Private Equity and the Buy Side

Is a portfolio associate at a private credit firm a decent gig for people that don’t have IB experience? Obviously won’t have the comp / “aura” as the investment team but still a good career path?

What are some LMM or MM IB/PE firms that would have a potential focus in the tire and automotive sector?

for those at portcos in leadership roles, what do you tell your friends you do? Do you say I work in X industry? I know it’s not appropriate to say you work in private equity, but what are your option… more

Considering potentially joining KKR capstone. Does anyone know what competitive comp would be for an associate or principal? Coming from McKinsey and wondering if there are any differences in culture … more

A small fund extended a generous offer to me this week. They're growing, and I like the team, but they don't have much of a track record yet. Since I've only worked at larger firms, I'… more

interviewed at a family office, first time fund but team seems solid and is growing. wanted to get a sense check on comp, because it seems low. currently a senior associate with 5 years of deal experi… more

Had a first rounder with a fund today, overall went well but did some of my own diligence and associate turnover seems extremely high. Want to back out of the process without upsetting the headhunter.… more

Did KKR Capstone release hirevue interviews in stages this week or has it all gone out already?

How common are 2 yr guarantees at hedgefunds

I'm in PE now and have an offer from a multi-manager fund. If you've made that switch, what surprised you most about the culture? I get that the investing is different, but I'm more intere… more

Did any international MBB consultants get KKR Capstone MBA invite?

Did KKR capstone send out hirevue invites?

How much does deal volume matter versus deal quality? I have worked on fewer deals but with deep involvement and board exposure. Peers at other funds touch twice as many processes. What do hiring mana… more

How do you know when it is time to leave your first fund? I have been here 3 years and worked on 4 deals but only one is fully deployed. Carry is still theoretical and cash comp has barely moved. Do y… more

Trying to network for PE - should I be reaching out to headhunters or waiting for them to message on LinkedIn? Or is it more effective to just network with alumni from my firm that have made it into P… more

Searching for financial models as examples - willing to pay. LBOs, DCFs, etc. Nothing that's public like WSO or BIWS. Will buy them off of you. Thanks!

Don't want any sensitive data - just inte… more

I am less familiar with the private credit industry. What are the current interest rates in the private credit market right now?

Should sourcing take up this much of the job? Half my week is outbound emails and calls. Analysis feels secondary some days. The role feels different than advertised. How do you reconcile that gap?

Is it normal to spend weeks modeling deals that never close? I have built five full models this quarter. None of them moved past IC. It starts to feel like churn. How do you stay motivated when outcom… more

Is it ok that sourcing feels like sales sometimes? Cold emails take up more time than analysis lately. The job feels different than expected. I still enjoy the work but the balance surprised me. How d… more

2nd week of a new job… boss is so busy dealing with fires / traveling to portcos that i don’t have any work yet. How should I pass the time?

What are some good resources for practicing building ODD models?

Anyone who went thru kkr capstone interview process willing to chat?

Hey M&A Professionals, I currently work for an F500 right under the Chief Strategy Officer on the Corporate Strategy Team. I’m interested in banking Post-MBA. Would love tips/advice on framing my … more

What’s a better opportunity: Chief Transformation Officer in a public company with 2Bn Ebitda or PE Ops Principal in a middle market fund? Don’t know comp of the CTO one yet the comp of the fund is go… more

Noticed that some people always volunteer to take first pass on models, and others avoid it and still do just fine. Does taking on the hardest work actually help your trajectory?

Anyone have thoughts on Arcline? Seems to be a lot of smart people.

What’s the rough split of what people do post PE associate role (job-wise)?

Currently at a portco working directly with C suite. Comp + equity is great, and I have powerful people pulling for me at this company. Work is somewhat intellectually challenging, and the people part of working … more

Anyone have experience with Thompson Street Capital Partners?

The step from VP to Principal feels like a cliff. Less structure, more ambiguity, higher stakes. I’m excited by it and terrified at the same time. What helped you survive that transition?

I spend most days deep in Excel and PowerPoint, then get feedback at 10pm asking for “small tweaks” that take two more hours. The work is fine, but the constant late-cycle changes are killing my night… more

I’m a PE associate and my week is basically: models, IC memo edits, CIM review, repeat. We close a deal, and two days later I’m already staffed on the next one. There’s no recovery window. How are peo… more

The compensation is great, but some days I wonder what I’m really trading for it. Late nights, weekend work, missed plans, constant mental load. I don’t regret the path I chose, but I do question the … more

6 years of experience, 3 years at bain and 3 years in private equity ops, north America. If I jump into a portfolio company, what’s a reasonable cash + equity. I want to target for a chief of staff r… more

Need advice please:

I’m a Manager at big4 consulting with 7yrs of experience (home grown) & looking to pivot to PE. I’ve started networking but curious to know how realistic it is for me to land a … more

What happens to vested but unrealized carry if you leave the fund?

How does private equity backed equity work. Say I got $500k in equity grants. Is the value of the equity only based on growth of the company. Say company hits 2.0x is my net at the end of exit $500k o… more