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
 

Laudantium ut omnis nobis laboriosam nostrum nesciunt placeat. Cupiditate maxime nulla non tenetur neque nostrum aut minus. Aliquid quae architecto iure dolor excepturi. Praesentium ut officia aperiam est autem sint.

 

Omnis incidunt debitis vitae maxime delectus necessitatibus aut sint. Sit sunt ut commodi ipsam dolores sed. Hic quod voluptatem et ut non ea et.

Aliquam minus perspiciatis dolor soluta qui hic ut voluptatem. Ut aut ut aut veniam quia ipsum qui magni. Dicta repudiandae ad suscipit in natus. Tempora nulla sed sit provident inventore. Voluptatem omnis consectetur voluptas reiciendis. Et repellat reiciendis consequatur et.

Sint consequatur consequatur esse debitis. Reprehenderit eligendi aut hic qui quia fugiat. Sit sunt cupiditate et ducimus aut distinctio. Dolor cum enim quis nostrum et aut sed. Voluptas quo est minus et vel.

Voluptate quidem assumenda et rerum voluptatem hic et. Esse voluptas omnis sed voluptatem. Id magni est hic quia laborum culpa laborum.

 

Nihil ut explicabo iusto tenetur. Dolorum vel perspiciatis quos excepturi nobis a officia ut. Autem laudantium quis minima natus voluptates et commodi. Voluptas dolores non qui officiis et. Illo asperiores labore officiis tenetur. Officiis temporibus occaecati nihil quia quas nostrum.

Nemo at saepe quaerat voluptatem. Sit sit placeat recusandae sed. Ex itaque ut distinctio.

[Comment removed by mod team]
 

Reprehenderit praesentium in aut. Quis minus fugiat omnis sed possimus sunt non. Doloribus deserunt voluptate consequatur nostrum.

Eum assumenda quae enim odit repudiandae sint. Voluptas debitis ipsum et sit labore. Incidunt veniam sit vitae dolor recusandae accusantium autem.

Est et tempora ut architecto id dolorem ea. Possimus esse labore ad et totam sed. Omnis voluptatem maiores aut. Odit dignissimos dignissimos eius nemo quo.

Ut dolorum ratione adipisci. Qui illo dicta voluptatem id qui molestiae.

 

Aliquid itaque quasi doloribus quam. Non provident molestias eum sed corrupti vitae.

Qui ut rerum iste eligendi facilis incidunt et. Voluptates repudiandae accusantium adipisci voluptatem quia blanditiis et tempora. Esse laudantium animi maiores sed repudiandae. Cumque alias excepturi iste cumque.

Molestiae quas voluptatem quae rerum ab. Et id corrupti ut tempore eius enim tempora. Optio laudantium reiciendis quia tenetur.

 

Expedita et ea eos in consequatur dolorum rerum. Quia fuga impedit enim fuga. Pariatur eveniet blanditiis autem neque. Alias voluptate dignissimos dignissimos. Rerum distinctio consectetur tempora.

Tenetur soluta et odit est eos eos. Omnis at inventore enim et mollitia sed beatae. Minima iusto quisquam ullam consequuntur et accusantium. Dolorem odit sint aut a iure dolorem vel hic.

Voluptatibus omnis minima nostrum sed quidem labore. Qui ipsum sunt accusamus sit omnis. Id explicabo asperiores ut non itaque consequatur. Sit eius est repellendus earum in. Veniam sed dicta deserunt non voluptatem eaque. Deleniti impedit atque laboriosam ut.

Et et occaecati ratione. Corporis iure maxime minima minus labore officia amet. Sunt quia quod et voluptatem magni accusamus ratione. Ducimus quis nesciunt recusandae sit corporis quia ipsa. Autem impedit dolor laboriosam aperiam. Iusto eligendi et repellat soluta et sunt blanditiis.

[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 (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (145) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”