Watch two candidates tackle the same case:

Candidate A: 'I'll use Porter's Five Forces to analyze competitive intensity, then apply the 4Ps marketing framework, and conclude with a SWOT analysis.'

Candidate B: 'Hotel occupancy dropped 15%. That's either a demand problem—fewer guests—or a supply problem—we added rooms. Let me figure out which one, then we'll know where to focus.'

One of these candidates got an offer. The other didn't. Can you guess which?

It's Candidate B. Not because they knew more frameworks (they used zero), but because they understood the problem first.

Here's what most prep materials get wrong: they teach you to memorize frameworks like Porter's Five Forces, BCG Matrix, 3Cs, 4Ps, 7S. Then you walk into interviews trying to remember which framework fits which case type. The problem? Real business problems don't come labeled with which framework to use.

When a hotel chain CEO says 'Our occupancy is down,' they're not thinking 'I wonder which of the 23 business frameworks applies here.' They're thinking 'Why are fewer people booking rooms, and what do I do about it?'

The best consultants don't start with frameworks. They start with the problem. They ask: What's happening? What drives this business? What would cause the symptom we're seeing? Then—and only then—they might pull in a framework if it's useful.

In the next 35 minutes, I'll show you the problem-first approach that separates senior consultants from junior ones. You'll learn how to understand problems deeply, structure from first principles, and use frameworks as tools (not crutches). This is the skill that determines whether clients see you as valuable or just another person who memorized some slides.