I recently switched jobs to join the strategic finance team at Plaid! I’ve since received the question – Why did I make the switch? Here’s why I did, and why Plaid was THE place for my next professional adventure:
Investment banking analysts have common exit paths that are well documented. In determining my next move, I chatted with folks in investing, corporate finance, corporate development, and strategic finance. Investing encompasses numerous asset classes across both public and private markets. Plus, a word of caution: roles at corporations can vary significantly despite having similar job titles. So what was my takeaway?
It was that value creation predominantly happens at the operating level. There are certainly fantastic investors that add significant value. Similarly, there are several corporate development teams that execute highly accretive and “synergistic” M&A strategies. However, both functions, particularly at the junior level are far too focused on deal execution for my liking. That’s where strategic finance roles stood out. They offered the ability to assist with high-impact decisions across various functions across the organization. That was by far the biggest selling point, to truly dive deep with an analytical lens on operational decisions. So, once I determined this fit, a pressing question remained: Who do I work for?
I asked myself the following questions when assessing opportunities (h/t to Naeem Ishaq for the core of the framework):
- Are they selling into a large end market that’s being disrupted? (bigger market = bigger problems to solve)
- Are they a market leader?
- Do I like the people? Will I be challenged by them? (very subjective, but trust your gut!)
- Do I think the company’s products will add value to the world?
So, Plaid?
I was extremely fortunate to receive a few offers and meet terrific people through my recruiting process. I was also incredibly fortunate that one of those offers was my first preference, Plaid!
So, why Plaid? How does it stack up against the questions I outlined above?
- COVID significantly accelerated the transition to Fintech and significantly expanded the already huge market opportunity in front of Plaid, IMO.
- Undisputedly the market leader as evidenced by the customer roster, brand recognition, and market research to name just a few indicators.
- Absolutely loved everyone I “met”. The level of intellect, friendliness, and professionalism was terrific! Sidenote: the answer to this question should have veto power over everything else on the list.
- Without a doubt! Finances are consistently one of the biggest stressors to folks. Plaid has enabled significant innovation by Fintechs that offer consumer-friendly products and help people improve consumers’ financial lives. As an immigrant, I know from personal experience the areas where the traditional financial system fails and the need for innovation in the space.
All that to say, I couldn’t be more thrilled and energized to join Plaid! I’m thoroughly excited for an increasingly friendly world of financial products for consumers (including myself!) and a rapidly approaching world of embedded finance.
I hope this post was informative in providing some context into my recent job switch. There certainly will be assumptions and conclusions in here that may not hold up in a few years, but this is my best guess! I’m happy to be a resource to anyone who might be pondering a similar transition in their career, so don’t hesitate to give me a shout!