Weekly wrap up 6/6

Author

Ivy Almirol
June 06, 2026



Hey WSO Monkey,

Is it still prestige if the hours are brutal, the work is uneven, and half the job is explaining simple concepts with complicated words? This week’s forum has the usual mix of sharp career takes, market debates, and people quietly questioning whether the path is worth the price.

-Patrick

Top Discussions

  1. Do People Over-Index on ‘Moats' - "To me, and for the vast majority of entrepreneurs who will not end up being a hyperscaler, a moat mainly comes from an immovable proximity to the customer (either physically or virtually). But this moat only ensures you X% of market share, and the rest is how good you are: product, marketing, distribution..."

  2. Q&A: Systematic PM/Quant for Institutional Clients - "French, graduated in econometrics and finance sometimes in the previous century. Started as an economist for a public institution, then quantitative analyst for the market regulator (transaction data). Then I worked as a quant for a fund of funds, doing performance measurement and fund selection. I switched later to being a systematic PM for a multi-asset multi-strategy fund in a bank, then with a boutique asset manager..."

  3. Polygraph by Polymarket - "News with skin in the game from the world’s largest prediction market. Each morning, get an email breaking down everything happening on Polymarket: the biggest shifts in odds, breaking news, new markets, whale moves, and much more. Join 1,428,136 readers who get their news on Polymarket."

Ask the Questions That Build Careers: WSO Academy Office Hours

Forget office hours with professors who’ve never worked a day in the real world. With WSO Academy, you’ll be invited to 8 Office Hours every week where you can ask anything—live—with real finance pros who’ve climbed the ladder.

These aren’t theory-driven lectures. This is actionable, insider advice from the people who’ve done it. And when we say you can ask anything—we mean anything.

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Top Discussions (contd.)

  1. Are All Tech / TMT Groups Sweaty? - "GS SF TMT: A little pretentious (it is GS after all.. and a top group within the firm) but culture has actually improved from what I heard. Still heavy on facetime and the hours are obviously long given what they work on, but the culture is pretty good. MS MP: Hours are bad, but that is a given for any top group. Culture has not improved, not toxic per se but can be hierarchical and a bit old school if that makes sense. One thing to caveat is that in all of these groups you will most likely work on some of the most interesting or coolest tech deals, thus that can make the long hours bearable or worth it (mind that almost all West Coast tech groups are "sweaty")."

  2. Is DCM Actually Underrated? - "DCM is a great start to your career because it teaches you the basics of thinking about cap stacks, importance of raising unsecured debt, IG vs. HY mechanics, credit risk / reward dynamics, etc. It gets you exposure to C-suites at corporates / financials (depending on the sectors you cover) as well as very large transactions given huge M&A deals will likely have a large funding portion syndicated out via the unsecured debt market. You get exposure to clients and important parts of the firm early as well, and depending on leanness of team, you get all the same skills as a coverage banker with more of a debt hat (don’t model as much as others have pointed out)..."

  3. Nothing to Do at Work & Bored to Hell - "Nothing to do currently at work. I created a substack trying to answer recent questions on this forum. Roast my content. I have the feeling nobody, except lawyers and seniors, fully understand EV/Equity bridge. Hopefully, I understood it now. Most finance articles will give you a formula for the EV/Equity bridge and call it a day..."

New Podcasts Coming in Hot 🔥

  • How This 'Non-Target' Math Major Broke Into Investment Banking (Starting in January!)

  • From Pre-Med in Vietnam to Wall Street: How This Non-Target Student Broke Into IB

  • Before You Choose a Finance Career, Watch This

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2027 Hedge Fund Analyst (Full-Time) with a 2026 Summer Internship - "Your primary responsibility will be to research and analyze US public companies to help make investment decisions. We're looking for someone with a great deal of raw talent and intellectual curiosity, and a desire to learn what makes some companies great..."

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WSO Mentor - "Are you an experienced professional with a background in investment banking, private equity, hedge funds, S&T, venture capital, asset management, equity research, quant finance, corporate dev, real estate finance, or top-tier consulting? Passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders? Wall Street Oasis (WSO) is expanding its Mentorship Program, and we're looking for outstanding professionals to join our mentor roster—an elite network supporting students and young professionals as they prepare for high-stakes careers. Whether you’re looking to give back, stay connected to rising talent, or sharpen your coaching skills, this role offers you the chance to make a meaningful impact, remotely and on your schedule..."

On Deck - Training 🎓

All in Eastern Standard Time

Stay Strong,
Patrick Curtis
CEO and Founder, WallStreetOasis.com

WSO Mobile App: iOS | Android

PS - We're also always looking to add resume reviewers and WSO Mentors to our team. Set your own pay (from $40/hr to up to $400/hr) to increase or decrease mentee flow. To submit an application, go here.

PPS - Think you have an interesting story? Want to share it with our podcast listeners? Hit reply and let me know!




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