Comparison

Your Strategy Needs a Strategy vs McKinsey Network

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Your Strategy Needs a Strategy

This interactive learning tool allows users to experience strategic business environments and learn how to choose and execute the right strategy. Players adapt their approach to selling lemonade across five distinct New York City boroughs, each representing a different strategic environment. It's based on insights from the book "Your Strategy Needs a Strategy."

Highlights
  • 5 strategic environments based on NYC boroughs
  • 15 levels of gameplay
  • Sandbox mode for custom play
  • In-game tips and post-game debriefs
  • Interactive Learn More section
  • Sample content from the book
Features
Read full description

Your Strategy Needs a Strategy is a hands on learning tool for business executives, students, and curious strategists of any kind to experience strategic environments and understand how to choose and execute the right approach to strategy. Using the simplest of businesses - selling lemonade, players must adapt their strategic approach to the various business environments of New York City's five boroughs. Based on the insights of the book Your Strategy Needs a Strategy (Harvard Business Press 2015), this app brings to life the different strategic approaches necessary to survive and thrive in today's dynamic and diverse business environments. Key features: - 5 different boroughs representing 5 fundamental strategic environments: classical, adaptive, visionary, shaping, renewal. - In total, 15 levels of gameplay against an increasingly challenging and strategically adept, computer opponent named after BCG's founder Bruce D. Henderson - A Sandbox level where you can choose your prefered environment and level of difficulty - In-game tips and post-game debriefs connect the gameplay to both theory and strategy in the real world - Interactive Learn More section that provides background on the strategic concepts underlying each environment and approach to strategy - Sample content from the book Your Strategy Needs a Strategy (Harvard Business Press 2015) - Direct links to further materials and videos, such as a TED talk (http://www.ted.com/watch/ted-institute/ted-bcg/martin-reeves-your-strategy-needs-a-strategy) - Extended seminar version of game available as part of BCG's broader strategy offering. Please reach out to the BCG Henderson Institute at bhi@bcg.com for more information.

About

McKinsey Network

Connect with colleagues and alumni, engage in communities, and discover experts. Stay informed about network news and foster professional relationships.

Highlights
  • Connect with colleagues and alumni
  • Engage in topic-based communities
  • Find industry experts
  • Stay updated on network news
  • Build professional relationships
Features
Read full description

The McKinsey Network is designed to leverage the full potential of our extensive network of Firm colleagues and alumni. It offers new ways to keep up with existing relationships and build new ones. Explore features that allow you to: - Connect with friends and colleagues - Actively engage with communities on topics you care most about - Find Firm experts and alumni on topics of interest - Stay informed on news from the network

Screenshots

Your Strategy Needs a Strategy3 screens
McKinsey Network4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: McKinsey Network at 100% against Your Strategy Needs a Strategy's 55%. Your Strategy Needs a Strategy's advantage is rating (3.5 vs 3.0) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Your Strategy Needs a Strategy holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Your Strategy Needs a Strategy's written reviews are positive against 100% of McKinsey Network's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Your Strategy Needs a Strategy ships an update monthly, McKinsey Network every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Your Strategy Needs a Strategy versus McKinsey Network: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterYour Strategy Needs a StrategyMcKinsey Network
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (11 ratings) — better3.0 (4 ratings)
Positive reviews55.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11 — better4
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB35 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperThe Boston Consulting GroupMcKinsey & Company

Customer experience

Your Strategy Needs a Strategy

All ratings11 ratings
Positive63.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative36.4%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive55.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative25.0%

McKinsey Network

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Your Strategy Needs a Strategy

No in-app purchases

None

McKinsey Network

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Your Strategy Needs a Strategy free?
Your Strategy Needs a Strategy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is McKinsey Network free?
McKinsey Network is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Your Strategy Needs a Strategy or McKinsey Network?
Your Strategy Needs a Strategy is rated higher. Your Strategy Needs a Strategy averages 3.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while McKinsey Network averages 3.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Your Strategy Needs a Strategy or McKinsey Network have ads?
Neither Your Strategy Needs a Strategy nor McKinsey Network shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Your Strategy Needs a Strategy or McKinsey Network?
Your Strategy Needs a Strategy ships an update monthly, and McKinsey Network every 5 weeks. Most recently, Your Strategy Needs a Strategy was updated on November 1, 2026 and McKinsey Network on November 4, 2026.

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