McKinsey Leap: What It Is, Roles, and How to Get In

Author: Taylor Warfield, Former Bain Manager and interviewer

Last Updated: March 17, 2026

 

McKinsey Leap is the firm’s dedicated business building practice that helps organizations design, launch, and scale new ventures. Since its founding in 2018, Leap has built over 700 businesses and created more than $430 billion in enterprise value, according to McKinsey’s own reporting.

 

If you’re exploring a career at McKinsey beyond traditional consulting, Leap offers a unique path that blends startup energy with McKinsey’s analytical rigor. This guide covers exactly what McKinsey Leap does, the roles it hires for, how the interview works, and what you need to get in.

 

But first, a quick heads up:

 

McKinsey, BCG, Bain, and other top firms accept less than 1% of applicants every year. If you want to triple your chances of landing interviews and 8x your chances of passing them, watch my free 40-minute training.

 

What Is McKinsey Leap?

 

McKinsey Leap (recently rebranded as McKinsey Business Building) is the firm’s practice focused on helping established companies create entirely new businesses from scratch. Unlike traditional McKinsey consulting, which advises clients on strategy and operations, Leap actually builds ventures alongside clients, from initial idea through market launch and scale.

 

According to McKinsey, Leap has been responsible for over 700 business builds since it launched in 2018, including more than 20 unicorns (companies valued at $1 billion or more) and two decacorns valued above $10 billion. In 2022 alone, the practice helped clients build over 190 new businesses, creating more than 20,000 jobs and $140 billion in value.

 

The practice draws on a network of over 700 specialists, including founders, designers, engineers, marketers, data scientists, and business strategists. These specialists collaborate closely with McKinsey Digital’s team of more than 5,000 experts across digital and analytics.

 

In my experience advising candidates, Leap is one of the most misunderstood parts of McKinsey. Many people assume McKinsey only does strategy work. Leap represents a fundamentally different model where you’re not producing PowerPoint recommendations. You’re shipping real products.

 

How Does McKinsey Leap Work?

 

McKinsey Leap uses a sprint based, venture building model that takes clients from idea to launch through structured, rapid cycles. Each engagement typically runs 12 to 18 months, far longer than a traditional McKinsey study that might last 8 to 12 weeks.

 

The process moves through several distinct stages:

 

  • Ideation and opportunity assessment: Teams identify customer problems through user research and market analysis, then evaluate which ideas have the strongest commercial potential.

 

  • Blueprint and business planning: Selected ideas get detailed business plans, including financial models, product strategy, and go to market roadmaps.

 

  • MVP build and pilot: Cross functional teams of designers, engineers, and product owners build minimum viable products and test them with real users.

 

  • Iterate and validate: Teams run experiments to test desirability, feasibility, and viability, refining the product based on customer feedback.

 

  • Scale and commercialize: Validated ventures get scaled through sales and marketing war rooms, team hiring, and operational buildout.

 

According to McKinsey, Leap teams work in short sprints of one to three weeks, each with defined hypotheses, experiments, and success metrics. This agile cadence blends startup speed with McKinsey’s structured problem solving approach.

 

A key principle of Leap is “building for departure.” As former Leap global leader Ari Libarikian explained on McKinsey’s blog, the goal is to train clients to sustain and grow the new business long after the McKinsey team leaves.

 

What Industries Does McKinsey Leap Work In?

 

McKinsey Leap operates across nearly every major industry. Based on McKinsey’s published case studies and public reporting, the most active sectors include:

 

  • Financial services (digital banking, payments, insurance platforms)

 

  • Healthcare and life sciences (telehealth, digital pharmacy, patient platforms)

 

  • Consumer products and retail (direct to consumer brands, e-commerce ventures)

 

  • Energy and sustainability (carbon management, clean energy startups)

 

  • Media and telecommunications (streaming services, digital content platforms)

 

  • Mobility and transportation (ride sharing, logistics tech)

 

According to a Leap by McKinsey survey, 55% of business leaders globally consider building new businesses a top three strategic priority. This demand means Leap engagements span virtually every geography and sector.

 

What Roles Does McKinsey Leap Hire For?

 

McKinsey Leap hires for a wide range of specialized roles that look very different from the traditional generalist consultant position. Leap teams need people who can actually build products and businesses, not just advise on them.

 

Roles at McKinsey Leap fall into three broad categories: build experts, technical specialists, and strategy and operations professionals. Here is what each category includes.

 

What Does a Venture Builder Do at McKinsey Leap?

 

Venture builders are the generalists of the Leap world. They shape business models, validate value propositions, run financial analyses, and guide the early commercial strategy of new ventures. Think of them as the “entrepreneurs in residence” who drive the overall direction of a build.

 

In my experience coaching candidates, venture builder roles attract people with startup founding experience, corporate strategy backgrounds, or product management expertise. You need to be comfortable owning a P&L and making decisions with incomplete information.

 

What Does a Product Owner Do at McKinsey Leap?

 

Product owners manage the product roadmap, lead feature prioritization, and make day to day product decisions. They sit at the intersection of customer needs, business goals, and technical feasibility.

