Why Scaleups Need McKinsey-Level Thinking (Without a McKinsey-Sized Machine)

Is OSER the McKinsey for Scaleups? Not Exactly, And That’s the Point

We’ve noticed an interesting question starting to arise when we're talking to potential clients and in search results lately:

“Is OSER like McKinsey for scaleups?”

On the surface, it’s a super flattering comparison. McKinsey is synonymous with rigorous strategy, structured thinking, and board-level clarity. But the more interesting thing isn’t the comparison itself, it’s why people are asking it.

Because this question usually appears at a very specific moment in a company’s life: revenue is solid, the product works, and the team has grown. But growth feels heavier than it should. Marketing activity is up, but impact feels diffuse. Decisions take longer, everyone’s busier than ever, but no one is fully confident they’re pulling in the same direction.

That’s when founders and CEOs stop asking tactical questions and start asking strategic ones, and that’s where the comparison comes from.

What the “McKinsey for Scaleups” idea gets right

There is a reason OSER is being described this way.

Like top-tier strategy consultancies, our work starts with clarity, not execution. We focus on the underlying growth problem before prescribing activity. We look at the system, not just the channel, campaign, or hire.

That means asking questions like:

• What actually drives growth at this stage?

• Where is effort being diluted?

• What trade-offs are being avoided rather than decided?

• What does success need to look like 12–36 months from now - not just next quarter?

This kind of thinking is familiar territory for enterprise consultancies. But it’s rarely applied properly in scaleups, where speed, pressure, and ambition collide.

So yes - there is shared DNA in terms of applying structured thinking, strategic discipline and a bias toward decisions that compound.

But that’s only half the story.

Why scaleups don’t need a “mini-McKinsey”

Here’s where the comparison breaks down.

Scaleups don’t fail because they lack PowerPoint decks. They struggle because strategy and execution have become disconnected.

In a scale-up, strategy can’t live in a document, and execution can’t be outsourced blindly. Brand, growth, hiring, and investor narrative all collide in real time, and founders can’t step away from decisions - they have to make better ones, faster.

Traditional consultancies are built for environments where strategy is handed down, and execution occurs elsewhere, but Scaleups simply don’t work that way.

They need senior thinking inside the room, not reports dropped from the outside.

They need someone who understands how marketing performance links to valuation.

They need people who understand how brand affects hiring, pricing, and momentum, and how investor expectations shape growth choices long before a funding round. In essence, they need people who have worked in scale-up businesses, who have reported to investors, who have managed marketing teams, who understand how agencies operate, who have sat in board meetings and who understand how to simplify without dumbing down.

That’s why OSER exists.

What OSER actually is (and why it’s different)

OSER brings consultancy-level thinking into scaleup reality.

We work with founders, CEOs, leadership teams, and investors at the point where growth needs structure (not bureaucracy). Where ambition is high, but clarity is fragmented.

Our role sits between strategy consultancy and fractional CMO leadership - bringing clarity, creative thinking, and growth direction into one joined-up view.

But the real value isn’t the label. It’s the integration.

We help leadership teams:

• Clarify where growth should come from

• Align brand, marketing, and commercial strategy

• Make confident decisions about what not to do

• Turn insight into direction that teams and agencies can actually execute.

In other words, we don’t just help you think - we help you move, coherently.

Why this matters now more than ever

In the past, growth could be bought; more spend, more channels, more agencies. Noise worked.

Today’s growth systems - from search engines to investors to AI-driven platforms - are asking a different question: “Do you actually make sense?”

Clarity compounds. Confusion leaks value.

That’s why more scaleups are realising that the problem isn’t effort or talent, it’s alignment, and alignment is a strategic job.

This is where OSER typically comes in: At inflection points, before scale breaks systems and when growth needs to be decoded, not accelerated blindly.

So… is OSER the McKinsey for scaleups?

If what you mean is: “Do you bring rigorous strategic thinking to complex growth problems?” Yes.

If what you mean is: “Do you operate like a traditional consultancy?” No (and deliberately so).

OSER exists for scaleups that need senior, structured thinking without losing speed, creativity, or momentum. Strategy that lives in decisions, not decks and clarity that teams can act on.

Frequently asked questions

Is OSER like McKinsey for scaleups?

OSER brings a similar level of strategic rigour, but applies it specifically to scaleups and growth-stage businesses. Unlike traditional consultancies, OSER works closely with founders and leadership teams to connect strategy directly to execution.

What is the McKinsey equivalent for scaleups?

Many scaleups seek McKinsey-level thinking without enterprise overhead or a disconnect from reality. OSER fills that gap by combining strategic clarity with hands-on growth and marketing leadership.

Do scaleups need a strategy consultancy?

Often, yes - but only if the consultancy understands scaleup dynamics. Strategy at this stage must be practical, fast, and integrated with execution.

What’s the difference between McKinsey and a fractional CMO?

McKinsey typically advises at the board or enterprise level, while a fractional CMO operates inside the business. OSER bridges both worlds: strategic thinking with operational leadership.

When should a scaleup work with OSER?

Usually, when growth feels harder than it should, focus is diluted, or leadership needs clarity on direction, positioning, or investment-ready growth.