Episode 104: How David is Skipping IB and Going Straight to Buyside Investing w/ a $2Bn AUM Fund

rivate equity isn’t about finding “great” companies. It’s about finding the right company for your fund. In this episode of Wall Street Diaries, we talk about why the exact same deal can be a perfect fit for one PE fund… and a hard pass for another. Different funds operate under different mandates, different risk tolerances, and different investment philosophies. What looks like a “no-brainer” on the surface can completely miss the mark depending on who’s evaluating it. If you’re recruiting for IB, PE, or consulting, this is the kind of thinking interviewers are actually testing for. ✉️ Connect with me Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3dv9ff3b LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mrxd9fvu X: https://tinyurl.com/2ry742br 📞 Book a call https://tinyurl.com/2t3zkkdh 🌐 Website https://tinyurl.com/ys44xrsj 🔔 Subscribe for weekly videos about finance careers and recruiting @WallStreetMastermind

Matt Huang did everything “right.” Investment banking. Consulting. Corporate strategy at Google. In this episode, we break down what banking teaches you, why target schools can feel like pressure cookers, how rejection compounds into leverage, and what happens when you choose learning over short-term money. If you’re chasing Wall Street but quietly questioning the long game, this one’s for you. ✉️ Connect with me Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3dv9ff3b LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mrxd9fvu Book a call ☎️ https://tinyurl.com/2rvxtjmn Website https://tinyurl.com/c3advtcv 🔔 Subscribe for weekly videos about investment banking recruiting @WallStreetMastermind

Artificial intelligence is advancing faster than anyone expected. Some people believe AI will replace most white-collar jobs in the next few years, including investment banking analysts. Others think it will simply change how the job works. So what will happen to investment banking? In this video, we break down how AI is impacting Wall Street, what it means for analyst roles, and how students should be thinking about their careers in finance. If you’re interested in investment banking, private equity, or finance careers, understanding how AI is changing the industry is becoming essential. ✉️ Connect with me Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3dv9ff3b LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mrxd9fvu Book a call ☎️ https://tinyurl.com/2rvxtjmn Website https://tinyurl.com/c3advtcv

Most students think investment banking is the finish line. In this episode of Wall Street Diaries, Nathan walks through why that assumption quietly breaks down. He shares what the job at Goldman Sachs actually felt like day to day, the moment he realized modeling mattered far less than he expected. We also talk about starting recruiting late, breaking in anyway, and how banking became a tool for optionality rather than an end goal. This conversation is about what investment banking really gives you, what it doesn’t, and how to think clearly about what comes after. ✉️ Connect with me Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3dv9ff3b LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mrxd9fvu Book a call ☎️ https://tinyurl.com/2rvxtjmn Website https://tinyurl.com/c3advtcv

In this episode of Wall Street Diaries, we break down how an investment banker thinks, and why an engineering mindset often matters more than pure finance knowledge. We talk about systems thinking, constraints, and tradeoffs, and how those ideas show up in real decisions on Wall Street. The conversation also zooms out to the AI boom, explaining why the race for AI is increasingly a race to build more energy, not just better models or code. This episode isn’t about shortcuts or hype. It’s about how bankers see the whole system. ✉️ Connect with me Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3dv9ff3b LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mrxd9fvu Book a call ☎️ https://tinyurl.com/2rvxtjmn Website https://tinyurl.com/c3advtcv

In this episode of Wall Street Diaries, Max Johnson breaks down what investment banking actually trains you for, and why many students misunderstand the real value of an IB career. Drawing from his path from investment banking to AWS, Max explains why banking isn’t just about technical skills or fast exits. Instead, he reframes IB as a long-term training ground for judgment, execution, and operating at scale—skills that compound well beyond your first role. If you’re considering investment banking, or already on the path, this episode will change how you think about skills, exits, and long-term career strategy. ✉️ Connect with me Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3dv9ff3b LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mrxd9fvu Book a call ☎️ https://tinyurl.com/2rvxtjmn Website https://tinyurl.com/c3advtcv

Investment banking interviews aren’t about memorizing perfect answers. They’re about how you think, communicate, and handle pressure in real time. In this episode of Wall Street Diaries, we break down how IB interviews actually work, what interviewers are really evaluating, and why interviews are more like conversations than exams. If you’re a finance or economics student recruiting for investment banking, this will help you approach interviews the right way. ✉️ Connect with me Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3dv9ff3b LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mrxd9fvu X: https://tinyurl.com/2ry742br 📞 Book a call https://tinyurl.com/2t3zkkdh 🌐 Website https://tinyurl.com/ys44xrsj 🔔 Subscribe for weekly videos about finance careers and recruiting @WallStreetMastermind #investmentbanking #interviewtips #financecareers #careergrowth #careeradvice #financestudents #invesment

S2 Ep04: Is Sales & Trading Better than Investment Banking? by Wall Street Mastermind

S2 Ep03: Is Chemical Engineering the Best Investment Banking Major_ by Wall Street Mastermind

This week features Carson, a Vice President at Jefferies, who built a long-term career on Wall Street by taking a path most people overlook. Coming from a non-target background, Carson worked his way into investment banking, specialized in Private Capital Advisory, and steadily rose through the ranks to VP while many peers exited the industry. Carson shares what it really takes to break into banking from a non-target or semi-target school, talks about Private Capital Advisory and the secondaries market, explaining why it has become one of the fastest-growing areas on Wall Street. In this episode, Carson shares ◼️ What helped him succeed beyond the analyst role ◼️ Why he chose to stay in banking instead of exiting ◼️ What Private Capital Advisory and secondaries actually involve ◼️ How careers compound through trust, execution, and patience on Wall Street ✉️ Connect with me Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/3dv9ff3b LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/mrxd9fvu Book a call ☎️ https://tinyurl.com/444v2myy Website https://tinyurl.com/y2eevtfu 🔔 Subscribe for weekly videos about investment banking recruiting @WallStreetMastermind If you have any questions, feel free to comment below ⬇️ #WallStreetDiaries #WallStreetMastermind #InvestmentBanking #Jefferies #PrivateCapitalAdvisory #Secondaries #WallStreetCareers #FinanceCareers #CareerAdvice