 

McKinsey’s Leap Academy (more on this below) specifically trains product owners through a structured accelerator program. Graduates earn a certification through Credly, McKinsey’s credentialing partner. According to McKinsey Academy, the program covers product strategy, agile execution, experimentation, and customer research.

 

What Technical Roles Does McKinsey Leap Hire For?

 

Leap’s technical team includes roles you’d typically associate with a tech company, not a consulting firm. These include:

 

  • Software engineers and developers: Build the technical foundations, prototypes, and digital features of new ventures.

 

  • UX/UI designers: Conduct customer research, design user journeys, build wireframes, and create prototypes for testing.

 

  • Data scientists: Use analytics and modeling to evaluate market opportunities, size markets, and inform product decisions.

 

  • Agile coaches: Help teams adopt sprint based workflows, facilitate retrospectives, and improve delivery speed.

 

Career progression for these roles follows McKinsey’s expert track rather than the generalist consulting ladder. You advance by deepening your functional expertise and leading increasingly complex builds.

 

How Is McKinsey Leap Different from Traditional Consulting?

 

One of the most common questions I get from candidates is how Leap actually differs from a standard McKinsey engagement. The differences are significant. Here is a side by side comparison.

 

Dimension

McKinsey Leap

Traditional Consulting

Primary focus

Building and scaling new ventures

Advising on strategy and operations

Deliverable

Working products, launched businesses

Presentations, reports, recommendations

Team composition

Engineers, designers, data scientists, venture builders

Generalist consultants and analysts

Engagement length

12 to 18+ months

8 to 12 weeks typical

Career track

Expert/specialist track

Generalist consulting track

Work style

Agile sprints, co-located with client

Structured workstreams, weekly check-ins

Key skills

Product thinking, technical execution, user research

Structured problem solving, data analysis, communication

 

It is worth noting that many McKinsey consultants work on Leap projects without being formally part of the Leap practice. According to industry sources, roughly half of Leap project staffing comes from generalist consultants who rotate onto builds. This means you may get Leap exposure even through a traditional McKinsey career path.

 

What Is Leap Academy?

 

Leap Academy is McKinsey’s internal training program designed to develop product owners, venture builders, and other business building specialists. The flagship program is the Product Owner Accelerator, which teaches participants how to manage product lifecycles, prioritize features, run sprints, and align cross functional teams.

 

According to the program description on Credly, Leap Academy covers product strategy, agile development, customer centric innovation, and experimentation. Participants work through hands on simulations based on real business building challenges rather than just studying theory.

 

Graduates of Leap Academy earn a formal certification that validates their product ownership capabilities. This credential is recognized within McKinsey and can strengthen your profile for future Leap roles.

 

In January 2025, McKinsey also announced a gen AI platform for Leap that includes copilots, tools, and workflows to accelerate the venture building process. This signals that McKinsey is investing heavily in making Leap faster and more scalable through technology.

 

How Much Does McKinsey Leap Pay?

 

McKinsey Leap salaries follow the firm’s expert track rather than the generalist consulting pay scale. This means compensation can vary significantly depending on your role, seniority, region, and functional expertise.

 

Based on available industry data, here are the general salary trends for McKinsey Leap roles:

 

  • Engineering and data science roles are benchmarked against competitive tech industry rates, though they may be slightly below what top FAANG companies offer for equivalent positions.

 

  • Product and venture builder roles are typically benchmarked to specialty consulting or corporate product management compensation, which can range from $150,000 to $250,000+ depending on seniority.

 

  • Leap salaries overall tend to be somewhat lower than McKinsey’s generalist consultant salaries at equivalent levels. For comparison, McKinsey Associates (generalist track) earn base salaries of roughly $160,000 to $190,000, while Engagement Managers earn $200,000 to $270,000 according to Glassdoor data.

 

The trade-off is that Leap roles may offer more flexibility in terms of staffing and work patterns compared to the traditional consulting model. Some candidates also value the ability to build real products and develop technical skills that are directly transferable to tech companies or startups.

 

What Is the McKinsey Leap Interview Process?

 

The McKinsey Leap interview process shares similarities with the traditional McKinsey interview process, but includes role specific assessments tailored to the position you’re applying for.

 

The general steps in the McKinsey Leap interview process are:

 

  • Application and resume screening: Submit your application through McKinsey’s careers site. Your McKinsey resume should highlight functional expertise (product, engineering, design, or venture building experience) rather than just consulting or strategy credentials.

 

  • Online assessment: Depending on the role, you may be asked to complete McKinsey’s Solve assessment or a role specific test.

 

  • Behavioral interview: Similar to McKinsey’s Personal Experience Interview (PEI), this assesses personal impact, entrepreneurial drive, and inclusive leadership. Prepare strong examples of building something from scratch, leading cross functional teams, and handling ambiguity.

 

  • Case or technical assessment: This is where the process diverges by role. Engineering candidates may face coding challenges. Product candidates may evaluate feature trade-offs or walk through a product case. Designers may present portfolio work and explain their research process.

 

  • Final round interviews: Senior McKinsey partners assess your overall fit, communication clarity, and alignment with the firm’s values.

