Hacker News Reader

Comment by IKantRead | Hacker News Reader

I don't think any leadership team has hired McKinsey because they think McKinsey does a world class job at leading software projects.

McKinsey is in the business of reputation laundering. They start the process by building up reputation. They hire from prestigious schools, have prestigious customers, make themselves a household name for the people that matter.

Then when you need someone to make an unpopular decision for you, or take the blame for a project failure, they swoop in and take you money in exchange for taking the reputation hit. It's fine, they know how to grow more reputation when necessary, and everyone at your org or in the media if the situation calls for it, points to them and says "what a bad/stupid/down right evil decision McKinsey made!" while remain the responsible person who tried their best by hiring what you and your peers thought was the best.

View on HN

McKinsey is normalized industrial espionage. You pay them to validate what you're doing against your competitors. They'll tell you if you're ahead or behind. McKinsey is in business because McKinsey is in businesses.

This and it’s very well known, but don’t discount their talent. There are plenty of smart and effective people at McKinsey, even if they make mistakes like the rest of humanity.

That would be way better than why they actually are. It's a bunch of pretentious sycophantic kids who target empty "leadership" types with advice that sounds smart if you don't think to hard but has extremely good production values. There's a reason they exist but it has absolutely nothing to do with bringing anything of value other than reputation and knowing their audience. Actually bringing outside info from competitors would be cool but way too tangible for them.

Wow, powerful stutff. It really shows that capitalism commodotizes all. Even being spied on is given appropriate value. What an insane system we have.

Is it really espionage if it's not secret?

Its collusion.

McKinsey sells the "idea" that they're experts that know what they're doing, rather than actually doing a good job.

I’ve met consulting analysts whose entire job concerns e.g. a single chemical plant in Baton Rouge. Of course, they would never work for an Louisianan industrial company. But stick McKinsey on the resume, let them fly in and out of a big city, and cut the compensation in half or a third and you have a winning proposition for many status-nervous young people. (Private equity does the same thing.)

You'd be surprised. I could very easily see former McKinsey alumni sprinkled through the industry slurping this stuff up.

Tell that to my former manager.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com