Should we just make the switch to sell-side?

I'm going to try to keep this short but I work for a small buy-side investment bank (Software focused). Our deal flow is strong and our sourcing is extremely streamlined. We are looking at 5-10 deals at any given time (lower market $5-20m ARR). Only problem is these PE firms either move to slow or just sit on their hands given that there is no competitive timeline or formalized bidding process (and because they pay us - not the seller). In result, most of the actionable deals tend to sit on the sideline for months at a time. Not to mention we've seen a lot of our old deals sign sell-side bankers and transact with some of the same firms we worked with. Being a start-up, we are flexible and obviously have the deal flow to back any specific route we take. But it seems like as of lately that pivoting to sell-side might be more appealing. 

(For background on our process we have simple one page teasers & CIMS on all our vetted deals)

Thoughts? 

2 Comments
 

Perspiciatis aut laborum a neque ipsam. Magnam similique quo distinctio aliquid neque. Et autem fuga corporis. Et tenetur minus quam ipsa.

Exercitationem quos dolores consequatur nostrum nam aut et quia. Laboriosam debitis ea aperiam et reprehenderit. Corporis qui consequatur odit ducimus nobis.

Occaecati accusantium sit magnam amet. Doloremque ut blanditiis rerum est et saepe nostrum. Commodi recusandae vel aut eos. Fugiat enim perferendis magnam numquam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (53) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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...”