WSO Cheat Sheets are Paradise

MD: "Did you really calculate FC as EBITDA - Capex?"

Me: "No, I calculated it as EBITDA - (Capex + My Will to Live)."

As a fresh-faced analyst, I knew Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V, and that was about it. Culture was above everything, but anything instead of Canada… Even the CN Tower leans away from the IB scene there
 

I was drowning in jargon, and the lifeboat of ‘networking advice’ from seniors sounded more like, "You just need to leverage your intrinsic strategic intuition while synergizing holistic paradigms.”
 

Then, like an oasis in the desert of finance gibberish, the WSO Cheat Sheets appeared.

To be used only in case of financial jargon emergency

Saw M&A Deals and thought it was a new M&M flavor

As I'm reading the Reuters article "Elon Musk has said, per Reuters: How detached from reality does the work-from-home crowd have to be while they take advantage of those who cannot work from home"
 

Says the man who wants to work-from-Mars...
 

Associate shows up ... a little background on her
 

Name: VP Secret Mistress
Age: 27
Diagnosis: Associate in Investment Banking
Prescription: Endless coffee and no sleep.
Prognosis: Wealthy, yet perpetually tired
Warning: May have side effects like forgotten birthdays, missed anniversaries, and endless crunching of numbers
Caution: Frequently seen muttering financial jargon in sleep
Symptoms: Frequent yawning, eye bags, and a sudden affinity for spreadsheets.
Self-care routine: Annual vacation days spent sleeping and "ZYN TEA"
Known allergies: Free time, sleep, and a balanced diet
Diet: Coffee for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Habitat: VP's Apartment
Social Life Status: It's complicated... blatantly trying to show her "secret relationship" with VP

VP is married btw 

Associate: "Did you model out the revenue projections based on the new data?"

Me: "No, I modeled them based on my caffeine intake. Seems more consistent."

Now, as I pitch decks and model out potential billion-dollar mergers, that cheat sheet is still with me. It's seen coffee spills, late-night tears, and early morning victories.

And every time a new intern walks in, wide-eyed and overwhelmed, I slide them that 52-page lifeline, whispering, "Welcome to the club."

It became my bible. In gratitude, I reached out to WSO's IG admin, that funny mf who made my sides split with laughter, asking him for advice on which course to take, he hooks me up with a massive discount… If the discount was a bonus, I'd actually smile

It's the kind of discount that makes you say, 'Wait, there's a catch, right?'

I didn't know you can just ask for a discount... certainly not that type of discount on courses (sorry WSP)
 

Patrick, if you're reading this, thanks for making the cheat sheet free, ACTUAL LIFE SAVER
 

IG Admin... whoever you are, I know you keep your identity anon, but whenever you're in NYC, I owe you one.
 

Cheat Sheets are Paradise