Am I Delusional?
Hello Monkeys,
I'm currently at a crossroads and facing a unique situation. At the moment, I'm a Summer Analyst in IB, and I'll find out about my return offer in a week. I'm in an unusual position because my best friend, who is extremely wealthy, is about to take over a large family business. We get along very well and share similar views.
I see IB as a great short-to-medium-term career, but the demanding hours and the focus on minutiae that doesn't necessarily move the needle can be draining. I've always felt that starting something new, playing by my own rules, and being unconventional fits me better. I'm also risk-tolerant and don't care about the prestige of being a corporate drone. I really want to do something amazing with my life—I can't stand how arrogant some of these IB people are, considering they're slaves to their MDs and too afraid to go into the arena, take risks, and do something extraordinary with their one and only life.
My friend and I started a unique social club, and it took off. We took a lot of risks, but we've managed to pull off some amazing events. That journey was incredibly fulfilling. My friend has repeatedly offered for me to work with him on a new subsidiary business related to the main business he's taking over. This subsidiary has a lot of potential, especially with AI and scaling opportunities.
Now, I'm unsure what to do. If I get a return offer, should I take it? And if I don't, what should my next steps be, should I take it up in a few years after some experience? I'm really young and feel like working on this new venture, where I would have equity, could be an amazing opportunity compared to staying in IB, where I might end up miserable despite the high salary.
IB gives you an excellent resume boost no matter where you go. If you do two years and then go kill it at the startup, people you're trying to get funding from down the road will respect you more saying you're ex-IB and an internship isn't really the same thing. If you do two years and then go to the startup and it bombs, you have a lot more to fall back to re-recruit on having solid IB experience. Tough to do a startup out of college - if it fails, you don't have much to show for it when trying to land another job.
Personally I would stick with finance for now, see how the business is looking in a year or two. It sounds like you don't have the same family situation to fall back on like your friend - get the reps in, build your resume and if you want to take a leap, do it with some experience behind you.
Agreed with this comment. IB for a few years then the startup is the most logical step. Gives you the best fallback and when you move to the startup people are going to respect a 25-year-old with IB experience way more then a 22 year old out of college. When it comes to investors they value the management they invest that have experience, obviously 3 years of IB isn't that much in the grand scheme of things but still way better then 22 year thats never held a FT job
You will always work for someone bro with that mindset. OP don’t listen to people who went to the same schools as zuck or page bezos and wanna slave in a cubicle because they are pussies. Not worth it imo. You aren’t delusional just enlightened beyond what someone who works in this sorry fucking industry will be able to understand.
I literally plan on starting my own business when I get older lmao… I just laid out the sensible logical answer. I didn’t say not to do it or anything like that. I just said to get some experience for both safety net and it’ll make you more reputable when he starts his startup gig. Respectfully who tf is gonna want to work for a 22 year with no real world experience regardless of how smart and “well-read” he comes off. Experience is just needed for most jobs especially if he runs the startups subsidiary and has to manage people. You mention Elon in ur other comment and I agree he’s a very smart man great vision leader but I would say he’s an awful manager and how he runs a company just look at what twitter turned into and the fact the ENTIRE tesla fast charger team got fired and rehired back like a week later. So wouldn’t say he’s the best example of a leader imo, a genius sure but definitely not a leader
P.S. don’t go to Harvard like Zuck or Princeton like bezos but I’ll take it as a compliment ig ;)
lol bro. If you’re idea valid and got funding and potential people will flock to the startup.
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