2025 · September

Recommendations:

Consulting firms for PE:

• Alvarez and Marsal, Alix Partner, FTI Consulting, BRG

  • Has connection with a Partner from FTI Consulting

Traditional Consulting:

• BCG, Bain, McKinsey

CV preparations:

Synthesize my work experience into consulting jargon

Consulting Interview:

Mainly test your logic, reverse logic thinking

Target schools should help me with getting past the first round of hiring

• 1st round IQ test, 2nd round case studies, final psychology stress test

Daily Work:

4-week projects for analysis, 3-6 months up to a year for projects. Partner finds projects to do

Work Methodology:

You start with a conclusion, know your various hypotheses, and why you assume that the hypotheses are valid

• Analyse background -> find performance gap -> different conclusions -> text hypotheses with customers

Examples:

• Semiconductor Company in China that produces 3rd gen semiconductor material, finds a new coating for crucibles to reuse them and reduce costs significantly for SiC production

• Deflation problem: the population is spending less -> prices have to go down. McDonald's and KFC are doing great. Probably 2-3 years will be good for them, and then they have to go down with costs as well

  • McDonald's is doing great, and they want to just preserve their market shares -> reducing costs with the supply chain

  • KFC: they have a good supply chain for chicken -> use their advantage to create new healthy brands to compete with brands like Wagas, a more affordable midnight grills brand, to compete with existing restaurants

• Family office: invest in more early-stage companies and later sell to PE firms

• In investing you need to be able to endure. Follow your own strategy, endure others earning more than you, earning while you aren't

• A strategy that works for one is best (everyone can have their own strategy), but they need to follow it and not get emotional

• GuoWen strategy is to find a good business and look at valuation, he'll only buy if it is low enough for him

• He was "lucky" to have chosen the small PE firm instead of going to the big one (foreign investments came)

• It is important who your teacher is, which project is happening, more than just a small employee in the biggest company

• A company with only money is usually not touched by investors, as it is hard to find a good business

• USA could be a good place to learn, but it is like a powder keg

• I could get into investment banking in Hong Kong and then PE, instead of the us