation" Should we buy? At what price?
⚔️ Competitive Response "competitor launched", "price war", "market share loss to rival" How to respond to threat?
⚙️ Process Optimization "operations slow", "bottleneck", "capacity", "improve throughput" How to fix the process?
🎯 Model Case — Full Walkthrough
A realistic MBB-style case with ideal responses, exhibit analysis, and CaseCoach tips at every step

📊 Types of Case Structures

Cases vary not just by industry, but by structure — the types of sections the interviewer presents. Select a case type to see what to expect:

Section What Happens Duration
1. Structuring You hear the prompt, ask clarifying questions, take 60s to structure, present your issue tree ~5 min
2. Analysis (1-2 exhibits) Interviewer shares 1-2 charts/tables. You interpret data, do light math, give "so what" ~10 min
3. Math Calculation One focused calculation (break-even, market sizing, ROI) ~5 min
4. Synthesis Recommendation to CEO using Pyramid structure + risks + next steps ~5 min

📌 This is the most common MBB case format. ~70% of first-round cases follow this pattern.

🎯 Step 0: Clarifying Questions (AIM Framework)

Before structuring, you have 2-3 questions to ask. The AIM test starts here — your questions should reveal the client's REAL goal and scope.

📋 What to Clarify (and What NOT to Ask)

✅ GOOD Clarifying Questions (help you structure):

Category Example Question Why It Helps
Client's Goal "Is the primary objective to restore profitability to prior levels, or is there a specific margin target?" Tells you whether this is a turnaround or optimization
Scope "Are we looking at the entire business, or a specific division/product line?" Prevents you from boiling the ocean
Timeline "Is there a time horizon in mind? Quick wins vs structural changes?" Affects whether you recommend operational vs strategic fixes
Business Model "Could you give me a quick sense of the product range and customer segments?" Helps you tailor the structure to THEIR business (Insightful)
Constraints "Are there any options off the table — layoffs, price increases, market exits?" Prevents you from recommending something they've already ruled out

🚫 BAD Clarifying Questions (waste your time):

  • "What industry is the client in?" — They just told you
  • "What are their revenues?" — Already in the prompt
  • "Who are their competitors?" — You'll find this out later in the case
  • "What's the market like?" — Too broad. Ask about a specific aspect.
  • Restating the entire case back — The interviewer knows what they said

🎯 The AIM Clarifying Test:

Every question you ask should pass this: "Will this answer change my structure?" If no, don't ask it. You only get 2-3 questions — make them count.

✅ Ideal Clarifying Questions — EcoBottle Example

"Thank you. Before I structure my approach, I'd like to ask a few clarifying questions:"

1. "When you say profits declined 25% — is that operating profit or net profit? And are there any one-off items I should be aware of?"

→ This scopes the problem: one-off write-down vs recurring deterioration

2. "Could you tell me a bit about the product portfolio? Are all products affected equally, or is the decline concentrated?"

→ This makes your structure Insightful — you'll tailor to the product mix

3. "Is there a target the CEO has in mind — return to prior 20% margin, or a different threshold?"

→ Answer-focused: you need the goal to prioritize recommendations

[After interviewer answers, you transition smoothly into structuring]

📋 THE CASE — EcoBottle Inc.

Our client is EcoBottle, a mid-sized European manufacturer of reusable water bottles. They have €120M in annual revenue and have been profitable for the last 10 years.

Over the past 18 months, profits have declined by 25% despite revenue remaining roughly flat. The CEO has hired the firm to understand why profits are falling and what to do about it.

How would you approach this?

🅰️ Section 1: Structuring (The First 60 Seconds)

💡 Tips BEFORE You Start

🎯 AIM Test — Your structure must be: Answer-focused (addresses the question), Insightful (tailored to client), MECE (no overlaps, no gaps).

⏱️ Take 60 seconds of silence. Say: "Let me take a minute to structure my thoughts." The interviewer EXPECTS this. Don't rush.

📝 Write it down. Draw your issue tree on paper while thinking. You'll present from it.

🔑 Framework Selection: The prompt says "profits declining + revenue flat" → this is a Profitability case. The equation: Profit = Revenue - Costs. Since revenue is flat, the problem is likely on the COST side. But you MUST check both.

🚫 DON'T: Just list "Revenue and Costs" generically. Tailor it to EcoBottle — mention manufacturing, raw materials, distribution. Show you listened to the brief.

✅ Ideal Response — Structuring

"Thank you. Let me take a minute to organize my thoughts."

[60 seconds of silence — write issue tree]

"To understand EcoBottle's profit decline, I'd structure my analysis around two main areas:

1. REVENUE — You mentioned revenue is roughly flat, but I'd want to dig deeper:

  • Price: Have average selling prices changed? Any discounting pressure?
  • Volume: Is unit volume stable? Any mix shift toward lower-margin products?
  • Product mix: EcoBottle may have multiple product lines — are the profitable ones growing or shrinking?

