[GreeniFi]

I was a bored private equity lawyer, working like a ninja, ashamed by my firm’s clients. I did a one year Masters in Environmental Economics, did some really interesting work and then joined someone else’s start-up and ran a few side projects. That gave me the experience and confidence to really go out on my own. To anyone else about to pivot their life I would say: 1. A British one year masters (not an MBA) is a great way to build a network and learn enough skills to make a fist of your next step, learningon the job. 2. Don’t do an MBA. Ever. 3. Learn start-up skills on someone else’s start-up before blowing your own cash on your own dumb-ass mistakes. 4. Read Hacker News everyday!

[Havoc]

I'm curious about the questionable PE clients if you don't mind elaborating a little bit. I'm in the PE space myself and haven't seen anything particularly shady? Obviously you can't go into details, but perhaps you can add a bit more colour to the comment?

[GreeniFi]

I should probably point out that I only joined all the dots on the gangster bits many years after I left. At the time I only saw legal but morally dubious deals. Basically - if your business generates substantial negative externalities, you're in a very morally grey area.

[GreeniFi]

PE firms buying businesses off gangsters before selling them on fat margin to more established investors. However it was the straight up corporate clients at the firm who were always on Human Rights Watch lists that depressed me most.