Weekly wrap up July 3

Author

Ivy Almirol
July 04, 2026



Hey WSO Monkey,

Finance careers are rarely one straight path. This week’s forum looks at the future of PE, the finance vs. tech debate, whether startups make sense after IB, and how people are thinking about the next move across high finance.

-Patrick

Top Discussions

  1. Future of PE - "I’m one who’s of the belief that this mid level freeze will never end. Go through your files, the founders / senior partners / partners have been the same people forever, and when PE at the top is a cushy enough job to ride the coattails of fundraising and a good enough economy there’s 0 reason to leave. Keep in mind that this industry has been around for 30 years and most of the founders you still see at the firms were there at the beginning. All these 60 year old “legends” who won’t even read a CIM but soak up the carry have 0 retirement plans except for eating a fat chunk of carry while dialing into calls to tell one of their finance war stories. Look at the glaring majority of firms that have a genuinely senile founder still coming into the office, if even the founders won’t leave why would the partners plan to leave or even add to their own bloated ranks..."

  2. Q&A: Research Associate, Long-Only | (0 Years in DCM/IB/Consulting) - "I'm currently a 3rd-year Research Associate at a Global Equities Long-Only firm with 0 years of experience in DCM/IB..."

  3. We All Should’ve Gotten in Tech - "Finance gives a clearer and faster pathway to surpass this if you can stomach moving up. At least within IB and PE, you’ll make absurd pay at senior levels whether it’s at a top or mid fund. However, the terminal levels (not quite at the MD/partner but VP/director) will make more than tech’s terminal levels. Even if not in IB/PE, there’s tons of optionality within LO/HF to make great money, though HF are admittedly more risky but likely better probability-weighted against startups for making great money. Additionally, tech is very ageist, you will get pushed out if you don’t reach a certain rank in time. If you get laid off at a terminal level, it’s going to be hard to get a position at a same or comparable level if you’ve coasted there the whole time. In finance it’s the opposite where age is respected and seen as a positive due to relationship building..."

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Top Discussions (contd.)

  1. Is There Any Point to Joining a Startup After IB? - "I think you need to ask yourself: "Am I ready to operate in that type of environment as a co-founder where everyone will be looking to me for direction?" If the answer is "not yet" then go somewhere to learn the skills to build that confidence. If the answer is "yes" skip joining an early stage company and start your own. You won't know how it'll go until you do it..."

  2. Why Do Stocks Have Any Value? - "Most of us plebs who stock pick as individual contributors should buy stocks with the intention of holding the majority of them through retirement, where we can cash out. That’s why 20-30 year models are helpful, but it’s always been theoretical because nobody can predict the future and how every actor involved with a company will act in the future. If a stock you bought with the intention of holding until you retire 20 years from now starts to tank, you have only two questions to ask: How much is this worth (partially informed by your opinion of the market’s reaction and your own ideas) and is it time to sell it? When should I sell if not now? At what price?"

  3. Q&A - "Almost two decades in tier one / global banks, across Middle Office as a grad, through to COO and Finance senior leadership roles. Career-changed into a Deals consultant for one of the big four, did that for 4/5 years, and now run my own private equity advisory company, based in London."

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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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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