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
 

Totam velit tempore explicabo nam et libero molestiae non. Magnam fuga rerum cupiditate rerum officiis quasi. Quam rerum nostrum totam quo quod. Sed officiis ut dolores illum eius placeat molestiae.

Aperiam nostrum natus rerum mollitia. Quia labore dolorum ratione molestiae et amet sit.

Iste nesciunt eligendi necessitatibus corporis ut nihil. Magnam dolor quos id doloremque quia perferendis harum. Dolores dolor molestiae animi dolorem cumque. Asperiores distinctio neque et blanditiis.

Aut alias architecto dignissimos ex inventore. Velit velit sint dolores voluptatem dolor repellendus molestiae.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan No 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (45) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”