I’m in my second year as an analyst, and I’m starting to think seriously about what comes next. Everyone around me is either angling for associate promotion or already thinking about PE, but I keep coming back to the idea of moving into tech or vc instead. The issue is, I don’t really know what questions to ask or what matters in that transition. Like, does it matter which type of ib work you did going into tech? Do people care about your banking credentials in vc, or do they care more about what you can actually do? And maybe more importantly, what’s the unfiltered reality nobody tells you about the exit? I’ve had a few conversations with people who’ve made the jump, but I feel like I’m asking surface-level stuff. What actually changed about their day-to-day? Do they regret it? What was hard about the transition that they weren’t expecting? I’m trying to figure out how much of my networking energy should go toward building a tech/vc network now versus staying locked in on banking relationships. For people who’ve done the ib-to-tech or ib-to-vc transition, what were the questions that actually clarified things for you, and what wish you’d asked before you left?
here’s real talk: banking credential helps way less than you think in tech. what matters is can you actually do the job and do ppl want to work with you. if ur going vc, deal experience and network matter more. if tech, technical skills and product thinking beat banker cred. ask ppl what theyd do differently. that reveals way more than asking if they regret it.
this is such a real question! the exit stuff prob matters more than most ppl think about. good luck navigating that decision!
The IB-to-tech/VC transition requires different frameworks depending on destination. In VC, your banking network and deal experience are directly valuable; technical banking credentials matter less than pattern recognition and judgment. In tech (operating roles), banking credentials diminish in relevance—hiring focuses on execution ability and product mindset. Critical questions: What specific role are you targeting, and what’s required for success? How does your banking expertise transfer specifically? What’s the compensation trajectory versus banking? What’s the learning curve versus your ability to contribute immediately? Which path aligns with your long-term ambitions? Ask former IB colleagues specifically what skills transferred well and which surprised them as limitations. Understand the lifestyle and pace shifts; the rhythms are dramatically different.
What an exciting transition to explore! You’re asking all the right questions, and your thoughtfulness will guide you well. Trust your instincts!
I was banking for three years, then moved to a VC firm as an associate. The biggest thing nobody told me: banking trained me to work in extreme time crunch and multiple stakeholders. VC has way fewer stakeholders but the decision-making is slower and way less structured. That was jarring. But the banking network actually mattered—partners would call me about deals they wanted intel on. Ask people specifically how boredom vs overwork compares. that was the shift i didn’t predict.
Success rates for IB→VC placements are 60-70% when candidate has relevant deal exposure and existing network ties. Success rates for IB→tech are roughly 50%, with technical depth being the primary differentiator. Banking credentials provide hiring advantage in early-stage VC but diminish significantly in late-stage VC and tech. Salary compression (25-40% initially) is common but offsets with equity upside in growth companies. Duration of successful transitions averages 18-24 months before meaningful contribution recognition. Key differentiator: candidates who exit with intentional skill-building plan outperform those with pure banking credentials.
dont ask ppl if they regret their move—most wont be honest. ask ‘what would u tell ur banking self before the jump?’ or ‘what skills did u realize were missing?’ those questions get real answers instead of diplomatic ones.
when i was trying to move to tech, i asked someone ‘what banking skills were actually useless here?’ and that conversation changed everything. turned out stakeholder management matters way more than i expected, but model-building was almost irrelevant. knowing what actually transfers is super valuable.