2. COSTS — Since revenue is flat but profits fell 25%, this is likely where the problem sits:

  • Variable costs: Raw materials (plastics, stainless steel), manufacturing, packaging, logistics
  • Fixed costs: Rent, salaries, overhead — any recent hires or facility expansions?
  • One-off costs: Any restructuring, write-downs, or investments?

I'd prioritize the COST side given the revenue clue, and I'd want to separate the 18-month timeline into periods to spot when the decline started.

Shall I start with the cost analysis?"

Why this is good: ① Tailored to EcoBottle (mentions manufacturing, raw materials) ② MECE (Revenue/Costs covers everything) ③ Shows hypothesis ("likely cost side") ④ Proposes priority ⑤ Asks for permission — shows case leadership

🅱️ Section 2: Exhibits & Math Calculation

📊 EXHIBIT — EcoBottle Cost Breakdown (€M) 

                        Year 1 (Prior)    Year 2 (Current)    Change
Revenue                     €120M             €122M            +1.7%
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Raw Materials                €32M              €44M           +37.5%
Manufacturing Labor          €18M              €19M            +5.6%
Packaging & Logistics        €14M              €18M           +28.6%
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Total Variable Costs         €64M              €81M           +26.6%
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Rent & Facilities            €12M              €12M             0%
Salaries & Overhead          €20M              €21M            +5%
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Total Fixed Costs            €32M              €33M            +3.1%
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
TOTAL COSTS                  €96M             €114M           +18.8%
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PROFIT                       €24M               €8M           -66.7%
Margin                       20.0%              6.6%          -13.4pp

The interviewer asks: "What do you see? What's driving the profit decline?"

💡 Tips for Exhibit Analysis

📐 Read the exhibit for 15-20 seconds before speaking. Say: "Let me take a moment to review this."

🔍 The 3-step approach:

  1. HEADLINE: What's the big picture message? (Profit crashed)
  2. DRIVER: Which line items changed most? (Raw materials +37.5%, Packaging +28.6%)
  3. SO WHAT: What does this mean for the client? Why? Next steps?

🧮 Quick Math Check:

  • Profit drop: €24M → €8M = €16M decline
  • Revenue change: +€2M (negligible)
  • Cost change: +€18M (this is the culprit)
  • Biggest cost driver: Raw materials +€12M (75% of the €16M loss!)
  • Second: Packaging & logistics +€4M (25% of the loss)

🚫 DON'T just read numbers aloud. The interviewer can read. Add interpretation and business insight.

✅ Ideal Response — Exhibit Analysis

"Let me review this for a moment."

[15 seconds]

HEADLINE: "Profit has dropped from €24M to €8M — a 67% decline — while revenue is essentially flat at €122M. This confirms our hypothesis: it's a cost problem, not a revenue problem."

KEY DRIVER: "Total costs increased by €18M. Breaking that down:

  • Raw materials alone account for €12M of the €18M increase — that's two-thirds of the entire cost overrun
  • Packaging & logistics added another €4M
  • Fixed costs barely moved — just €1M

SO WHAT: "This is overwhelmingly a variable cost problem, concentrated in raw materials. My hypotheses would be:

  1. Commodity price inflation (steel, plastics globally more expensive?)
  2. Supplier-specific issue (lost negotiation leverage? switched suppliers?)
  3. Product mix change (shifted to more expensive materials like stainless steel?)

I'd want to investigate which of these three is the root cause. Can you tell me if raw material prices have moved globally in this period?"

CaseCoach Scoring: ① Quantified the driver (€12M/€18M = 67%) ② Gave 3 hypotheses ③ Asked a specific follow-up question ④ Used "headline → driver → so what" ⑤ Tied back to original hypothesis

🅲 Section 3: Synthesis & Recommendation

The interviewer says:

"You're right — global steel prices rose 40% and the company didn't hedge or renegotiate. They also shifted 30% of production to premium stainless steel bottles without adjusting pricing. What would you recommend to the CEO?"

💡 Tips for Synthesis

📋 Use the Pyramid structure: Lead with the answer.

  • SITUATION (1 sentence) — remind them of the problem
  • FINDING (1-2 sentences) — your diagnosis
  • RECOMMENDATION (2-3 points) — prioritized by impact & timeline
  • RISKS & MITIGATIONS (2-3 bullet points) — what could go wrong and how to handle it
  • NEXT STEPS (1-2 sentences) — what you'd do next week

⏱️ Keep it under 90 seconds. CEOs want clarity, not exhaustiveness.

💪 Be decisive. Don't say "maybe" or "it depends." Pick a side and defend it. You can add nuance, but lead with conviction.

