MBB or CTO at Startup

Hi everyone,

I am just about to graduate from a masters degree at a target UK university. I am lucky enough to have received some outstanding offers, and I have narrowed down my options to two:

-MBB BA/AC: Totally unexpected - I received an offer to join one of their Southern Europe offices

-Startup CTO/Head of Innovation: Seed stage startup backed by some top tier UK VCs, comes with substantial equity. I have a lot of experience in their space, and the founders are top notch (ex MBB and GS). 

Base compensation is very similar, but the startup comes with extra stock options.

I am really unsure what to go for, as I would have not expected to be in this position. As much as it is a risk, I am sort of leaning towards the startup, but my biggest fear is that I will be blacklisted by MBB should I change my mind.

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts.

2 Comments
 

you will definitely not be blacklisted if you turn down MBB, i can assure you that

these are extremely different roles with wildly different trajectories. what's your risk tolerance like? how confident are you in this startup beyond the pedigree of its founders ie the market, the product, growth opps, etc

are you looking for highly structured work environment advising clients, or are you looking for a highly unstructured environment where you're the primary decision maker and executor? 

 
Most Helpful

Exercitationem sit nulla temporibus blanditiis qui non aut. Aperiam nesciunt commodi reiciendis vero fugiat est.

Ut modi modi eum eaque autem vitae. Qui velit non vel quasi totam amet voluptates earum.

Cupiditate sint nesciunt tempora dolore nobis dicta. Recusandae asperiores dolor nesciunt minus saepe.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (57) $264
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 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

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
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”