StrategyU

Get to the point in every email, memo, and deck.

Think Like a Strategy Consultant is a four-week course on how top consultants at McKinsey, Bain, and BCG communicate and solve problems.

Enroll - $797Watch 13 free lessons

30-day money-back guarantee · Lifetime access

Taught by Paul Millerd, former McKinsey & BCG strategy consultant

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1,500+students in 65 countries
80lessons, 13 free
4 weeks1–3 hours a week
3case assignments with solutions
5AI skills for Claude, ChatGPT, and other AI tools

Learn the go-to frameworks top consultants use in their work: MECE and the Pyramid Principle.

The Pyramid Principle: a main insight at the top, built from three insights, each built from evidence

The Pyramid Principle

Answer first, then the reasons, then the evidence

Barbara Minto's method from McKinsey for turning analysis into an argument people can follow. Every consulting presentation is built on it.

You'll practice it with LSI (Label, Sort, Insight), our own technique for going from raw notes to a clear insight.

Watch the free lesson: Label, Sort, Insight
“The StrategyU toolkit is one of the main reasons I have a job in consulting. … 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, Ex-Bain & Company Consultant

Learn how to generate issue trees, develop compelling insights, and make great slides

Split a vague question into an issue tree you can test

MECE in practice: each branch is a separate question you can assign and answer.

Before
“Why are sales down?”pricing?the economynew competitormarketing spendsales team moraleseasonality??product issues
After
Why is revenue down 12%?
Fewer new customersLeads · conversion · price
Existing customers buying lessChurn · downgrades · usage
Market shrinkingDemand · competitors

Turn a pile of research into one clear point

The Pyramid Principle in practice: keep the facts that matter and say what they mean.

Before
Fast adopters renew 92%NPS 31Slow adopters renew 46%Top ticket: setup helpCFO wants marginLost deals: “onboarding too slow”
After
Fix onboarding to lift renewals
Fast adopters renew twice as often
Setup is the top support ticket
Lost deals blame slow onboarding

Slides that deliver the “so what?”

The title gives the conclusion and the chart backs it up.

Before
Q3 Results
  • Revenue $7.6M, up 9% from Q2
  • Enterprise $3.9M (Q2: $3.0M)
  • Mid-market $2.7M (Q2: $3.0M)
  • SMB flat at $1.0M
  • Two enterprise deals closed
  • New pricing page launched
After
Two enterprise deals drove Q3 growth, while mid-market revenue fell 10%.
Change in revenue, Q2 to Q3
Enterprise+$0.9M
SMB$0.0M
Mid-market−$0.3M

The course is designed around a weekly cadence with one core lesson each week

Typical students spend 1–3 hours a week over four weeks, but all lessons are open from the start. You'll receive weekly email reminders once you enroll and can restart at any time.

Start any Monday and finish four weeks later
Week 1

Think like a consultant

  • Mindset: five shifts, from the “what” to the “how”
  • Process: how a consulting project runs, top-down and bottom-up

Practice: a guided mini case

Week 2

Turn information into insights

  • MECE: break a problem into parts with no overlaps and no gaps
  • Pyramid Principle: turn messy information into insight

Assignment: sort a consulting firm's services, then find the three themes behind a company's morale problem

Week 3

Hypothesis-driven problem solving

  • SCQA: define the problem before the analysis
  • Issue trees: form hypotheses and test the highest-value paths first

Assignment: build the issue tree for Facebook's shift to mobile

Week 4

Build persuasive presentations

  • Storytelling: slides that deliver the “so what?”, tuned to the audience
  • Persuasion: messages people remember, drawing on cognitive science

Assignment: turn 18 rough slides into a pitch that wins

You'll get the most out of this if you are working in:

Strategy, finance, and analytics leaders

You work with data, help shape your company's direction, solve complex problems, and present to executives.

Executive leadership

You want to develop a strategy, communicate with senior leaders and boards, and set a vision with more confidence.

Consulting (freelance or firm)

You never worked at a top consulting firm, but you do data-heavy or information-heavy work for clients.

Students and new grads

You want to get better at problem solving and at communicating inside a company.

Practice on three business cases. Each with a step-by-step walkthrough & example solutions.

Four pages from Assignment 1, the MECE and synthesis exercise: Sort Gamma's 11 services so none overlap and none are missing; Build your map by moving each service into a category; Four leaders told you what they think is behind the morale problem; and Write the three themes for the CEO and move the evidence under each

Help a services firm restructure their offerings using MECE

Sort a consulting firm's 11 services so nothing overlaps and nothing is missing.

Four pages from Assignment 2, the issue tree exercise: In early 2012, Facebook was a web company with a weak app; Write the problem statement; Write three hypotheses; and Put the whole tree on one page

Build Facebook's issue tree as they make the shift to mobile

It's 2012 and the world is going mobile. You are Zuck and the Board. Get the questions right.

Four pages from Assignment 3, the slide doctor exercise: Scan the slides, fill them in, and sort them into sections as you go; a slide with a [Title] placeholder over a chart of food truck types by trucks per city and average gross revenue; a slide titled "__ has shown a steady increase in popularity __" over a search-interest chart for cotton candy, cupcakes, and frozen yogurt; and a slide with a [Title] placeholder and three insight rows to fill in

Slide doctor for a food truck investment pitch

Write the missing titles and call-outs so the story flows.

1,500+ students have used it to get promoted and get to the point.

“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
“It seemed I was not concise enough in my comms to the C-level, so this was a tremendous jump for me. I liked a lot the storytelling part and the presentation.”
Wanda
“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
“Think Like A Strategy Consultant respects the principles taught in it: no fluff, straight to the point, impactful, exposing concrete and actionable tools, and conveying deep, meaningful messages.”
Maxime

Watch 13 lessons before you buy.

