Hot take: consultants at MBB have big egos and seem to promote the idea that they're the "best of the best" not realizing that, in 2021, the "best of the best" works in "tech" typically as engineers and consultants are actually just overworked also rans with oversized egos.

How do you define best of the best?

Smartest?
Richest?
Wisest?
Nicest?
Happiest?
Strongest?
Fittest?
Most Talented?

And best of the best at what? Making money? Influencing? Leading? Parenting? Basketball? Life?

Is a financially successful narcissist / sociopath who cares only about their own success and how other people view them best of the best because they’re successful and rich? Or is the teacher, missionary, or community worker that has no money at all but who has helped thousands of people in need the best of the best?

The question is also based on an assumption that a person who is best of the best in one field can choose to be best of the best in another field. But….

Jordan was arguably the best of the best basketball player but was unable to be a best of the best baseball player or golfer.

Somebody who is a best of the best tech engineer may fall flat on their face in strategy consulting because they wouldn’t understand how to lead and influence people. And a best of the best strategy consultant may only ever be an average engineer.

Smart people often can’t sell for shit and best of the best sales people would often be unable to architect a tech solution. But the people who can sell are often the richest. So are they the best of the best?

And a person who is the best of the best parent or spouse could be a lousy business person and vice versa. Does that mean that neither are best of the best? You have to be best of the best at both things?

It feels like the question you’re really asking is what fields do people who care most about visible success and money go into these days?

It used be medicine and law. Then it was consulting and financial services. Now it’s FAANG and PE.

The people who are successful in these roles may be smart and motivated, but are they really the best of the best?

I think a younger version of you would completely understand that smart people are smart regardless of where they end up. Industry is just another microcosm of life/society.

If your job calls for making PowerPoints, or developing segments of UI/UX well so be it. Neither takes away from your how smart you are.

Ego is based on personality and that can seep into anyone regardless of role/title/company/industry. Has happened to me in both walks of life as an engineer and consultant ☹️

I was a full stack developer turned strategy consultant who for the past year has been attempting to break into FAANG. Aside for the F, I have gotten to 2nd/final rounds for each - but haven’t made the cut.

I was humbled by the process and recognize there is amazing talent at those companies. I’ve met just as brilliant folks coming out of those co. as in my current company (hired by ex-Netflix and she was Aaamazing!)

The wear and tear has clouded my mind so many times to have a specific outlook about folks, companies, and industries. One thing that helped me re-frame was reflecting back to my academic roots and realize there were smart people going into various fields of work/life.

I know you have a strong opinion on this based on just, current experience. My only hope is you get to meet a smart, ex-consultant or two in the future who can possibly change your current perspective 🙂

Who hurt you OP?

I’m so tired of the constant d*ck measuring that goes on in here. There are smart people in every industry, grow up

Actually, the best of the best are probably fighter pilots.

Best of the best are NOT tech bros. It’s finance bros at PE MF

Come @ me

Truly unpopular opinion on here: where you work and your job title are not indicative of how intelligent, skilled, egotistical, tech-savvy, physically fit, brave, sexy, etc. you are.

I was a SWE before I came to consulting. Seem to have done ok. I out-earn all my former colleagues. Sundar out-earns me by a couple orders of magnitude. So what? I switch to doing this because I thought it would be fun, and stayed because I like it.

Not really sure how you define best of the best. Brainpower? That’s a poor metric. There’s more than a few 150 IQ people walking round working basic jobs. To really succeed in consulting you need to combine intellect, skills and EQ because at the end of the day it’s all about getting the client ideally to fork out millions for your team’s time. This last bit - walking money through the door and getting everyone paid is what the “best of the best” is as far as I’m concerned. Same applies to senior IBs or PE principals or anyone else who actually produces. Some SWE sat mulling over his code and jerking off to his RSU tally is just a cog in a machine.

I’m willing to make a bet that OP just got a FAANG offer and is feeling high and mighty.

I can train any code monkey for a month on Leetcode and make them pass FANG interviews, starting salary 200-300K. You don’t realize how hard is it break the L6 and L7 barrier, most FANGers get stuck at 600-700K.

The best of best are in 10-person no-name quant funds making 10-20MM per year.

The best of the best are successful founders.

What’s up folks. Hijacking the thread. What are y’all drinking tonight?

Building technology beats building slides, for sure.

However, the best of the best have been and always will be brain surgeons.

Graduated from MIT and the smartest people I know are professors now in their late 20s, sold their startups or in growth phase, AP at McKinsey at age of 27, doing neural surgery residency at MGH, working at high frequency trading firms making 7 figures (IMO/IPHO gold medalist), etc. My friends who are coders, MBBer, IB or PE are smart in the common sense but the best of the best are those who don’t settle for security and are always chasing the next adventure.

Engineers in tech lol? What about lawyers, doctors. Many engineers have left tech, went to get MBA, and then chose to be a consultant. At the end of day, do what makes you happy. I would HATE being an engineer! Just like I’d hate being a lawyer. MBB is a High paying career path for people interested in business

Not true, I work for kpmg and I’m cocky af. So your logic doesn’t hold

the insecurity in this post is palpable

This is dumb. Not everyone wants to work in tech, of course I’m not the best of the best maybe, but I turned down faang because of nit having interest (b school recruiting)

Not everyone can / wants to be an eng. or dev.

Not everyone can / wants to be a mgt. consultant for commercial clients

If you don't like corporate elitism, blame the company not the people who worked hard to get there.

That said, by all means feel free to knock someone down a few pegs if they think working at MBB indicates anything other than who cuts their paycheck.