Hi Matt,

Q: I would like to move to a firm where I can do more strategic work. Longer term - but not now - I would like to try my hand at VC. Does anyone have any advice on what strategic firms offer that align?

If long-term you want to end in VC (or PE), MBB should have the best brand name for that and should allow you to do more projects in strategy as well. However, bear in mind that MBB do work in operations and they might be interested in your profile exactly for that experience and channel you there.

If you want a more data-driven answer, you can do the following:

1. Look for alumni of the possible target companies on LinkedIn
2. Check how many moved to your preferred exit (eg VC) in your target region
3. Normalize for the size of the companies in the region

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi Matt,

I highly recommend you get networking! Through conversations with people you'll figure out which firms work. To start, any of the major consultancies (MBB, Big4, etc.) sound like they would work.

Hi Matt,

Thanks for the overview. Very clear!

The obvious answer is MBB. 

The less obvious recommendation, but probably the one that I'd go for, is to start by talking with people who are working in some of your target VCs and get an understanding of what they did a couple of years before joining. 

Get an understanding of their path so that you can start carving your own in that direction. Plus, having a chat with them will already help you establish a link that you could potentially reactivate further down the line when you're actually applying. 

You can use this guide about how to conduct such coffee chats:

• Your Guide to Consulting Coffee Chats

Best,
Cristian

What you are doing is performance optimization (focusing on cost optimization). 

I understand that you are not looking for performance optimization (profit and cost optimization, you now focus on the later), but on strategy work (where you look in a more structural way to competition, market opportunities and company transformacion) For that, you can find the typical strategy consulting firms (but beware that very frequently you may get transformation, implementation, PMO or restructuring type of work as well).

Any of MBB, Tier 2 (OW, RB, Kearney), and several boutiques can do. 

Strategy&, EYP, Accenture strategy may work or not - you have to understand the type of projects the specific office/role has.