Learn To Think Like A Strategy Consultant
A four-week course designed to help you master the secrets of elite strategy consultants like the pyramid principle, MECE, structured problem solving, and persuasive storytelling with slides.
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Top Consulting Firms Teach People To Think Like CEOs
The skills people learn at McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and Bain enable people up to thrive in strategy and executive positions, as entrepreneurs, and consultants.
The problem? It's hard to learn these skills and most of those former consultants suck at teaching them. You might have worked with one of them.
They say stuff like "can you make this slide prettier?"
WTF?!
I spent seven years working in consulting at places like McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group before deciding to become an entrepreneur in 2017. Since then, I've been building StrategyU with the mission to teach these skills to anyone who wants to learn them.
I don't think you need to give up years of your life trying to break into consulting and working 65+ hours a week to learn these skills.
This is why I built Think Like A Strategy Consultant a virtual course that has helped thousands of CEOs, Founders, Executives, Students, Freelancers, and Professionals from more than 42 countries learn how to create great work beyond what they thought possible...
Understand The Process of Distinctive Knowledge Work & Avoid Getting Stuck In Your Career
Escape Middle Management
Don't get lost staying busy instead of getting promoted. I want to help you learn the skills to stand out as the go-to person on the team
Influence & Persuade Senior Leaders
The highest levels of the organization need to know what they are looking at, why it matters, and what to do next. I'll help you learn this language.
Develop A Process For Doing Great Work
ļ»æCompanies prioritize getting things done, not your growth. I will teach you a "process" for approaching your work so that you are always getting better.
Learn How To Apply Consulting Tools To Your Work Immediately
Over 1,000+ people have taken this course from 55+ Countries. The people that get the most out of it:
Strategy, Financial & Analytics Leaders:Ā Who work with data are actively helping to shape the direction of their company, solving complex problems and giving executive-level presentations
Senior Executives:Ā Who want to learn how to develop a strategy, communicate to senior leaders & Boards, and want to have more confidence in developing a vision
Freelance Consultants:Ā Who never worked at a top consulting firm but do data-intensive or information-heavy work with clients.
Students or New Grads:Ā Who want to improve their corporate communications and problem solving (this is not a good fit for case practice)
Fast Track Your Career...
"This course helped me get promoted! It provides a framework to communicate complex business problems in a clear and concise manner. I wish I knew about MECE sooner."
Andrew K., Sales Strategy Consultant
I will simplify complex consulting frameworks to enable you to immediately apply them to your work
Pyramid Principle
Learn how to structure your thinking to make compelling arguments
MECE
Learn how to simplify ideas to make them more memorable & persuasive
PowerPoint Storytelling
Learn how to make PowerPoints that don't put people to sleep
Consulting Experience Helped Indra & Laszlo Become C-Level Execs
Indra Nooyi - Former CEO of Pepsi
āI donāt think I could have gotten here without a strategy consultant background because it taught me inductive thinking. It taught me how to think of the problem in micro terms but also to zoom out and put the problem in the context of its broader environment and then zoom back in to solve the problem"
Laszlo Bock - Former CHRO of Google
āConsulting was like finishing school for MBAs...McKinsey promised to move you around, so you get to learn a lot of different things. It seemed like a great place to keep learning.ā
The Course Is Designed for Busy Professionals And Structured So That Is Can Be Completed In Four Weeks
Each Week Has Customized Assignments To Practice What You Learned
Week 1 - Introduction & Mindset
š§ Ā Module #1 - Consulting Mindset:Ā Introduction to the basic consulting mindsets, mental models & consulting process
Week 2 - Synthesize & Structure
šÆ Module #2 - MECE Mind: The powerful framework to help you sharpen your thinking
š” Module #3 - From Information To Insight: Introduction to the pyramid principle and synthesizing & organizing complex information
š Assignment:Ā Consulting services MECE assignment & mock chief of staff research assignment
Week 3 - Hypothesis-Driven Problem Solving
š¬Module #4 - Real World Problem Solving: Using MECE, Pyramid Principle and hypothesis tools to break down real-world problems into problems that can be solved
š Assignment: Using SCQA & issue tress in a real-life Facebook strategy case study
Week 4 - PowerPoint & Persuasion
š Module #5 - Kick-Ass Presentations: Learn the PowerPoint secrets of strategy consultants, master flow & understand how to craft your message to different audiences
š„Ā Module #6 - Beyond Consulting Presentations: Creating Memorable & Persuasive Content:Ā Implement tools from cognitive neuroscience and other disciplines to create memorable messages
š Assignment: You'll be given an incomplete 19-page presentation which will have missing information. Fill in the information, titles and other missing content and develop a clear storyline based on the lessons
More Than A Video Course
Challenging Assignments That Will Push You Out Of Your Comfort Zone
- MECE Assignment:Ā Redesign a consulting firms service offerings to ensure that they are using the MECE principle
- CEO Pitch Exercise:Ā Synthesize interviews, research, and survey findings in your role as Chief of Staff for an upcoming meeting with your CEO
- Facebook Case Problem Statement & Issue Tree: Develop a hypothesis Issue Tree for a Facebook case study
- PowerPoint Pitch: Complete an unfinished PowerPoint presentation for a business case competition
Past Students:
"I highly recommend this course as a useful start to thinking more critically about what and how you want to communicate to your audiences. Full of relevant tools and case studies, this course is sure to help you create, sharp, engaging and more persuasive presentations."