 

McKinsey receives close to one million applications globally each year, with fewer than 1% of applicants ultimately receiving offers. The Leap track is no less competitive, and some insiders note it can be harder to land because the practice has fewer open positions.

 

How Should You Prepare for a McKinsey Leap Interview?

 

Preparing for a McKinsey Leap interview requires a slightly different approach than preparing for a traditional consulting interview. Here are the most important steps:

 

  • Practice structured communication. Even though Leap roles are more technical, McKinsey still evaluates how clearly and logically you present your thinking. Practicing McKinsey interview questions will sharpen this skill.

 

  • Build your product or technical portfolio. Be ready to discuss specific products you’ve built, technical problems you’ve solved, or ventures you’ve launched. Quantify your impact wherever possible.

 

  • Prepare your “Why Leap” narrative. Explain clearly why McKinsey Leap is a better fit for you than a role at a pure tech company or a traditional startup. The most compelling answers highlight your desire to combine building with McKinsey’s scale and client access.

 

  • Study traditional case interview fundamentals. Even Leap candidates benefit from understanding case frameworks, since you’ll be collaborating with generalist McKinsey consultants on many engagements.

 

If you want to learn case interviews quickly, my case interview course walks you through proven strategies in as little as 7 days. This is especially valuable for Leap candidates who come from non-consulting backgrounds and need to build case skills fast.

 

How Do You Apply for McKinsey Leap Jobs?

 

There are several ways to get into McKinsey Leap:

 

  • Direct application: Search for “venture builder,” “product owner,” or “business building” roles on McKinsey’s careers website. Leap roles are sometimes listed under McKinsey Digital or McKinsey Business Building.

 

  • Internal mobility: If you’re already at McKinsey in a generalist or digital role, you can express interest in Leap projects. According to one McKinsey consultant on Glassdoor, they were contacted during their first week by a partner asking about Leap interest based on their startup background.

 

  • Networking: Connect with current Leap team members through LinkedIn or McKinsey recruiting events. Referrals from current employees can give your application a significant boost.

 

Leap hiring is not centralized in the same way as generalist consulting recruitment. Availability varies by office and geography. At any given time, certain locations may be actively hiring while others are not. Check McKinsey’s careers site regularly and reach out to recruiters to ask about current openings.

 

Is McKinsey Leap the Right Career Path for You?

 

McKinsey Leap is an excellent fit if you want to build real products and businesses while working within one of the most prestigious professional services firms in the world. But it’s not for everyone.

 

Leap is likely a strong fit if you:

 

  • Have a background in product management, engineering, design, or entrepreneurship

 

  • Enjoy rapid experimentation and iterating based on customer feedback

 

  • Want hands on execution rather than purely advisory work

 

  • Are comfortable with ambiguity and fast changing priorities

 

  • Value the McKinsey brand and global client access but want a non-traditional role

 

Leap may not be the best fit if you’re primarily interested in broad strategy exposure across many industries and clients (traditional consulting is better for this), or if you want to maximize total compensation (generalist consultants typically earn more at equivalent levels).

 

If you’re interested in McKinsey but not sure Leap is the right path, also consider McKinsey’s QuantumBlack (AI and advanced analytics) or McKinsey Digital (digital transformation advisory). You can learn more about what it’s like working at McKinsey across different practice areas.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What Is Leap by McKinsey?

 

Leap by McKinsey (now called McKinsey Business Building) is the firm’s dedicated practice for helping organizations design, launch, and scale new businesses. It combines strategy, product design, engineering, and agile methodology to build ventures from the ground up. Since 2018, Leap has built over 700 businesses and helped create more than 20 unicorns.

 

Does McKinsey Leap Pay Less Than Traditional Consulting?

 

McKinsey Leap salaries on the expert track are generally somewhat lower than generalist consultant salaries at equivalent levels. However, Leap roles may offer more work flexibility and the chance to develop highly marketable product and technical skills. Compensation also varies by role, with engineering and data science positions benchmarked against tech industry rates.

 

Can You Join McKinsey Leap Without Consulting Experience?

 

Yes. McKinsey Leap actively recruits professionals from product management, software engineering, UX design, data science, and startup backgrounds. In fact, many Leap hires have founded or built businesses before joining McKinsey. Consulting experience is not a requirement, though you will still need to demonstrate strong structured communication during the interview.

 

What Is the Difference Between McKinsey Leap and McKinsey Digital?

 

McKinsey Digital focuses on advising clients on digital transformation strategy and technology adoption. McKinsey Leap (Business Building) goes further by actually building new ventures and products alongside clients. Think of Digital as the advisory arm and Leap as the execution arm. The two practices frequently collaborate on engagements.

 

Is McKinsey Leap a Good Career Move?

 

McKinsey Leap can be an excellent career move for professionals who want to combine venture building experience with the McKinsey brand. Exit opportunities include product leadership roles at tech companies, venture capital, corporate innovation, and startup founding. The practice gives you hands on experience building businesses at a scale that few other roles can match.

 

Everything You Need to Land a Consulting Offer

 

Need help passing your interviews?

 

Need help landing interviews?

 

Need help with everything?

 

Not sure where to start?