venture capital

Palm received another $100 million from Elevation Partners. I understand why EP made the investment, but does anyone else think that Palm is losing brand?

Ignore the recessionary climate, but between the influx of the new pda/smartphones and the rising penetration of blackberry/iphones due to popularity and affordability, doesn't it seem as if the Treo/Centro should go the way of VHS when DVDs came out or the withdrawal of HD DVDs when competing against blu-ray?

DEALBOOK REPORTED THE STORY HERE

I've never owned a Palm device. but have used various models numerous times. I like Blackberry for email, iPhone for everything else. What good is the palm?

I'm a first year analyst (started in July 08) working for a well known MM bank in their Tech group. My firm is pretty good about extending analysts offers to stay on as 3rd years, but I'm more interested in getting over to the buy side as soon as I feasibly can.

However, I don't know much about the recruiting process. If I'm looking to get out after two years when, realistically, should I start applying to PE shops and or VC firms? How do the logistics of applying for those jobs work (i.e. do I contact them, do they contact me via a headhunter...etc)? Should I start identifying the places I want to apply to and begin sending out my resume to their HR people, and if this is the correct course of action when should I begin the process (now, 3 months from now, summer...?).

I'm a first year analyst working for a pretty good size MM bank in their Tech group. My firm is pretty good about offering analysts offers to stay on as 3rd years, but I'm more interested in getting over to the buy side as soon as I feasibly can.

However, I don't know much about the recruiting process. If I'm looking to get out after two years when, realistically, should I start applying to PE shops and or VC firms? How do the logistics of applying for those jobs work (i.e. do I contact them, do they contact me via a headhunter...etc)? How or will recruiting be different this year given the shitty environment? If anyone can shed some light on these issues it'd be great. Thanks.

Hello,

A little more than a year ago I began my own consulting practice helping start up businesses find funding. I've assisted in creating business plans, projections, and delivering various pieces of financial analysis.

Unfortunately I do not have VC's in my existing professional network and I believe making these relationships can help myself, clients, as well as prospective investors. I'd be willing to work with a VC free of compensation to find out what specifics they are looking in a potential business idea, and pass on potential investment opportunities.

I have over a decade of corporate finance experience, have worked for a Big 5 (4) consulting firm and have my MBA.

Thanks for any insight that someone can provide to me in how I can make these connections.

Just thought I would write a post on this potential move, one that is probably being considered more and more as wall street becomes a less stable place to work, but still is overshadowed by the typical PE/HF exit opportunities. Here are "popular" notions regarding startups that I have personally heard:

1) Do not pay well
2) Unstable
3) More suited for ex-consultants
4) Good thing to do "later on down the line", after established doing banking/pe/etc

Here are the realities, at least as I have found them over the past year or so:

1) Startups do not pay bonuses the way banks do, this is true; that said, salaries in biz dev at many established, VC-backed startups can easily be $70k-$80k+ (developers can def make more); also, there is an equity component to most compensation packages, that draws from an allocated option pool that the company issues, typically along with their first seed financing. The upside here can obviously be tremendous.

Hi everyone,

We are writing to introduce a new service, called Qonnect.me; we are a team of UPenn/Stanford alumni, with the aim to provide resume review for people interested in breaking into finance and/or technology. Right now, with the markets going insane, we think it is not only helpful to help those interested in finance get the edge they need, but also to help the many who are currently contemplating other career paths (tech, startups, etc.) figure out exactly what they want, and how to position themselves accordingly. It's a tough time, and we want to help! Also, going forward we'll be posting our thoughts and comments on the topics that pop up on wallstreetoasis. There's our plug; looking forward to interacting with the wallstreetoasis community!

listen to josh kopelman:

http://www.leavewallstreetjoinastartup.com/