What co-creation looks like on a Bain case team
What co-creation looks like on a Bain case team
A senior associate consultant shares how collaboration and adaptability shaped his experience on a case team
Working with clients at Bain means more than delivering recommendations. Kye Liew, a senior associate consultant in our London office, reflects on a case he worked on earlier in his Bain journey with a large software company navigating a major commercial transformation, and what it taught him about what real collaboration looks like.
It really felt like we were solving problems together rather than purely delivering an answer.
Kye Liew
Senior Associate Consultant
Can you tell us a bit about the client and your role within the team?
We worked with a large software company that had grown primarily through M&A, creating an opportunity to bring its product portfolio into a more unified and repeatable commercial strategy. As an associate consultant, I had the opportunity to work across multiple streams, often focusing on core analytics to inform recommendations while also supporting client conversations led by the broader team.
How would you describe your experience working directly with the client?
I was honestly surprised by how much of the work felt like true co-creation day to day. Early on, our Senior Manager emphasized the importance of bringing the client along the journey, and it really felt like we were solving problems together rather than purely just delivering an answer.
A clear example of this was when we were trying to size markets for specific software products. The level of product specificity made it genuinely challenging to define which customers were truly addressable.
We ended up running a workshop with key commercial stakeholders where we brought a more open, blue-sky perspective on customer archetypes. What felt like true co-creation was the way the client team used their experience to filter out less relevant segments, while our work helped expand the view of who could be considered addressable.
The case team enjoys a game of lawn bowls on a sunny evening in London.
What was unexpected about the day-to-day reality of the work?
Things could quickly shift over the course of a day. I'd expect to focus mainly on progressing a specific Excel analysis, but priorities often evolved as the client engaged with their own customers in parallel, which meant we needed to stay flexible and keep our work adaptable, so it remained relevant and aligned with the latest insights coming in.
Ultimately, I think it boils down to the problems we're cracking being quite complex, and that often requires a non-linear process to properly solve them. My advice to my past self would be to always try to stay a bit nimble in my focus and to be prepared to take on things as they come up.
What was the team dynamic like?
Beyond regular team meetings and content sessions, we found that shared train rides to and from the client site created a great opportunity to connect, complemented by an open-minded approach to team activities ranging from lawn bowls to Pilates, with a special shoutout to our senior associate consultant for her near-encyclopedic knowledge of London's best restaurants.
Looking back, what's the one thing you'd want a recruit to know?
At times, it can be hard to see how everything you're working on fits into the bigger picture as a more junior team member. But over time, it really does come together, and there's something pretty satisfying about seeing all the pieces connect into a clear, cohesive strategy. So I would say trust the process.
