Best Path Before Entrepreneurship / Search Fund

Hello everyone,

I'm currently an Senior Analyst at a bank with visibility into a near-term Associate promotion. I come from a semi-target with strong grades, and I've been able to build a fairly strong resume (good amount of closed M&A transactions, great deal of responsibility, good relationships with the team, etc.). I've enjoyed my experience in IB, however I know for certain that this is not a long-term career I'd like to be in. I come from a family of entrepreneurs, thus the idea of acquiring a business independently or via some sort of Search Fund structure excites me the most and is something I absolutely need to do at some point in my career.

My question is: What sort of career structure would be most appropriate / be the most beneficial if I'm looking to eventually acquire and run a business? I feel like I should gain more operational exposure given that there's only so much relevant experience you can learn in IB. Perhaps I should be joining an operational-focused LMM PE fund, or even a highly acquisitive Corp Dev team that provides exposure to integration? Or would sticking it out in IB and saving more money be the most appropriate decision?

Some notes that may influence answers: 1. Based on feasible prospects I've considered and through my own DD, I've discovered that any move outside of my current team in IB would result in less pay. 2. My business interests are in the business services and industrial space, and I'm fascinated by roll-up strategies.

Would appreciate any feedback in what you feel the ultimate (but feasible) career path would be to provide the most useful skill set before running a business.