Amita, Director, United Nations
"The StrategyU toolkit is one of the main reasons I have a job in consulting. This course will teach you about everything you need to know not only to succeed in interviews, but also on the job as well. From understanding the Pyramid Principle to making sure my analysis is MECE, I have used these principles in my jobs in consulting and finance"
Jeff, Consultant, Bain & Company
Preview The Course Content:
- Module #1 Introduction (0:27)
- Mindset Shift #1 Shifting From The "What" To The "How" (4:21)
- Mindset Shift #2 Learning Mindset & The Quest For Better Explanations (3:53)
- Mindset Shift #3 Rule Of Three: Why Do Consultants Always Offer Lists Of Three? (1:48)
- Mindset Shift #4: Think Before Your PowerPoint! (Beyond The Digital Default) (4:19)
- Mindset Shift #5: Doing "High-Performance" Work (7:27)
- Advanced Consulting Process: Bottom-Up & Top-Down Modes (5:56)
- Bringing It Alive - Mini Case Study - University Budget Cuts (6:08)
- BONUS: Overview Of Strategy Consulting (10:33)
- Introduction to MECE - Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive (2:18)
- Fun Facts: Are most people saying "MECE" wrong? A word from Barabara Minto (2:01)
- Four Ways to Use MECE in Your Work (6:10)
- Basic Business Example: Profit = Revenue - Costs (1:54)
- MECE: Social Media Example (2:56)
- More Example: Test Yourself! (6:35)
- MECE FAQ: What happens if you are using "other" too much? (3:16)
- Module #3 Introduction (1:17)
- Intro To The Pyramid Principle (0:23)
- Why Synthesis Matters: The Illusion Of Transparency (3:07)
- Using The Pyramid Principle: Five Step Process (5:05)
- Minto's Three Rules (2:10)
- Test Yourself: Pyramid Principle Mini-Assignment
- Synthesis Exercise: Answers
- Technique: Label, Sort Insight (2:01)
- How The Pyramid Principle Fits In The Consulting Process (2:17)
- Walkthrough Example #1: Label, Sort, Insight (4:41)
- Walkthrough Example #2: Label, Sort Insight (6:43)
- Preview: Pyramid Principle Part 2 (1:01)
- Bonus: Mapping The Pyramid Principle To A Real PowerPoint Deck (3:19)
- Module #4 Introduction (0:18)
- The Top-Down Mode: Defining Problems & Developing Hypothesis (1:10)
- Facebook Case Kick-Off & Goals (3:04)
- The SCQA Framework & Defining Problems (6:02)
- Problem Statement Feedback From Paul
- Issue Trees & Developing Hypotheses (6:55)
- Q&A - Student Questions on SCQA & Problem Solving (2:14)
- Module #5 Introduction (1:29)
- Pyramid Principle Part 2: Communicate Top-Down (3:17)
- Write Before You PowerPoint (3:49)
- How To Sequence Insights & Arguments (5:29)
- Structure Your Arguments: Inductive & Deductive Reasoning (5:51)
- PowerPoint Storytelling: Three Principles of Flow (7:57)
- Slides Critiques of Real Slides From McKinsey, BCG & More... (6:46)
- Types of Presentations / End Products (Free Examples + Templates) (9:29)
- Influencing Different Levels of The Organization (3:33)
- Charts 101: Why Not To Use Pie Charts (4:27)
- Three Types Of Frameworks & How To Build Your Own (5:58)
45+ Lectures Designed To Be Memorable & Actionable
Lectures are continuously adding and adjusting content based on student questions and are designed to optimize for learning. I focus on quality over quantity and length.
In-Depth Interviews With Former Consultants
I go into detail with former consultants about what they learned in consulting, how they apply the skills in their current jobs and what they wish more people knew.
Advanced Checklist: Apply The Skills In Your Day-To-Day Work
A detailed step-by-step checklist of how to apply the skills in this course through every step of your work
Convince Your Company To Pay...
I've created a customized template that you can use to make the case to your manager that this course will help you improve. It's been used successfully by several people.
Download it here
Lifetime Access = $797
- Access to over 50+ lectures (and ability to request additions)
- 100+ Consulting Template slides in PPTX format
- Interviews with former consultants
- PDF Checklist to help you apply the skills for every module
- Suggested schedule for completion
- Automated 4-week email reminders to help ensure completion
- Three challenging assignments with example solutions
- Access to comments to ask questions & request limited feedback
- Lifetime access to all future updates
Hi, Iām Paul, Founder of StrategyU
I created this course after several years of facilitating workshops for corporate clients and student consulting groups.
It is built on what I have learned from over ten years years working as a consultant including time at McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group and as a freelance consultant for the past several years.
I run this as a solo venture and love helping people learn these skills. If you have questions before you sign up just send me a note and I'll get back to you ASAP.
Are You A Freelancer?
We have customized courses for independent freelancers including a bundle of both Think Like A Strategy Consultant and The Art of Strategic Freelancing
Common Questions
Do you offer any scholarships for people from lower-income countries or people facing hardship?
Yes, I do. I offer a "gift economy" exercise for people to determine what makes sense for their situation. Please complete the exercise and I will find something that works for your situation!
Do you help people get reimbursed from their company?
Yes! We've had many people get reimbursed from their company for this course. I've created a customized letter templates that lays out some of the benefits that you can tailor to your needs. I'm also available to chat if you want to brainstorm an approach!