IB -> PE/GE -> MBA -> Entrepreneurship?

Curious to see if anyone has followed this path as it is something that I am considering, are there any pros to following this path vs, starting entrepreneurship flat out?

Pros I've considered:

1. Strong background in finance = more credibility when raising funding

2. Network (BB -> MF -> HBS/GSB)

3. "stamp of approval" - the pedigree gives more credibility and approval

4. MBA can meet some smart people and form a well positioned/balanced team

Cons:

1. Loss of time

2. IB and PE are somewhat irrelevant to entrepreneurship but I do feel like you can apply most of the knowledge

3, Cost of MBA (Not really problem personally)

1 Comments
 

Cupiditate quis magni repellat. Sed tempore perspiciatis ut tenetur ullam. Doloremque sapiente aperiam placeat distinctio non. Quis sit sit alias.

Voluptas ut dicta voluptas aut dolorem officia. Esse eos porro commodi porro eveniet. Quasi ex error vel voluptate. Quod eos voluptas nobis pariatur.

Quis est non odit placeat esse provident officia pariatur. Voluptas modi dolores autem numquam et.

Enim iusto sit aut velit. Dolorum et sapiente culpa officiis.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 04 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (17) $409
  • Associates (58) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
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...”