🔢 Use numbers. "This could save €8-10M" is way better than "significant savings."

✅ Ideal Response — Synthesis & Recommendation

SITUATION: "EcoBottle's profits fell 67% — from €24M to €8M — while revenue stayed flat."

FINDING: "The root cause is a €12M increase in raw material costs, driven by two factors: unhedged exposure to a 40% global steel price increase, and a shift to premium stainless steel without corresponding price adjustments."

RECOMMENDATION — I'd propose three actions, in priority order:

  1. IMMEDIATE (0-3 months): Raise prices on the premium stainless steel line by 15-20%. These products target eco-conscious consumers with higher willingness to pay — we're essentially giving away margin. Estimated recovery: €3-5M annually.
  2. SHORT-TERM (3-6 months): Renegotiate supplier contracts and implement commodity hedging. Lock in 12-month fixed-price contracts for steel and plastic. Potential savings: €4-6M based on volume leverage.
  3. MEDIUM-TERM (6-12 months): Optimize the product portfolio — analyze which SKUs are margin-positive after the cost increase. Consider discontinuing the lowest-margin variants and focusing on the sweet spot between volume and margin.

NEXT STEPS: "This week, I'd start with a customer price sensitivity analysis for the premium line, and simultaneously request three competing bids from alternative steel suppliers to establish negotiation leverage."

RISKS & MITIGATIONS:

  • Risk: Price increase on premium line could reduce volume → Mitigation: Run an A/B test on one region first; eco-conscious consumers tend to have lower price elasticity
  • Risk: Supplier renegotiation takes time while costs keep rising → Mitigation: Short-term hedging immediately, parallel-track supplier diversification
  • Risk: Discontinuing SKUs may lose shelf space at retailers → Mitigation: Keep the SKU slots but replace lowest-margin products with higher-margin alternatives
Why this scores high: ① Leads with the answer (Pyramid) ② Quantified each recommendation (€3-5M, €4-6M) ③ Prioritized by timeline (immediate → short → medium) ④ Specific next steps for "this week" ⑤ Shows business judgment (premium customers have higher WTP) ⑥ Acknowledges risks with concrete mitigations — shows maturity and real-world thinking

📌 Master Tips — Apply to EVERY Case

# CaseCoach Principle How to Apply
1 Take time to think 60s for structure, 15-20s before exhibit analysis. Silence is OK.
2 Lead with the headline Never start with details. Start: "The key finding is..." then support.
3 Quantify everything "€12M of €18M" > "most of the increase." Always fraction and percentage.
4 Hypothesis-driven State your hypothesis early: "I suspect this is a cost problem." Then test it.
5 Case leadership Suggest where to go next: "Shall I explore costs?" Don't wait to be told.
6 Tailor to the client Use the client's name and industry. "EcoBottle's raw materials" > "COGS"
7 AIM every structure Answer-focused, Insightful, MECE. Miss one = weak structure.
8 Pyramid your synthesis Answer → Supporting points → Next steps. Never bottom-up (building to the answer).
9 Be creative in recommendations Don't just say "reduce costs." HOW? Which costs? By how much? What trade-offs?
10 End strong — next steps Always close with "This week I'd...". Shows you're actionable, not theoretical.

🧑‍💼 Personality Fit — Prepare in Advance

🎤 2-Minute Intro — "Tell me about yourself"

Format: Present → Past → Future. ~90-120 seconds. Confident, natural, conversational.

"I'm [Your Name], [age], [nationality]. I'm currently [your current situation — role, transition, etc.].

Before that, I [describe 2-3 key professional experiences with specific metrics and impact].

My education includes [degrees, universities, exchanges].

What draws me to [Firm Name] is [specific reason tied to the firm's values/culture]. I've spent [timeframe] [doing what] — now I want to [your consulting aspiration]."

⏱️ Timing Guide:

  • Present (15s): Who you are now, current situation
  • Past highlights (60s): 2-3 key experiences with 1 metric each — [Your top 3 companies]
  • Education (10s): One sentence, signal quality
  • Future / Why this firm (20s): What you want + why it fits

⚠️ Common Mistakes:

  • Going chronological from childhood — START with the present
  • Listing every role — pick the 2-3 most impressive
  • No metrics — always have 1 number per experience
  • Over-explaining exits — keep it positive: "clean exit after [X] months"
  • Forgetting the "why this firm" landing — always end on why you're here
⭐ STAR Stories — Your 4 Prepared Stories

Rule: 2-3 min each. S+T = 30s, A = 90s, R = 30s. Always 1st person. Always quantified result + 1 learning.

