How did IB work before Excel and PowerPoint

Hi all,

A little light Sunday post.

My team and I just spent the past week working 10+ hours/day (I know that's nothing, we're all full time students though and it's final's season) cranking out a pitchbook from scratch for a few former bankers who teach at our school now. In addition to all the valuations, then M&A and LBO analysis, it was insane thinking about how many hours we spent formatting small things on PPT.

This made me think - how did IB professionals "back in the day" make and continuously update pitchbooks (10-20x) without a computer? Moreover, I can't imagine building all these models by hand w/o Excel. Obviously, CapIQ/FactSet/Bloomberg weren't available either so I imagine they must've read countless Q's and K's.

Curious as to whether any of you guys have any insight on this.

5 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Re-posted comment from mergersandacquisitions78(https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/user/92397)

*I still have to write my history of investment banking post. Someday, I will find the time.*

*Lotus-123 came out in the early-80s and that changed everything. That, along with the M&A boom, was really the birth of investment banking as we know it today from a junior banker perspective. Excel took over from Lotus in the 1990s but in a sense spreadsheets are spreadsheets. Its no surprise that the first formal analyst programs were in the early to mid 80s.*

*For a few years before Lotus-123, there was apparently "the computer" which associates (analysts were very rare before spreadsheets) had to book where you provided model inputs and then an hour later, you got outputs.*

*Before that it was graph paper and a calculator with a typing pool that typed up the model outputs. I'm told my people who were junior bankers in that era that it was a blessing and curse. Obviously it was a pain in the ass but people were thoughtful about the analysis they wanted. There was no "run me an accretion / dilution analysis for 12 targets at 5 different premia using base case, upside case and downside case earnings, and I want that at 8am tomorrow"*

[Link to thread](https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/comment/1714770#comment-1714770)

 

Enim exercitationem est repellat voluptatibus quod sapiente. Non expedita doloremque quia quibusdam.

Nostrum excepturi quae voluptatum totam itaque veniam. Vitae esse et omnis et et dolorem facere. Vel est reprehenderit id ducimus et omnis. Id dicta aspernatur qui non assumenda suscipit iusto. Voluptatem veniam in minus aut doloremque cupiditate aut.

Omnis necessitatibus maiores error eaque aut sapiente. Amet autem nostrum non maiores sint omnis sunt.

Omnis sed aut vel consequatur reiciendis laudantium quo. Harum et sit illum consectetur et sapiente vel. Dolor similique atque id commodi. Recusandae nesciunt quisquam est quod eligendi quia earum deserunt.

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (50) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $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

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...”