I absolutely love entrepeneurship, and the idea of solving problems and optimizing service to grow a business gets me excited to no end.
At this point right now I want to get involved in consulting right out of undergrad, after which I hope to work for startup company(ies). I was wondering whether a boutique consulting group would help be break into the big startup world, or if they are primarily dominated by ex-MBBs and the like.
Judging on my interests right now, I want to end up at a VC sometime down the road, and I'm wondering what kinds of consulting firms I should target to be able to have a decent shot at working a solid role at a startup, after which I can begin my other transitions.
End of the day, going to Bain, BCG, or McKinsey puts you in a great spot to do just about anything afterwards. Note, however, that it is extremely hard to break in there.
Generally speaking, startups are not dominated by any sort of background. What matters to startups (or any growing businesses) is that you have experience in what they are looking for. So, if it's a consumer tech company, they'll want people with product management, programming, or related experience. It's often less about prestige in your background than it is about being able to get shit done.
Why bother with consulting and not just go work for a startup now?
Well, consulting as a profession is also very appealing to me, and part of my thinking is that working in consulting and solving business problems prior to working at a startup would only help in getting a new company off the ground and over hurdles. Am I wrong there?
Also, a general question: Once you get an interview at a consulting firm, is past internship experience still factored in when eliminating applicants or is it a clean slate for everyone from the start of the first round interview?
Consulting would definitely be a helpful background to have before working at a startup, but I also don't see it as a barrier to entry to get into a good startup. In consulting you are helping to solve other people's problems. In a startup you are solving your own (and your customer's) problems. If you are seeking to join someone else's company, as opposed to starting your own, you can learn just as much by going directly with the startup route.
Past experience and your ability to explain it/its relevance will be a key topic in your interviews so it definitely plays a role. You may all be on equal footing, but the person with more relevant experience should have better conversation material.
What undergrad summer experience could help my chances at a startup directly then? Consulting internships, F500 internships, startup internships, or anything brand name?
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