Clarifying the objective is part of the case, especially when the prompt is broad. Ask what outcome the client actually cares about, what success looks like, and whether there are important constraints.

If the interviewer keeps the objective broad, build the structure around the major ways the business could improve and state the assumptions you are making. You can refine the structure as the case reveals more information.

The key is to avoid pretending a vague objective is precise. A strong candidate makes the ambiguity explicit and creates a workable problem definition. If useful, this guide on case structure vs. case framework gives more detail.

I ask a lot more clarifying qs now. vague objective = vague structure otherwise.

sometimes interviewer wants you to define what 'improve' means. that's part of case.

I used to assume profit automatically. bad habit.

If they keep it broad, I state my assumption and structure around it. at least the logic is explicit.

This is where I think memorized frameworks really break down.