大二读该书，大三出风头，大四找工作

一本教人如何面试，虽然针对是的咨询类工作的面试，但其实内容在许多行业和工作中都适用。读到这本书的一半时，我就严重滴意识到了自己从前的面试就是一坨一坨的shit；难怪自称自己不善于“考试、面试和相亲”。原来是分别没掌握“揣摩考点”、“抓住重点分析”以及“卖弄伪牛逼点”。这本书虽不至于能够保送进入高薪的大公司，但是里面的一套一套忽悠个吧外企，是不在话下了。而且，这种方法论，还可以用于工作中、生活中大部分事情的分析、解决。

不足之处是，毕竟是一本教科书，很多模型停留在理想的模型和诸多假设之上；所以本书的case更多是一些智力游戏，而非是真正的做事的style。甚至可以说，如果真正的商业如同书中一样做的话，那十有八九是反而成不了事情的。即使是跟最新和最综合的商业书籍相比，本书也只相当于是一个大纲，真正的core value并没有成为核心的重点。所以，面试时一套，在别人的公司里，利用着老板的资源搞策略、市场营销、竞争分析、品牌建设是一套（反正有人替你交学费了）；但是自己start business时又必须是另外一套。这个世界变化太快了，应付这瞬息万变的世界，最佳策略是与之共舞，随遇而安，以七十二变应付万变；抱着过去的教科书混饭吃，应该很庆幸老板很宽容。敝组织的理事之一张欣母蛛说过，“昨天的太阳，烤不干今天的湿衣裳”。

Case面试的类型：Brainteasers；Back-of-the-Envelope；Business Case Questions。应对顺序：1. Summarize the Question；2. Verify the Objective；3. Ask Clarifying Question；4. lay Out Your Structur。

Case的类型：

Entering a New Marke。
CURRENT MARKET：BARRIERS TO ENTRY
BARRIERS TO EXIT；
PRODUCT DIFFERENTIATION；
MAJOR PLAYERS, MARKET SHARE,
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
• SIZE
• GROWTH RATE
• CUSTOMER SEGMENTATION
ENTERING < Yes！HOW? "： START FROM SCRATCH
                       ACQUISITION
                       JOINT VENTURE
If No~~ COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF EACH

Industry Analysis。
CURRENT MARKET：LIFE CYCLE ( EMERGING? MATURITY?DECLINE?)
                  PERFORMANCE (GROWING OR DECLINING?)
                  CLIENT'S POSITION WITHIN THE INDUSTRY
                  MAJOR PLAYERS AND THEIRMARKET SHARE
                  INDUSTRY CHANGES (NEW PLAYERS, TECHNOLOGY, REGULATIONS)
                  DRIVERS (BRAND, SIZE, TECHNOLOGY)
SUPPLIERS：HOW MANY?
PRODUCT AVAILABILITY
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIRMARKET?
FUTURE：ARE PLAYERS ENTERING OR LEAVINGTHE MARKET?
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS?
BARRIERS TO ENTRY, TO EXIT

Mergers and Acquisitions。
OBJECTIVES WHY BUY? MARKET ACCESS BOOST BRAND
                                    INCREASE MARKET SHARE
                     DIVERSIFY HOLDINGS
                     PRE-EMPT COMPETITION
                     TAXES
                     SYNERGIES COST SAVINGS：REDUCTION OF FIXEDAND VARIABLECOSTS
                              CULTURAL INTEGRATION
                              DISTRIBUTION CHANNELEXPANSION
ACQUISITION COSTS ：FAIR PRICE? Can we afford it？how to pay for it？
REINTEGRATION COSTS
INDUSTRY OVERALLITECHNOLOGY RISKS
COMPETITIVE RESPONSE
WHAT SHAPE ISTHE ECONOMY IN?
DUE DILIGENCE I RISKS： WHAT SHAPE ISTHE ECONOMY IN?
                     HOW SECURE AREMARKETS AND THEIRCUSTOMERS?
                     INDUSTRY OVERALLITECHNOLOGY RISKS
                      COMPETITIVE RESPONSE
EXIT STRATEGY： HOLD FORHOW LONG?
               BREAKIT UPAND SELL OFFITSPARTS

Pricing Strategies。
COMPETITIVE ANANALYSIS: COMPETITORS' PRICES
                       COMPETITORS' PRICES COMPARED TO OURS
                       SUBSTITUTIONS
                       CONSUMER BUYING HABITS
COST-BASED PRICING: COST OF GOODS SOLD - WHAT DOES IT COST TO MAKE?
WHAT'S OUR BREAKEVEN POINT?
HOW MUCH PROFIT MARGIN CAN WE ADD?
Price-based costing: WHAT ARE CUSTOMERSWILLING TO PAY FOR THE PRODUCT?
                 WHAT'S IT WORTH TO THEM COMPARED TO OTHER THINGS?
                 SUPPLYAND DEMAND

