About Dr. Florian Smeritschnig, founder of StrategyCase.com
I Failed My First McKinsey Application
Then I changed how I prepared, reapplied, and got in. Five years later I left the firm to fix what is broken in case interview preparation.
StrategyCase.com is an independent consulting interview preparation company that helps candidates build the skills McKinsey, BCG, and Bain evaluate in case interviews, fit interviews, and online tests, through courses, practice tests, books, and 1:1 coaching.
- Former McKinsey Senior Consultant
- Founder of StrategyCase since 2020
- 2,300+coaching sessions delivered
- 700+offers secured by my clients
- 340MBB offers
- 190McKinsey offers
- 1,600+5-star reviews across platforms
How this started
The Origins of StrategyCase
I prepared for my first consulting application the way almost everyone does. I bought the well-known books, worked through Case in Point, memorized the frameworks, and drilled case after case.
My first application was for a McKinsey internship, and the case interview didn’t go to plan.
I was rejected.
What I did not understand at the time was where that advice came from. The people writing the most popular case interview resources had largely never worked as consultants, or had last sat in a real interview decades earlier. They were teaching a version of the case interview that no longer existed, and I had followed it faithfully.
So I threw it out and started over. Instead of memorizing structures, I worked on the underlying skills: breaking a problem apart from first principles, forming a view with incomplete information, reading data for what it actually says, and communicating like someone who solves problems for a living rather than someone performing an interview.
Fourteen months later, after an internship at Kearney and a master’s degree, I applied again, this time for a full-time role. I got the offer, and I spent the next five years at McKinsey, working on client problems and sitting on the other side of the recruiting process.
Timeline
From Rejection to StrategyCase
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First application
Rejected by McKinsey
I applied for a McKinsey internship after preparing with the standard books and frameworks. The case interview didn’t go to plan.
-
14 months later
Hired by McKinsey
After an internship at Kearney, a master’s degree, and a completely different approach to case interviews, I applied for a full-time role and got the offer.
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5 years at McKinsey
Consultant to Senior Consultant
I was promoted to Senior Consultant as a key talent of the firm’s Travel, Transport and Logistics practice, mentored junior colleagues and clients, and screened applications and evaluated candidates for the firm.
-
During my McKinsey years
A PhD on educational leave
I completed my PhD during a McKinsey-sponsored educational leave and received a return offer afterwards.
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2020
Left McKinsey and founded StrategyCase
To build the alternative to the advice that nearly cost me the offer.
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2023
The first two books
The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview, which became an Amazon bestseller, and Consulting Career Secrets for new consultants.
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2025
The 1%: Case Interview Workbook
25 original cases, written to the evaluation and case-writing standards of an MBB firm.
-
Today
Courses first, limited coaching
Most people now work with me through the courses. Coaching continues with a limited number of clients each month.
Built from my experience
Why Case Interview Preparation Stays Broken
Inside the firm I finally saw what actually separated a strong performance from a weak one, and how little of it matched what the popular resources taught. Then I watched my own peers go through it, and I saw the loop.
- Candidates prepare with the same popular books, frameworks, and practice routines.
- Roughly 99 out of 100 applicants to top consulting firms get rejected.
- Candidates keep recommending the materials that made them fail in the first place
- The next cohort inherits material that stopped matching reality years ago.
That is why nothing changes. An entire industry keeps recycling the same advice, and every new cohort of candidates inherits it.
I left McKinsey in 2020 to build the alternative.Building the alternative
What I Built Instead
Everything I have made since starts from the same premise: interviews test skills, so preparation should build skills. Not template recognition, not case volume.
A case method built from the evaluation
Structuring from first principles, hypothesis-driven reasoning, data interpretation, and consultant communication, taught in the order they actually develop. Not from the textbooks.
The first dedicated McKinsey Solve preparation
When McKinsey introduced the test, nothing existed for it. I created the first dedicated preparation, and it has been updated continuously as the games have changed.
