Spectrum Equity

There was a thread for 2021 hiring but I cannot find it anymore. Does anyone have any insight/updates on the timeline? Also, I read on WSO the analyst role is primarily sourcing and a two-year stint. Does anyone know if you can be promoted after this without an MBA

 

Makes sense thanks. Do you know if you need to do an MBA to get promoted? 

 

Did anyone previously go through their ft analyst recruiting process? Do you mind sharing what your experience was like? 

 

I interviewed last week and haven't heard back. When did you interview?

 

You had three interviews already? When was your first round?

 

What are the interviews like? Are there financial technicals or is it more conversational / discussing industries and companies you're interested in?

 

How well is this firm regarded? exit opps? comp? lifestyle? hours?

 

This place is like a glorified call center. I would avoid at all costs. No exit opportunities either - everyone widdles out to corporate roles in lower spots then they would be if they had just skipped the 2 to 3 years at Spectrum.  

 

Have you worked there yourself for you to say this? Can you share what level/role you are working in now to back up your statement

 
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Go on LinkedIn to completely disregard this comment. I work for a competitor and Spectrum is one of the best regarded tech growth shops in the world. Analysts have gone on to KKR, GA, TA associates etc. OP is grossly wrong with this comment. My firm would probably look at a Spectrum lateral the same way we'd look at an IB analyst coming from Goldman/JP/MS tech groups. 

 

Bump^ no clue what the first comment is talking about. Spectrum is an elite ass growth shop. I have a return to great coverage group at a top EB and I am recruiting with Spectrum / would very much consider going there instead. Yes sourcing might suck but Spectrum's name on your resume can do wonders for you in the growth world.

 

Come on guys lets be real. Spectrum is a complete joke. It makes sense to go to Summit/TA for star power. Maybe TCV next depending on the dry powder at time. You can sneak in the NEAs and IVP type jobs for the kids who want to do "VC" instead of PE (even though late stage VC is basically same thing). But Spectrum? It means nothing on your resume and these comments above are insane - same level as KKR???? ok dude. And goldman is like the same as Jefferies. The Spectrum team is like the C team of the growth space, high-turnover and third-tier professionals. Even the recruiter they use has to literally beg kids to take interviews and knows nothing about the firm when you ask questions. I'd rather work at Spectrum the cable company.

 

I leave with no comment, just illustrative for folks to judge for themselves: 

Spectrum Analyst Classes

2014: An 1: left to KKR Growth Associate, now Principal at KKR Growth, An 2: VP at Spectrum 

2015: No class

2016: An 1: Associate at Susquehanna Growth, An 2: Associate at KKR Growth, An 3: Associate at KKR Growth, An 4: Sr. Associate at Spectrum

2017: An 1: Strategy & Finance at PortCo, An 2: left early to go work at Zetta Ventures, An 3: Associate at Spectrum

2018: An 1: Associate at Apax Digital, An 2&3: Associate at Spectrum

 

Seen as you know everything: why don’t you tell us where you work, how you formed this opinion of spectrum, the ‘unselectIve reporting’ version of exit opps, comp, hours, etc

 

Wouldn’t your friend at the firm be able to tell you if he told you about superdays? How many interviews before the super day?

 

The statement that it is no ones first choice seems very inaccurate given the backgrounds of people working at the firm and the people who have left

 

Echoing above - I was an SA at a competitor.  It is your first choice if that’s what your interested in. Solid firm, great track record, employees seem smart and well balanced vs IB spreadsheet hardos; but that’s probably the case of it being GE not IB/PE. Tons of sourcing so you will spend tons of time on the phone, but also tons of learning opportunities. Don’t Take anything on this site (including what I said) as gospel 

 

can someone give a balanced view of this firm: pros/cons for comp, rep, exit opps. It seems like a lot of people who love it or hate it. what would this firms IB equivalent be?

 

It's a second tier sourcing growth equity firm where you spend all day on the phone.

The benefit is that you learn a lot about these business models and develop a strong relevant network and sales/interpersonal skills as well as good pattern recognition. The downside is you don't learn a lot of the actual modeling skills that you might use elsewhere.

You can find plenty of exits to places that value your sourcing skills; either larger firms that are being built out and need talent (KKR NGT) or more likely downstream places like other VC/GE firms. You could also end up at a startup or growth firm as someone else alluded to.

Comp will be good but don't expect it to be as good as IB; that's just not how it works. If you're interested in sourcing and/or growth equity and you want one of the things mentioned above (e.g., I want to be a sourcing machine; I want to be in growth equity; I want to see lots of business models; I want to be on the phone rather than a spreadsheet jockey) you will probably like the job. If you are looking for absolute optionality or to maximize pay, go with banking.

I wouldn't take this job if you're still undecided about your career; surely you can have a cushy, lucrative, and/or intellectual stimulating career starting out here, but you do lose a degree of optionality; you're in a growth world now and you're learning a sales skill, so that will be your shtick starting out.

 

I agree on all of this except the second tier part. Yes maybe it is not TA or Iconiq but it is certainly one of the highest regarded shops in tech growth equity..feels like a stretch to call it second tier. At my BB we have a lot of people who would love to be at Spectrum vs a shop like level, lead edge, volition, susquehanna etc. those are the shops that are "good, but second tier" in my mind. Spectrum is a league above them

 

Do analysts here do any modelling or is it 100% sourcing - if they source a deal do they follow that deal to completion and get a bonus/carry in that deal like they do at insight? 

 

so very low base and then bonus structure is entirely dependent on deals closed? do you have any more info on comp??

 

Anyone who actually knows anything about growth equity or has worked in the space knows that Spectrum is a great firm... there's a ridiculous amount of clown comments here. 

 

Literally this ^. So many ignorant comments on this - over the past 25 years this firm has had some of the consistent and high returns seen in growth/PE. Analysts all have crazy pedigree, consistently exit to great places (KKR, Apax) and associates are all from top growth shops or top IB groups. This whole "they're not TPG so they're second tier" BS makes no sense - this is a top shop for anyone that knows the space.

 

thanks for clearing things up. could you shed more light on the comp/culture?

 

Where are they (which round) in the process at the moment? Did they give out superdays/offers yet?

 

Are the analyst and associate roles relatively lucrative? I know it won't be banking comp, but is it aligned with GE street pay? I'll have a shit ton of student debt to pay off so I want to make sure my job checks the boxes for interesting work and fairly lucrative. Please no bs answers. Thanks.

 

These guys are struggling to hire. Just had multiple offers rejected. The recruiter they used is so dumb and trying to reverse psychology kids in our group. They literally said Spectrum is a place where you can become the investor you were born to be. The model is literally cold calling to beg to get into Series Cs of companies who have a certain revenue profile. You’ll learn nothing from this firm and most of the leaders are on the spectrum for realz. Enjoy working for a bunch of weirdos 

 

Has anyone gotten FT offers? If so, when did you hear back?

 

confirmed that at least one FT offer has been given, multiple super days given out too

 

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