So, a couple of weeks ago, McKinsey Business Technology (BTO) sent a very intriguing email:
Teams of 3-5 MBAs from Berkeley Haas, Chicago GSB, Kellogg, MIT Sloan, and Wharton will show how a breakthrough technology could transform one of the world's leading companies.
Note that HBS isn't on the list because I think they called the bluff from McKinsey. Anyway, our team was interested in "breakthrough technologies", so we signed up. Of course, the $10,000 school prize and $20,000 national prize didn't hurt either.
The night we got our question, it was the following: apply one of the four technologies to a Fortune 100 company and show improvement in revenue and productivity. The four technologies - user generated content, constant WIFI, virtual worlds, and smart networks - being four things that I've heard of and used already.
It was a fucking scam to generate great ideas and then use them to pitch to clients (it can't get any more obvious than that, really). Which is fine, I guess... kudos to the person who thought of this idea. Anyway, we goofed around the whole day and came up with some trashy presentation before calling it a day. Anyway, someone asked me how the case challenge was, which inspired an unintended poem:
it's just a place where McK generates pitches
that's why we call those consultant bitches
It also inspired the Lam Chart:
5 comments:
Agreed, out-fucking-standing post. I think we should have saved our time by selling the starbucks card for beer and putting together a presentation on reaction to their question.
And, correction, the time would have been wasted were it not for a) The Lam Graph and b) the laughs.
hilarious. I fought long and hard not to participate in this contest and I'm glad :-).
pretty much all contests are idea-fetching. but it's incumbent on the sponsor to make it rewarding to the participants -- and also a good idea, since the other main purpose of case contests is brand-building...
an f-letter from BAINer to mckinsey... heehee
Yes - McKinsey is definately a cult, not a culture: its not even about money - and the company expanded so much in the 80s that the talent pool is not that exclusive anymore: they have grad school drop outs in there! It is simply whoever is willing to conform to the cult-like demands of fitting in. They give everyone a book with a picture of Marvin Bower on it & its like scrape scape, shuffle - how can I be more like Marvn, I hate myself and wish I was Marvin, how can I drink from Marvin`s cup?
If I read the "Lam Chart" right, it seems that the McKinsey thing requires no time at all, but is very useful. Watching the Bulls is the opposite.
I think you got it backwards.
McKinsey may or may not be evil, but I believe their consultants usually get the axes on their charts right.
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