Growth Strategie.
GROWTH STRATEGIES: INCREASE DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS
                   INCREASE PRODUCT LINE
                   INVEST IN MAJOR MARKETINGCAMPAIGN
                   DIVERSIFY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
                   ACQUIRECOMPETITORS

Starting a New Busines
Investigate the market to determine whether entering the market makes good business sense.
• Who is our competition?
• What size market share does each competitor have?
• How do their products/services compare to ours?
• Are there any barriers to entry? Such as: capital requirements, access to distribution channels, proprietary product technology, or government policy.
Venture capitalists don't simply buy into an idea or product, they invest in:
• Management
• What is the management team like?
• What are their core competencies?
• Have they worked together before?
• Is there an advisory board?
• Market & Strategic Plans
• What are the barriers to entering this market?
• Who are the major players and what kind of market share does each firm have?
• What will the competitive response be?
• Distribution Channels
• What are our distribution channels?
• Products
• What is the product and technology?
• What is the competitive edge?
• What are the disadvantages of this product?
• Is the technology proprietary?
• Customers
• Who are our customers?
• How can we best reach them? Can we reach them on the Internet?
• How can we ensure that we retain them?
• Finance
• How is the project being funded?
• What is the best allocation of funds?
• Can we support the debt? (What if interest rates change? What if the economy sours?)

Competitive Response
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS: COMPETITOR'S NEWPRODUCTS
                    WHAT'SCHANGED?
                    HAVETHEYPICKED UPMARKETSHARE?
RESPONSES: ACQUIRE THECOMPETITOR
            MERGE WITH THECOMPETITOR
            COPY THECOMPETITOR
            HIRE THECOMPETITOR'S MANAGEMENT
            INCREASE OUROWN PROFILE WITH P.R. CAMPAIGN

Increasing Sales
INCREASING Sale: INCREASE VOLUME
               INCREASE AMOUNT OF EACH SALE
               INCREASE PRICES
               CREATE SEASONAL BALANCE
Increasing the Bottom Line: Profits
ANALYZE THE revenues: WHAT ARETHE REVENUE STREAMS?
                    WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THETOTAL REVENUE DOES EACH STREAM REPRESENT?
                    DOES ANYTHING SEEM UNUSUAL IN THE BALANCE OF PERCENTAGES?
                    HAVE THE PERCENTAGES CHANGEDLATELY? IFSO,WHY?
EXAMINE YOUr cost: ID MAJOR COSTS
                 ANY MAJOR SHIFTS IN COSTS?
                 DO ANY COSTS SEEM OUT OF LINE?
                 BENCHMARK COSTS AGAINST COMPETITORS
Volume: EXPANDINTO NEWAREAS
       INCREASE SALES FORCE
       INCREASE MARKETING
       REDUCE PRICES
       IMPROVECUSTOMER SERVICE

5C & 4P
Company product
Costs price
Competition place
Consumers/clients promotions
Channels

以上这些唬人的名词足够应付一般智商又不特别勤奋的小白领了。后面的一个个case分析会比较boring，就是俩人的对话，而且大多数都是些我们没接触过的现实问题，based on没见过的假设上。纯粹的智力游戏。可以适当挑选进行阅读、练习和评论，因为MBA也可能有遗失的。

基本方法：MECE analysis, Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhausted.在《麦肯锡方法》中强调的MECE再次出现。中文叫“相互独立，完全穷尽”。书末有详细的解释,就当练英文吧，懒得翻译：MECE: Borrows from the 80/20 tradition in espousing a "mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive" approach to engagements. In other words, the consultant 1 interviewer must take care to ensure that, simultaneously, (1) each issue discussed is separate and distinct ("mutually exclusive") and (2) that the totality of issues discussed comprehensively addresses every conceivable aspect of the problem ("collectively exhaustive"). Likely, upon your admission to the firm, MECE will become such an instinctive element of your mentality and such a governing dynamic of your production (memos, reports, presentations, strategy), that you will be well served to evidence a familiarity and appreciation for it at some point in the hiring process. You will also be well served to remember that, when iterating your ideas, an "other issues" category can afford you a simple means to ensure you always remain at least attentive to the principle, if not genuinely MECE in your approach.