What does it take to think like an investor in high-stakes finance interviews? That was the focus of Onefinnet’s latest Private Equity Training session, hosted at Harvard Business School, led by CEO, Kaushik Ravi. This session dove deep into how candidates can sharpen their technical and strategic thinking when navigating private equity case studies. These skills are essential not just for acing interviews, but also for thriving in high-performance finance environments.
A Glimpse into the Private Equity Mindset
The session opened by breaking down how investors evaluate returns, using a straightforward but powerful example. Participants walked through the logic of subtracting debt to arrive at equity value. They also discussed how to interpret investment multiples in terms of the Internal Rate of Return (IRR). Example: A two-time return over five years equates to an approximate IRR of 15%, a critical benchmark for many buy-side roles.
What made this segment stand out was not just the clarity of explanation, but the emphasis on pattern recognition. Being able to quickly connect return multiples with IRR figures is a core expectation in interviews and day-to-day deal evaluations.
Beyond the Numbers: Structured Thinking in Case Studies
Private equity interviews today aren’t confined to technical modelling. Candidates get detailed information on memoranda (SIMs), and they have to prepare investment memos within tight timelines. Ravi laid out a seven-part framework to help participants tackle such assignments, which included:
- Understanding the core business model
- Evaluating industry dynamics
- Analyzing competitive positioning
- Assessing growth potential
- Conducting operational reviews
- Valuation and comparable analysis
- Formulating an investment recommendation
Each step was not just described but explored through interactive examples and real-life deal simulations. The training stressed the importance of going beyond superficial data, urging attendees to distil key insights about go-to-market strategies, customer stickiness, pricing power, and supplier relationships.
Real Deals, Real Decisions
To make the session even more tangible, Kaushik invited participants to bring in deals from their own professional experience. One attendee discussed a restructuring case in the oil and gas sector, which became a springboard for analysing market volatility, asset diversification, and the strategic significance of joint ventures.
Such live discussions underscored a recurring theme: networking isn’t merely about exchanging business cards; it’s about engaging deeply with how others think and operate in real-world scenarios. The collaborative nature of the session, marked by candid questions and shared insights, demonstrated the lasting value of surrounding oneself with a sharp, driven peer group.
The Subtle Edge of Insight
Perhaps one of the most important takeaways from the session was this: while financial modeling is essential, judgment is paramount. Understanding why a company’s growth forecast may not be credible, recognizing when cost trends require deeper diligence, and knowing how to triangulate market data from research reports, these are the kinds of insights that differentiate a good candidate from a great one.
To support this, Ravi offered resources for conducting efficient industry research, including analyst reports, public filings, and tools available through institutional libraries. But he also emphasized the need to formulate your own view, anchored in data, but delivered with conviction.
Final Thoughts
This training session was not just a masterclass in private equity; it was a blueprint for how to approach complex problems with structured thought and confidence. As finance professionals climb the ladder, sessions like these remind us that technical prowess must be paired with strategic clarity and interpersonal engagement.
Networking, in forums like these, is what transforms information into insight, and insight into opportunity.
Interested in gaining access to future sessions like this one? Onefinnet’s platform regularly hosts expert-led training and exclusive networking opportunities for finance professionals worldwide. Stay tuned for more.
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