Weekly wrap up July 11

Author

Ivy Almirol
July 11, 2026



Hey WSO Monkey,

There is a lot more to a finance career than landing the “right” title. This week’s forum gets into software PE in the AI era, what makes private equity exciting, the pull of New York, the entrepreneurial side of commodities trading, and the question bankers will never stop debating: best group overall.

-Patrick

Top Discussions

  1. Software PE Guys - How Are You Holding Up - "I can only imagine the mental willpower that must be required to sit calmly at your desk and not exact a mighty fury upon those around you watch your managing partner at the latest conference highlighting that the team has been internally 'preparing' for AI since 2023, meanwhile your day consists of portfolio work for three enterprise software companies (20x entry multiples) with accumulated tech debt and worse terminal value risk than the public comps you have been instructed to compartmentalize as screwed for different reasons."

  2. Is There Anything That Makes You Excited About PE in 2026? - "Personally, I think you're more likely to make money and succeed when that success is grounded in creativity, when your job allows you to ply your natural abilities in a medium that suits them, and keeps you in the company of colleagues/clients/counterparties/etc. you enjoy. If you are forcing yourself to endure an environment you dislike, but have convinced yourself is "the (only) way", maybe reconsider if that's really true. Remember that all great things, including LBOs, once started as someone's idea that they took a risk on before it was the obvious thing. Perhaps you have to go find something you can feel a bit more authorship of, and make your mark on."

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Top Discussions (contd.)

  1. Firm Not Transferring Me to NYC - "The firm is not HQ'd in NY but has a NY office. During the recruiting process, they were always asking me if I'd be fine with moving to the HQ city. While I wanted to be in NY (due to FOMO and most my friends being there - almost everyone from my school moves there after graduation), the opportunity was too good to pass up just because of location so I decided to move forward. A couple months ago, I learned they were recruiting for NY so asked to start there as well, as my gf was moving to NY. The answer was no. I recently learned that 2/4 of the associates in my group were starting in NY with the rationale being that it's easier to recruit people for NY office. While I understand, I'm extremely frustrated to the point of constantly thinking about it..."

  2. Commodities Trader Comp Progression? - "Get the job at a big shop and use the experience to get a gig at a smaller place. If you really want to make a name for yourself early in your career it would behoove you to get out of the mindset of 'does this place have a spot open.' Make your spot in this world. If you showed up to a company that trades propane, and you could show up with the ability to make 30 million/year trading diesel, 9/10 that company would welcome you in with open arms. My point here is that in the real world there are limited rules and the more you're willing to be entrepreneurial the more doors that will open..."

  3. Best IB Group Overall? - "Factoring in everything, what do you think is the absolute best banking group in the world?"

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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All in Eastern Standard Time

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

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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.

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