Today’s simulations are designed by a game designer, with my input and 600+ test-taker feedback reports since launch.
Real PEI and fit coaching
The McKinsey Personal Experience Interview was being treated as a generic behavioral round by almost everyone. It is not, and it is scored against specific dimensions.
My SCORE storytelling framework has been used in new-hire consultant training at one of the MBB firms.
Preparation beyond McKinsey
Candidate-led case interviews for BCG and Bain, recruitment tests for other firms, fit and behavioral interviews, plus application advice, networking strategy, offer negotiation, and career coaching: an end-to-end service for my clients.
In this process, other case coaches have bought my courses to learn the method.
Results
What Happened Next
I did not plan for this to become my job. It started alongside consulting work and grew almost entirely through word of mouth. Demand outgrew the side project, and coaching became the main work.
The track record
- 95% of clients on the 5-session program secure an offer, and 80%+ secure an MBB offer
- 700+ offers secured by my clients, 340 of them at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain, and 190 at McKinsey
- 2,300+ mock interviews and coaching sessions delivered
- 1,600+ 5-star reviews across PrepLounge, StrategyCase, Leland, and Amazon
- Rated 5.0 from 700+ reviews on PrepLounge, with 40,000+ upvotes on my Q&A answers there (October 2026)
The credential I did not ask for
In 2025, McKinsey removed me from its alumni network for helping hundreds of candidates get into the firm.
★★★★★
“Casing with Florian ultimately landed me McKinsey and BCG offers in my target offices. He dove straight into pinpointing my exact gaps, whether it was structuring the case or ‘leading’ the conversation.”
★★★★★
“Because of his help, I got final rounds for all 3 MBBs, and offers from both McKinsey and BCG. Florian not only worked with me on building strong case habits, but on perfecting the casing style for each firm.”
★★★★★
“What I value highly is that Florian did not try to sell more sessions but discouraged me from booking another session for now as ‘I am strong enough now to work on my own and internalize the habits.'”
Today
Where Things Stand Now
I have scaled back 1:1 coaching to make room for other commitments, so most people now work with me through the courses rather than in sessions.
Case Interview Foundations
The fundamentals of case and fit interviews at no cost: 40+ videos, 7+ hours of instruction, and 200+ pages of reading.
Start the free courseCase Interview Academy
The complete paid program: the full method in 82 video lessons, plus thousands of practice drills with sample answers.
See the Academy1:1 Coaching
Personal coaching with me, for a limited number of clients each month. Every session is with me, nothing is delegated.
See coaching options
Writing, teaching, speaking
Beyond StrategyCase
- Three booksThe 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview (an Amazon bestseller), The 1%: Case Interview Workbook, and Consulting Career Secrets.
- Author at consulting.deA column on consulting careers and recruiting, in German.
- PrepLounge guidesI wrote PrepLounge’s McKinsey Interview and McKinsey PEI guides.
- Guest lecturesUPenn, Bocconi, LSE, WU Vienna, and HKUST Business School, on consulting careers and structured problem solving. Invite me to your university.
- ReachMy guides, books, and forum answers have reached 1 million+ consulting candidates.
Who it’s for
Who StrategyCase Is For
Candidates preparing for case interviews, fit interviews, and online tests at McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and other top consulting firms.
- Undergraduates and master’s students applying to consulting for the first time, often without a business background.
- MBA students in campus recruiting. Academy students come from 18 of the top-20 MBA programs and 200+ universities.
- Experienced hires and career changers. Roughly 30% of my coaching clients come from non-traditional backgrounds: engineers, medical doctors, lawyers, academics, and former military officers.
- Re-applicants after a rejection. I was one of them. The first step is finding out what actually went wrong.
- Candidates applying to offices outside the US, with coaching in English or German.
