McKinsey Case Interview Example: Profitability & Capex Decision

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In this McKinsey-style case interview example, we walk through a complex profitability and capex decision for Big Green Fuel Systems, a biofuels company evaluating whether to invest $150M to scale production of a breakthrough ethanol product. You’ll see how strong candidates structure ambiguous, multi-path problems, evaluate long-term profitability under uncertainty, and pressure-test whether a capital-intensive investment can meet a strict 10-year payback requirement. If you’re preparing for McKinsey — or any firm that emphasizes first-principles thinking and financial rigor — this walkthrough will help you practice staying structured, analytical, and hypothesis-driven even when the case feels open-ended. *More Bain, McKinsey, and BCG case walkthroughs are coming — subscribe so you don’t miss them:* *Resources:* ⚑ Black Belt: Get personalized, 1:1 coaching with an MBB expert + digital assessment practice tests, drills, and structured prep support ( ⚑ All Access Pass: Master every step of MBB recruiting with 600+ cases, digital assessments, drills, math practice, and 9 full video courses — everything you need to prep fast and consistently perform at a top-tier level ( ⚑ Big Green Biofuels Case: Access today’s case in the Management Consulted Case Library ( ⚑ McKinsey Case Playlist: *Chapters:* 01:16 – Case Intro 02:01 – Clarifying Questions 03:24 – Case Structure & Framework 05:15 – Profitability & Capex Math 10:05 – Risks & Creative Analysis 12:00 – Final Recommendation