# Story Mnemonic Key Metric Covers
1 [Company B] — Major Presentation [COMPANY B] — [MNEMONIC] [X] clients, [X]/5, [significant impact] Leadership, Influence, Communication
2 [Company C] — Market Expansion [COMPANY C] — [MNEMONIC] [X]x KPI, [X] accounts, below→above avg Challenge, Resilience, Drive
3 [Company A] — Major Challenge [COMPANY A] — [MNEMONIC] [pipeline] preserved, clean exit Teamwork, Conflict, Integrity
4 [Company A] — Key Achievement [COMPANY A] — [MNEMONIC 2] [pipeline], [X] pilots, revenue Achievement, Entrepreneurship, Creative Thinking

🎯 Story Selection Guide:

If they ask about... Use story
"Leadership" / "Influence" / "Led a project" #1 [Company B] — major presentation/impact
"Challenge" / "Failure" / "Difficulty" #2 [Company C] — market expansion/KPI achievement below average
"Conflict" / "Difficult person" / "Teamwork" #3 [Company A] — leadership challenge disagreement
"Proudest achievement" / "Impact" #4 [Company A] — revenue/growth achievement
"Tell me about a time you took initiative" #1 or #4 — both show proactive initiative
"Analytical thinking" / "Data-driven" #2 [Company C] — comprehensive report, targeted interviews
❓ Most Likely MBB Fit Questions

MBB fit is 10-15 min: Background (2-3 min) + Behavioral (5-8 min) + Motivation (2-3 min) + Your Qs (2 min)

🔵 Background / Intro (almost always asked)

  1. "Walk me through your resume." → Use your 2-min intro
  2. "Tell me about yourself." → Same 2-min intro, slightly more personal
  3. "What have you been doing since [last role]?" → Honest: job search + interview prep + reflecting on next chapter

🟠 Behavioral (1-2 of these, expect the hardest)

  1. "Tell me about a time you led a team or influenced without authority." → Story #1 ([Company B])
  2. "Describe a significant challenge you faced." → Story #2 ([Company C])
  3. "Tell me about a time you dealt with conflict or disagreement." → Story #3 ([Company A] Challenge)
  4. "What is your proudest achievement?" → Story #4 ([Company A] Achievement)
  5. "Tell me about a time you failed." → Adapt Story #2 or #3 — frame as learning
  6. "Give an example of when you showed initiative." → Story #1 or #4
  7. "Tell me about a complex analytical problem you solved." → Story #2 (comprehensive report, targeted interviews)
  8. "How did you convince someone who initially disagreed with you?" → Story #1 or #3

🟢 Motivation (almost always asked)

  1. "Why consulting?" → Passion for solving complex problems + impact + accelerated learning. Bridge: "I've executed strategy in startups, now I want to design it at scale."
  2. "Why this firm specifically?" → Culture of innovation, digital capabilities, real implementation, intellectual curiosity of the people.
  3. "Why now (after a startup)?" → "I've seen the gap between strategy and execution firsthand. I want the firm's toolkit to close that gap for companies at scale."
  4. "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" → Growing within consulting, leading projects, specializing in tech/digital transformation.

🟣 Curveball Questions (less common but be ready)

  1. "What would your co-founder say about you?" → Driven, analytical, sometimes too fast. I learned to slow down and listen.
  2. "What's your biggest weakness?" → Impatience with slow processes — I've learned that in consulting, building consensus IS the process.
  3. "If you don't get into consulting, what would you do?" → Tech sales leadership at a top company (Google, etc.) — but consulting is my priority because of the breadth of impact.
💎 Personality & Presence — What MBB Really Evaluates

MBB evaluates presence & communication throughout the ENTIRE interview — not just in the fit section. Here's what they're looking for:

Quality What it looks like Your natural advantage
Confidence Firm handshake, eye contact, steady speaking pace, no filler words [Company B] (presentations), [Company A] (pitches)
Warmth / Rapport Genuine smiles, interest in interviewer, not robotic You're naturally personable — use it. Ask about their firm experience.
Intellectual Curiosity Asking "why" before jumping to answers, genuine interest in the case Your startup experience gave you real business curiosity
Structured Communication "I'd break this into three parts..." — never rambling Practice: every answer should have a number upfront
Coachability Takes hints gracefully, adjusts when redirected, doesn't argue Say: "That's a great point, let me reconsider..." and pivot
Energy / Drive Leaning forward, enthusiastic about the problem, not passive Built an impressive pipeline from zero — channel that energy

✅ Pre-Interview Mindset Reset:

  1. You're not there to impress — you're there to have an interesting business conversation
  2. The interviewer WANTS you to succeed — they need to fill the position
  3. You've handled major presentations before. This is ONE person. You've done harder.
  4. Treat the case like a real problem you're solving with a colleague — not an exam

SCHEDULE TIMELINE

Video Drill Practice Solo FIT Break