PE/GE vs Late Stage Startup Strategy/Ops Role for Entrepreneurship?
Currently an incoming analyst at a top TMT group who is really interested in entrepreneurship. Previously founded a software business that exited for low 7 figures and the other failed after raising pre-seed.
Looking to do my 2 years in IB and then exit but I am having a hard time choosing between what I want to do after IB.
PE would be interesting in the sense that I am learning more about the investing side of businesses as well as being able to think about companies from an operational sense. Also has the pedigree if MF which could lead to an easier time raising capital in the future.
GE would be preferred as I would be able to learn similarly to PE but also broaden my network to founders or more of the startup landscape. Also would allow me to see new and emerging ideas within tech.
Ops/Strategy at Startup is an interesting path, I think this gives me the best transferable skills to being my own entrepreneur and it might give me industry experience as well but depending on what startup the program could be more of a risk in the long term.
Any thoughts would be appreciated especially to anyone in PE/GE, do you feel that you learn in PE/GE valuable skills that would be transferable to entrepreneurship?
Bump
If you've already founded and sold a company that had a 7 figure exit, then you probably already have a better idea than most about how to end up where you want to be. Honestly, I'm not sure even sure banking makes a lot of sense if you've been an entrepreneur and want to go back into doing it again. With that being said, you probably can't go too wrong with either option. PE/GE is going to be much safer, you'll make good money, see a lot of ideas and learn a little more about how buyside firms view tech investments. I'd actually argue that going to a top VC firm probably makes even more sense assuming you're trying to build a business that is going to take VC money. VC will teach you about what early stage funds look for. But again, you've already built a business that took VC money, so I'm not sure you really even need this.
If I were you, I would think about where your experience gaps are as far as being an entrepreneur goes and use the next few years to find jobs that can give you experience that fills those gaps. Finding a good strategy role at an early stage startup is probably the best in terms of gaining actual startup experience, the problem is finding a great early stage strategy role is tough. You'd be best of finding an entrepreneur that you really respect and try to get in early on one of their projects.
At the end of the day, you can be an entrepreneur from any background. Certain jobs might make it easier/harder, but if you have an idea, are scrappy and resourceful, and like building I would just find a job that pays you and teaches you something while you look for the next thing you want to start.
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