Boutique Placement agent?

Go for it. Will get to it when I can

Sure. Send me a DM. More context is helpful. It sounds like you’re about to be laid off so if this is your only option the decision becomes much simpler.

I mean, it kind of is the exit opportunity. People have finally realized that management fees are king and capital formation seats are being more coveted / respected. That said, it is highly firm dependent. Look at most successful alts managers and you’ll usually see at least one co-founder coming from a fundraising background, the most obvious one being Rubenstein who was not only the fundraising but also the face of the firm for many years. Let’s ignore the sad state Carlyle finds themselves in today.

The poster Ravena above provides a fairly concise summary of factors that can help differentiate good IR folks from the bad. In addition, I'd simply add that a good fundraising professional knows the in-and-outs of the LP's internal commitment approval process better than the LPs themselves: you know the levels of approval, can finesse the internal politics, highlight points in their portfolio that require complementation, supplementation or replacement, you can thoughtfully and tactfully educate them on the market, including competitors, latest macro stress points, etc. so that in the end you can help them do their job better. As soon as you do that, you're that much closer to a fund commitment from the LP. Why wouldn't they be interested in your fund after you've essentially written their entire internal IC memo?

Beyond these, I would note that the capital raisers that stand out are the ones able to efficiently and effectively manage a fundraising process from end-to-end, which I know sounds easy but is ultimately what differentiates good IR teams from bad ones. Understanding the importance of smooth and seamless follow up, backchanneling, leverage of senior investment teams' strengths, time, and where they can best contribute to the fundraising efforts. Working with the GC to negotiate fund terms and sticking points. Playing nice and being incredibly user-friendly to the finance, legal, investment teams, all of whom you'll need to liaise and work closely with throughout the fundraising process to get the target investor across the finish line. IR isn't hard. You just have to be the adult in the room that helps to run shit in the background and foreground to get the dollars through the door. And like Ravena noted, it's about persistence and selling through the 'no's' until you've worn out every possible alternative. 

IR is an often overlooked and underestimated function. But what's funny is that I often look at the investment side and think: 'man. what makes one investor better than the other?' To me, investment (at least in alternatives) has become nothing more than gambling as of late. KKR and BX had the benefit of being first movers in a nascent space 30, 40 years ago. Nowadays (as it was in the past), the number of good deals in this world is finite. But the number of competitors increases every year, month, to even week. Random spinouts from famed and not-so-famed shops, all fighting for the same deals. Everyone claims to have 'proprietary sourcing' and key relationships but that's all fake now right? I know that at least in fundraising, I can help deliver an end result with every incremental effort. In investing, I just see it as calculated (and hopefully educated) gambling, where oftentimes you don't even know if you've invested in a good company until 3-5 years later. And that's all fine--and exactly why I'd much rather be the enabler with seemingly more control over my fate and my work product than a gambler. But I'm sure every investor will tell you they know exactly what they're doing and that IR is just all fluff. 

This all said, to your point, there's essentially zero barrier to entry to working as an IR/fundraising professional, but I can bet that you have a harder time finding quality, reputable fundraisers compared to finding high-quality investors. Placement agents have always been a training ground for IR professionals but there's still not enough talent out there to fill the need. Most IR professionals are still vastly undertrained and in this increasingly tough fundraising environment, GPs should be more keen than ever to hire capable IR talent.