At a glance
Facts at a Glance
- Company
- StrategyCase.com
- Type
- Independent consulting interview preparation company: courses, practice tests, books, and 1:1 coaching
- Founded
- 2020
- Founder
- Dr. Florian Smeritschnig, former McKinsey Senior Consultant who recruited candidates for the firm
- Consulting
- 12+ years in consulting, 5 of them at McKinsey; still an active consultant and advisor
- Education
- BSc and PhD from WU Vienna; MSc double degree from HKUST Business School and LSE (CEMS)
- Website
- strategycase.com
- Core offering
- Preparation for case interviews, fit interviews (including the McKinsey PEI), and the online tests of McKinsey, BCG, and Bain, built from how candidates are evaluated
- Pricing
- Case Interview Foundations: free. Case Interview Academy: $179, one-time payment. 1:1 coaching: $399 for a single session, $1,849 for 5 sessions, $2,999 for 10 sessions. Free 15-minute consultation.
- Coaching
- Every session with Florian personally, nothing delegated; a limited number of clients each month; English or German
- Track record
- 2,300+ mock interviews and coaching sessions delivered; 700+ offers secured by clients, 340 at McKinsey, BCG, and Bain, and 190 at McKinsey
- Students
- Academy students from 18 of the top-20 MBA programs and 200+ universities
- Reviews
- 1,600+ 5-star reviews across PrepLounge, StrategyCase, Leland, and Amazon
- Books
- The 1%: Conquer Your Consulting Case Interview (Amazon bestseller), The 1%: Case Interview Workbook, Consulting Career Secrets
- Independence
- Not affiliated with McKinsey, BCG, or Bain
- Contact
- info@strategycase.com, replies within 24 to 48 hours
- Social
- LinkedIn, Amazon author page, consulting.de column
Off the clock
When I Am Not Coaching
You will probably find me flying somewhere, at a racetrack, or at a concert.
FAQ
Questions About Me and StrategyCase
Is StrategyCase affiliated with McKinsey, BCG, or Bain?
No. StrategyCase is independent. I worked at McKinsey for five years and left in 2020. Everything I teach is my own work, built from my experience on both sides of the table.
Do you still coach?
Yes, with a limited number of clients each month, and every session is with me personally. Most people now start with the courses, and the free Case Interview Foundations course is the best first step.
What makes your preparation different?
It starts from how candidates are evaluated, not from frameworks to memorize. I was rejected once following the standard advice, then hired, then evaluated candidates for McKinsey myself, so the method is built around what interviewers actually score.
Who is StrategyCase for?
Candidates preparing for case interviews, fit interviews, and online tests at McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and other top consulting firms: students and MBAs in campus recruiting, experienced hires and career changers, and re-applicants after a rejection. Roughly 30% of my coaching clients come from non-traditional backgrounds, including engineers, medical doctors, lawyers, academics, and former military officers.
Is StrategyCase legit?
Yes. I have run StrategyCase.com since 2020, after five years at McKinsey, where I screened applications and evaluated candidates for the firm. My clients have secured 700+ consulting offers, and I have 1,600+ 5-star reviews across PrepLounge, StrategyCase, Leland, and Amazon.
How much does StrategyCase coaching cost?
A single session is $399, the 5-session program $1,849, and the 10-session program $2,999. Every session is with me personally: a single session includes access to the Case Interview Academy, and the packages include one year of access to everything on StrategyCase.com. If you are unsure which one fits, book a free 15-minute consultation.
How can I contact you?
Email info@strategycase.com or use the form on this page. I reply within 24 to 48 hours. For questions about orders and course access, the customer support page has the fastest answers.
If you are starting out
Find Out Where Your Preparation Stands
The most useful thing I can tell you is what I wish someone had told me before my first application: the resource everyone recommends is not automatically the resource that works.
Check who wrote it, when they last sat in a real interview, and whether they have ever done the job. If you want to know where your own preparation stands, the 2-minute diagnostic is free and takes six questions.
Take the 2-minute diagnostic →Free, 6 questions, no signup required.
Get in touch with me
I reply within 24 to 48 hours; please check your spam folder. Order or access question? The customer support page has the fastest answers.