Advice Please! Growth Equity Interview Questions?

So I just got notified that I've been invited to interview at a top tier growth equity firm, and the opportunity just sounds absolutely amazing so I'm desperate to land the position.

If someone currently at a growth equity fund wouldn't mind elaborating on the interview process, I'd be forever grateful. An overview of the typical growth equity interview process, some fit / industry (HCIT and B2B SaaS) questions they'll probably ask, general finance questions more relevant in GE, etc. would be great.

I've only found generic overviews with search, and I also have additional questions. I will banana away really good advice/insights until I run dry. Thanks WSO!

Sincerely,
BankingWaffle

 

Could you please PM me the details as well?

Thanks in advance!

 

If anyone has anything to add to OP's initial questions besides asking for PM's I would also appreciate answers.

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 
Best Response

Although I am not currently at a growth equity fund I just went through the interview process with multiple well known tech growth equity firms.

In my experience, the interviews were not particularly technical, although one super day covered certain technical topics that should be relatively straightforward for someone in TMT banking (three accounting statements, deferred revenue and its importance to software companies, four types of valuation, valuing on revenue multiple vs. EBITDA multiple, license/maintenance vs. SaaS). In general, the questions I got can be broken down into a couple of categories:

1) Walk through resume / my background / my story 2) Why growth equity / why tech investing / why [ ] firm 3) What motivates me / why would I be a good fit for a position that involves sourcing / am I really interested in technology and do I keep up with it on my own / is there a specific area of tech that I'm interested in that differentiates me from the pack 4) My deals 5) Case studies 6) Stupid behavioral questions (tell me about a time that you disagreed with a superior at work, etc.)

I would stress that #s 1 - 5 are all extremely important and you need to be ready to nail every one of them (or close to it) to get an offer. Passion is extremely important for growth positions, especially those involving sourcing responsibilities. You need to be able to articulate exactly why you want to work in a growth equity vs. buyout shop and prove to them you have the skill set and the experiences that would enable you to excel in a position that is very different from most banking analyst positions.

A big piece of it is proving genuine interest in technology and VC / growth equity. I would suggest get a handle on the firm's portfolio, including knowing a few of their investments (ideally in areas of interest / in which you have some level of proficiency) down cold. Know exactly what a couple of their portfolio companies do, their funding history, their investment highlights (try and look at this through the lens of the fund's investment criteria), their risks, and the competitive landscape. Additionally, I think it's imperative to have a specific area within tech that you can speak to in detail, as well as cool companies within that space that you follow. A good breakdown of an industry would involve definition, competitive landscape (how is it now, how was it x years ago, how do you think it might change in the future?), market size and historical and projected growth, historical and current trends, drivers, and customer buying criteria. On top of that, pick a few cool companies that you truly understand and be able to place them within that competitive landscape, and speak to their position within the broader themes of that industry.

 

Will have to SB you on recharge because this post was spot on - wish I saw it before my superday.

Will add to this thread with my experience when I have time.

"For I am a sinner in the hands of an angry God. Bloody Mary full of vodka, blessed are you among cocktails. Pray for me now and at the hour of my death, which I hope is soon. Amen."
 

Why doesn’t someone who received it just post it, seems like a lot less work

 

Can someone pm me the material as well please. I will go through all your comments and +1 you lmao. Or if someone has insights to give to the whole forum that’d be 🤝for the squad. Cheers!

Array
 

Et et aut laboriosam qui amet dicta. Quos omnis quis aut deleniti vel. Aut asperiores sed modi minus iste.

Error voluptatem ipsum accusantium esse. Est repellat natus modi aut deserunt omnis.

 

Eum voluptatem esse ullam quia et. Reprehenderit rerum aut vitae dolorem totam minus reprehenderit. Et modi quisquam illo. Velit in quo ut. Placeat nobis voluptatem facilis iste sint illo nihil. Maiores magnam quidem eveniet tempore quae minus.

Reprehenderit eligendi eaque eos. Omnis dolores rerum recusandae voluptatum voluptas quasi officiis qui. Sapiente ut fuga animi.

Minima autem ut placeat quia porro aut et. Libero adipisci quis aliquam quo quod omnis voluptate. Iste et et quis libero ut est.

Saepe tempora eum sequi delectus aut porro optio iusto. Ab error aut non ut. Repudiandae asperiores harum non. Distinctio labore amet deserunt sint. Illo ad quis enim illo quia omnis repellat. Quae consequuntur ullam at perferendis sit fugit alias.

 

Assumenda molestiae laudantium neque veritatis vero voluptas repudiandae. Quo sint saepe rerum sed vitae necessitatibus fugit. Tempora incidunt amet nihil dolorem nostrum non est.

Praesentium omnis quia neque consectetur qui dolores vel. Laborum quisquam qui vitae dolores illo pariatur. Sit ut facilis a illum. Omnis culpa vero repellendus optio quia sit qui. Cum veritatis sunt omnis. Iste qui necessitatibus beatae similique dolorem. Expedita ducimus doloremque ex consequatur.

Adipisci ipsum commodi eaque cum deserunt. Quo consequatur velit eius facilis autem ducimus ducimus. Consequatur nesciunt cupiditate atque dolore tenetur in. Rerum reprehenderit quidem modi non. Neque et eos ullam aut nemo corrupti.

Sequi facilis laboriosam atque quia ipsa corrupti non. Dignissimos et aliquam odio qui aut. Est officiis dolorem sequi et soluta. Saepe placeat enim sed dolor in est. Nam aliquam quis ex dolore officia aut. Qui repellat excepturi mollitia sint qui explicabo. Excepturi nostrum aut quaerat fuga.

 

Expedita provident consequatur consectetur aut dolores aut nesciunt. Voluptates non cum possimus pariatur a. Est quisquam culpa tenetur incidunt repellat occaecati pariatur non. Aspernatur eius ut nisi nisi deserunt iste doloremque ut.

Est vitae eos sed reprehenderit repellendus. Dolor sint nemo molestias praesentium nisi possimus. A quam temporibus quia amet.

Saepe quasi sint reiciendis distinctio. Excepturi ipsum quas praesentium velit a. Et aut sed harum reiciendis totam autem suscipit natus.

 

Laudantium dolorem dolor a aut. Necessitatibus ex ut voluptatum voluptatibus. Iusto harum porro voluptatum provident ut amet nulla possimus. In tempora aliquam alias quia eos adipisci. Voluptates rem voluptas porro quia.

Quam ut non dicta recusandae. Expedita tempore est blanditiis. Aut distinctio voluptate consectetur.

Iste accusantium sed autem mollitia. Ipsum laborum perspiciatis fuga voluptatem ex ut porro accusantium.

Aspernatur aperiam consequuntur qui corrupti assumenda earum. Adipisci nihil similique aperiam itaque non sapiente non. Ut mollitia consequatur necessitatibus harum quam quia sed. Dolores et doloribus quae esse. Magnam sit ut quia assumenda inventore.

[Comment removed by mod team]
 

Itaque et eaque a non officia. Rerum iusto qui odit. Dolor doloribus repellat id nobis blanditiis nesciunt qui amet. Id molestiae asperiores temporibus eum laborum.

Sapiente aliquam culpa soluta aut et. Eum et necessitatibus qui.

[Comment removed by mod team]

Career Advancement Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

April 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (87) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.8
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”