Interview Pitch Depth
Hey all. I understand the basics of what a good interview pitch should entail, but my PE brain is struggling with how exactly in depth it should be / I should prepare. Like obviously I’ll try to be as well informed as possible, but also realize there is a point of diminishing marginal returns.
Wha do you think is an appropriate typical amount of time to spend on an interview pitch and any good benchmarks for whether it’s in depth enough?
Also is it standard to have a memo write up to accompany? Or is verbal + Q&A sufficient ?
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's what you need to know about preparing an interview pitch:
Depth of Research:
Benchmarks for Depth:
Time Investment:
Memo Write-Up vs. Verbal Pitch:
Customization:
In summary, aim for a pitch that is thorough, defensible, and tailored to the firm. Spending weeks or months on preparation is standard for buy-side roles, and having a memo to accompany your verbal pitch can set you apart.
Sources: Breaking into buy-side equity research - my experience, Stock Pitch Sample Template - Proven Examples to Help Ace Your Interview, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/hedge-fund/advice-on-hf-recruiting?customgpt=1, Stock Pitch Sample Template - Proven Examples to Help Ace Your Interview
hijacking to ask: i know it's standard wisdom to not pitch a name a fund already owns, but interviewing for MW / Holocene / pod type places and they own every freaking name on my pitch list to at least some small degree lol. is a de minimis stake (i'm talking like 0.03% of holdings) fair game?
I don't think it's the end of the world to pitch a name they hold. They'll probably know more about the name than you do - just try to bring a new angle they won't have considered before and know the basics of the business very well.
You could also say upfront "I know from your 13F that you had a small L/S in this name 12mo ago, so I'm trying to maybe give you a new angle". That kind of honesty could work well if the pitch is good.
Good question and the PE to HF transition makes this specific. Your instinct on diminishing returns is right but the threshold is probably not where you think it is.
On time: 15-20 hours is the right range for a name you're starting from scratch. Not because you need to know everything, but because the PM will find the one thing you don't know and that becomes the story.
Three benchmarks for whether you're deep enough:
If you hesitate on any one of them, you're not ready.
One thing PE candidates specifically get wrong: they go very deep on the industry, the competitive dynamics, the model, the management team. All useful. But at the end of the day we trade stocks, not businesses. A PM is not impressed by someone who knows everything about the sector at a surface level. He is impressed by someone who knows exactly what drives the stock and has a clear, differentiated view on that specific thing. Depth on the right variables beats breadth across all of them every time.
On the memo: bring one, always. One page maximum. Writing it forces the clarity that makes your verbal pitch sharp. Think of it as your IC memo stripped to the essential investment logic only.
Happy to take a look before your interview. I review pitches for candidates making exactly this transition at The Final Pitch
Thanks ChatGPT😹
How about in interviews? I always feel like I'm rambling. What sections should I cover or just leave for QnA like alt data / opportunity / setup?
Rambling in interviews is almost always a structure problem, not a knowledge problem. You know the material, you just don't have a clean skeleton in mind.
Four things in order, keep each one to two sentences maximum:
What the business does. What drives the stock (generally the same KPI that has driven the stock in the past years but not always) What the market thinks and why you disagree. What kills the thesis and why you own it anyway.
That's your four minute pitch. If you can't say it in four minutes you're not ready to say it in forty.
On the Q&A - the question underneath every question a PM asks is 'what's incremental?' The quality of the business, the moat, the management team - that's been appreciated and debated for decades by people better resourced than you and me. What he wants to know is what is changing or what has changed.
Lead with that and the rambling stops
Thx!
this is AI slop...
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