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"Lifestyle" exit opportunity. Never heard this phrase before but I like it...
This is what I'm aware of too
How tight are your lifestyle expectations though? I feel like if you just want better than you have now, you could go to one of the slower places in IB
Just switched to Corp Dev. 135 base with 10% bonus. What you’re not considering is stock option package. Assuming all goes well I should make the same as I would if I stayed, if not more
Why not try Corporate Strategy or a BigTech Product Manager? Those roles, while more qualitative, pay really well!
"MM" tech doesn't pay as well as OP would like. Tech pay is not as standardized as IB, and a lot of the compensation is also in the form of RSU/equity
A lot of tech also actually doesn't pay fabulously, just FAANG (big tech) is what most people hear
What do you currently do?
Those are both very well known banks. You'll be fine going anywhere.
Is the lifestyle more important than your health and overall well being?
In general the later you exit the broader / better paid the lifestyle opportunity set is.
And generally speaking advancing in a lifestyle role takes longer than grinding out a higher power role for longer (ie if you leave 2 years later you come in more senior than if you left earlier and worked 2 years in that role).
The pay cut you’re seeing is pretty in-line with what I saw (I looked at corp dev, fp&a etc as well as PE when I left IBD)
VC is great (early stage investing roles, think Pre-Seed to Series B, are best for lifestyle). However it’s very tough to break in. Don’t expect an early retirement though—you can make $$$ long term if you are talented and get carry or equity in a fund, but this will still come with a pay cut (think $150-200K for Associates at the best firms). Family office roles are also a great option. Pay is more variable as is career advancement, but can work on more interesting deals. I know of a billionaire that made his fortune after getting fired from a family office job, using the skills he learned there of investing in small private companies. I just took an offer at a place that is some combination of the above. 😊