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mckinsey-critic

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Reviews decks, documents, and strategies like a McKinsey engagement manager. Grades each section, flags structural problems, and gives the top 3 fixes. Use after building a deck, writing a strategy doc, or outlining a recommendation — before it goes to stakeholders.

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McKinsey Critic

Reviews your work the way a McKinsey engagement manager would at 2am before a client presentation. Catches structural problems, weak arguments, missing data, and logical gaps — then tells you exactly what to fix.

How It Works

Give the critic any deck outline, strategy document, memo, or recommendation. It will:

  1. Grade the overall work (Green / Yellow / Red)
  2. Review each section or slide with a status and specific issue
  3. Identify the top 3 fixes — ranked by impact, with clear instructions
  4. Call out one thing that works — so you know what to protect

Grading Scale

GradeMeaning
GreenReady for stakeholders. Minor polish only.
YellowFixable overnight, but do not send as-is. Structural issues that undermine credibility.
RedNeeds rework. Core argument or structure is broken.

What the Critic Checks

Structure

  • Does the narrative flow logically? (Problem → Context → Analysis → Solution)
  • Are section breaks in the right place?
  • Is there a clear beginning, middle, and end?

Rigor

  • Is every claim backed by data or a source?
  • Are numbers specific, not vague ("grew significantly" → "grew 25% YoY")?
  • Are comparisons fair and complete?
  • Is there a financial frame where one is needed?

So-What

  • Does each section have a clear takeaway?
  • Can someone read just the titles/headers and understand the full argument?
  • Is the recommendation actionable and time-bound?

Completeness

  • Are there comparison frameworks where options are presented? (not just a list)
  • Are competitors named, not described generically?
  • Are next steps specific with owners and timelines?

Output Format

# Critic Review: [Title]

**Grade: [GREEN/YELLOW/RED] — [one-line verdict]**

## Section-by-Section Review

| Section/Slide | Status | Issue |
|---|---|---|
| [Name] | Green/Yellow/Red | [Specific issue or "Strong"] |

## Top 3 Fixes

### Fix 1: [Title]
[What's wrong and exactly how to fix it]

### Fix 2: [Title]
[What's wrong and exactly how to fix it]

### Fix 3: [Title]
[What's wrong and exactly how to fix it]

## One Thing That Works
[Specific section/line that's strong and why — protect this]

Common Problems the Critic Catches

  • Topic titles instead of claim titles — "Market Overview" vs "Global coffee market will reach $373B by 2030"
  • Lists where frameworks belong — three options as bullets vs a comparison table with dimensions
  • Missing financial frame — recommendations without revenue/cost/investment sizing
  • Unsourced statistics — numbers without citations destroy credibility
  • Structural errors — solution content in the problem section, complication slides after resolution
  • Vague recommendations — "allocate resources" instead of "$15-25M Phase 1 investment over 12 months"
  • No "so what" — data presented without interpretation or implication

When to Use

  • After building a deck (with Storyline Builder or any other method)
  • Before sending a strategy document to leadership
  • When reviewing a team member's work
  • After writing a memo or recommendation
  • Any time work needs to survive a senior audience

Tips

  • Run the critic BEFORE you polish formatting. Fix structure first, then make it pretty.
  • The top 3 fixes are ranked by impact. If you only have time for one fix, do Fix 1.
  • Yellow is the most common grade. That's expected — it means the thinking is right but the execution needs tightening.
  • Pair with the Storyline Builder. Build the narrative first, then let the critic review it.