No sign-up needed. Each one has the full video and transcript.

Start here: meet Paul, and why he made this course

AI is everywhere, and most people haven't figured out how to work with it well

This course pairs exceptionally well with agentic AI tools. In the past the challenge with learning these skills was a lack of feedback in real-world environments. Through the skills I built based on the course, you have access to a coach and sparring partner to push your own capabilities further.

Too many people are shipping “slop,” impressed by initial outputs. This course will teach you to spot weak thinking and go deeper (with AI)

Make a 30-page deck on Topic X from this spreadsheet

XLSX Topic X data.xlsx
ToLeadership team

Hi all, deck attached. Let me know your thoughts!

PPTX 30 slides

You become the partner. The model is the analyst.

That requires thinking like a CEO: defining problems, taking a hypothesis-first approach, and knowing how to coach and iterate.

PartnerSet direction, judge the answerYou
Engagement managerShape the story and the workplanYou
AssociateDraft the pagesAI
AnalystBuild the analysisAI

This course teaches you how to think like a consultant. Then you can push the models to go deeper.

  1. First draft of a US real estate slide, titled: The market is thawing, but the rebound is uneven
    First try, bare prompt

    This gives you something to react to. Now give it more guidance…

  2. Call the Storyline skill
  3. Second draft, made with the Storyline skill, titled: US housing in 2026 is rebalancing, not crashing: flat national prices and mid-6% rates mask a two-speed metro market
    With the skill

    “Use the skill and use clearer and direct language, aim for one clear insight for the page”

  4. Challenge the output, identify gaps based on what you learned in the course
  5. Third draft, after one round of questions, titled: Demand, not shortage, now sets the US housing market: prices stall nationally and fall only where builders overshot
    After one round of questions

    “Show me different versions of this slide. Make the chart simpler. Show one clear bar that highlights the key message”

This course includes five AI “skills” based on the course content

They work in Claude, ChatGPT, and other AI tools. Detailed walkthroughs for Claude Code and Codex show you how to learn from the AI, apply the skills, and build slides in an AI-native way.

  1. Step 1FrameDefine the problem and build the issue tree
  2. Step 2StructureTurn notes and data into a clear argument
  3. Step 3StorylineWrite the memo or email, or build the deck
In every stepWritingRemoves AI patterns from any text
All in oneCoachRuns all three steps as one guided process

Building slides in Claude Code or Codex? Try Decks, my free slide editor: you comment under a slide, and the AI makes the change.

Paul Millerd

Hey, I'm Paul, creator of StrategyU and this course.

I created this after 7+ years of facilitating workshops for corporate clients and student consulting groups. Over the past several years, I've improved this course and delivered it to 1,500+ people globally.

It is built on what I've learned from 10+ years working as a consultant, including time at McKinsey & Company and Boston Consulting Group, and as a freelance consultant in recent years.

I'm obsessed with synthesizing and simplifying ideas. This is the most efficient way I know to level up your skills as a knowledge worker or consultant.

I run this as a solo venture and love helping people learn these skills. If you have questions before you sign up, send me a note and I'll get back to you.

“I knew the Pyramid Principle already having worked in a consultancy firm. … The course was 1000 times better than the multiple times I did this elsewhere in the past. Highly recommended.”
Rob

One price includes every lesson, assignment, and AI skill, with a 30-day refund.

Complete access

$797

One-time payment for full course access.

  • 80 lessons, including interviews with former consultants
  • 3 case assignments with example solutions
  • 100+ slide templates and the course checklist
  • Five AI skills for Claude, ChatGPT, and other AI tools, with walkthroughs for Claude Code and Codex
  • Lifetime access and future updates

2 payments

$398 x 2

Same course, split over two monthly payments.

  • Full access from day one
  • Everything in the one-payment plan
  • 2 scheduled payments of $398

30-day money-back guarantee. If the course isn't for you, contact me within 30 days for a full refund.

“The best value for money course out there for young professionals to learn how to structure their ideas for executive reviews!”
Neeraj

Also available: Art of Strategic Freelancing ($347), or both courses as the Consultant's Bundle ($997).

Clearer thinking, better output, faster execution.

“The course was a total game changer for me. I not only improved my understanding and the consultant approach to study cases but learned a more structured way to approach real problems effectively using the principles here explained.”
Lina, Sustainability Consultant
“I found the course to be a great resource which uses a self-paced approach to learning practical techniques & concepts consultants use. I am already applying what I've learned to create compelling analysis & recommendations to solve real business problems.”
Michael
“I was able to apply the principles taught in this program immediately. As a General Manager, it assisted me also to help others understand their problems better without directly jumping into solution mode.”
Jacques, General Manager

Questions people ask before enrolling

How long does the course take?

It's structured for four weeks, but you go at your own pace. Most people spend 1–3 hours a week, with more time in the weeks that have assignments.

Is this right for me if I've never worked in consulting?

Yes. Most students have never worked at a consulting firm. The course teaches the thinking and communication tools consultants use, and you can apply them in any knowledge-work role.

Do I get lifetime access?

Yes. Once you enroll, you keep the course and all future updates.

Is there a refund policy?

Yes. If the course isn't for you, contact me within 30 days for a full refund.

Is this useful for case interview prep?

The course teaches real-world strategy skills, not case interview practice. If case prep is your main goal, it's probably not the best fit. If you want the thinking and communication skills underneath, it will help.

Start with a free lesson, or enroll today.

30-day money-back guarantee · Lifetime access

Watch 13 free lessonsEnroll - $797