Wondering if anyone has/knows people that have made the transition from consulting (more specifically management consulting) to VC? Is that even a good route to take instead of doing banking -> MBA ->VC? If you can't tell from my previous threads on here, I am obviously interested in working in VC but not sure if trying to get in right out of undergrad is the best thing to do. Insights would be much appreciated.
side note: PE out of undergrad and then transitioning to VC also seems like a good idea to me but as far as I can tell breaking into PE is even harder than IB out of undergrad, especially from a non-target.
bump
VCs want you to know how transactions work, cap table analyis, basic P&L analysis. They don't care where you get this from, and it seriously only has to be "good enough". Banking, consulting, whatever. none of those things are going to set you apart or make a difference, you're checking a box that they won't have to reinvent the wheel teaching you how to do like an exit waterfall or calculate some unit economics. They're much more interested in your industry expertise or what unique thing you bring to the table to drive investments.
PwC / IBM Consulting -> VC? (Originally Posted: 08/31/2013)
Is it possible to break into VC from PwC / IBM consulting?
Also, it seems like there's a tier system in VC like there is in PE, ie.
"Megafunds" "Mid-market funds" "Boutique funds" etc
What are my chances of breaking into each of these tiers, from PwC / IBM consulting?
Low.
Did you ever hear about PwC´s Accelerator? It has similarities to VC and i guess its very well possible to switch to VC afterwards. While moving to the top Tier funds is hard regardless where you worked before, i think its definitely possible to switch to the mid market/ boutique funds. A friend of mine who works at pwc corporate finance is currently interviewing with a VC fund.
Why would you want to go from IB to a second tier (at best) consulting shop?
I know a guy who went from one of the consulting firms you mentioned to VC, so it's possible
From silicon valley consulting to VC? (Originally Posted: 07/04/2012)
Mulling over exit opps from an MBA. Ultimate goal is to be in VC. There are many routes to it. Would consulting with MBB in the SFO or SVall office be a good stepping stone into VC?
why don't you try to apply to a VC? If you got your mba, then you are far enough along in your career to try and get into VC.
Two reasons.
I'm not in my MBA program yet, just planning for post-MBA routes.
I could try and hunt down good VC gigs in Asia, but in English speaking countries such as Singapore or HK, it's a bit difficult to find truly meaningful opportunities. And after a top MBA in US/Europe, I hear the exit opps directly to VC are not that hot because it's not a feeder industry like consulting and IB, so VC is not really good at sponsoring visas and such.
MBB --> VC isn't a unheard of route. You could get into VC post-MBA, pre-MBB too, it's not impossible. Will be tough though. They prefer people with some experience at start-ups / tech firms + MBB experience though.
This. Firms like Golden Gate Capital come to mind.
Morespinach: A good path for you would be to work at a VC-backed startup over the summer, then network with that VC during that time, and all you'll need is a lot of luck. Getting in VC is all about luck and timing.
If you want to do VC in the US or Asia, go to a top US School. EU MBA programs are big company management oriented, and the VC sector in Europe is quite small and getting weaker.
Strategy Consultant looking to diversify into VC / Growth Equity pre-MBA (Originally Posted: 06/05/2014)
Hi all,
As a quick introduction, I have been working as a strategy consultant in London for three years in a boutique international firm. Before that I did my undergrad in the US in Finance, with a couple of internships in various IB / M&A positions (BNP Paribas and Goldman Sachs).
I have been accepted for an MBA at INSEAD a year from now (starting in 09/15) and would really like to work in the VC, Growth Equity or PE space coming out of it.
As a result, I have been trying to secure a kind of "experienced internship" in a VC / Growth equity firm in advance of my MBA by explaining my situation.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the wisdom of such an enterprise, in terms of whether it will give my profile a boost coming out of INSEAD or if I am just setting myself up to do undergraduate level work while taking a massive pay cut (I currently earn around £70,000 so I obviously don't expect to be able to stay at that level. But I would be willing to go down if this is truly the right move to get my foot through the door and the learning opportunity is the right one).
Thank you for any thoughts and feedback
google can be searched by image as well and your linkedin pops up when i insert your pic
so if you want to remain anonymous here, remove that photo/avatar
Hi, thanks for the tip, removed the picture, although as jojome mentioned I guess it's not the worst thing in the world if you can visit my linkedin profile and get a full sense of my profile to judge my situation
p.s. Agency Lending is not really IB / M&A
That's alittle stalkish... you need to relax animalz. Why does he need to be anonymous? We all have a choice on what we present.
I'm planning on going to INSEAD too. How did you get accepted so far out? Did you apply last year?
I applied for the class starting this September (2014) but soon realised that if I was accepted I would probably ask to push back my admission for personal and professional reasons. I can't remember if I mentioned something like this to the interviewer or if it is a lucky coincidence, but when I heard back from the admissions committee they explained that they wanted me to get a bit more professional experience before coming to INSEAD and therefore had pushed back my admission one year: win-win.
Consulting -> B-School -> VC (Originally Posted: 02/04/2014)
Hello all,
I'm currently in a well-respected Management Consulting practice and I'll be matriculating to a top 5 MBA program in the fall with the intention of breaking into VC post-grad.
In addition to my consulting experience, I did an IB internship at a BB in undergrad (a non-target school).
I founded/run a small wine investment strategy business and have helped another start-up (not owned by me) through its first two years in addition to my full-time experience.
I'm happy to be here and I'm looking forward to learning/contributing.
Cheers!
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