Episode 22: Software AI, Negotiation, and Work-Life Balance with Co-Founder/President of Union Square Advisors Ted Smith

FinanZe

Send us a Text Message.

In this episode, I am joined by one of the top technology investment bankers on wall street, Ted Smith. Ted is the Co-Founder and President of Union Square Advisors, a technology focused investment bank.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree from Notre Dame University, Ted began his career at Morgan Stanley, where he was an early member of the firm’s technology investment banking group.
Prior to co-founding Union Square Advisors he was a Managing Director at Credit Suisse, where he headed the global software investment banking practice. He also served as a corporate executive at Novell, including as Vice President of both Corporate Development and Business Development.

In our episode we chat about his time in the early days of Morgan Stanley’s tech group, the dot.com era, founding Union Square, his career journey, AI tech trends, work life balance, and his advice for junior investment bankers.

Support the Show.

Kapitel

1. Episode 22: Software AI, Negotiation, and Work-Life Balance with Co-Founder/President of Union Square Advisors Ted Smith (00:00:00)

2. Overview of Ted Smith (00:00:10)

3. Engineering to Investment Banking (00:01:12)

4. Early Years of Morgan Stanley Tech Group (00:03:29)

5. Internet Bubble @ Credit Suisse (00:06:41)

6. Why Leave CS Global Head of Software Job? (00:07:42)

7. Founding Union Square w/ Carter McClelland (00:10:00)

8. How To START An Investment Bank (00:12:46)

9. Union Square 2021: 17 Deals Closed (00:16:25)

10. Thinking Like An Acquirer/Strategic Approach (00:20:07)

11. Helping Founders Think Through Selling Their Company (00:24:00)

12. Million vs Billion Dollar Deal (00:28:05)

13. What Leads A Deal To Fail or Succeed? (00:30:55)

14. Relationship Building In Dealmaking (00:34:04)

15. Private Equity Market Outlook 2024/2025 (00:38:43)

16. Software AI Trends (00:42:53)

17. AI Cooling Technology (00:47:17)

18. Work Life Balance In Investment Banking (00:50:11)

19. Culture & Development of Junior Bankers (00:56:25)

20. Advice To Junior Investment Bankers (00:59:44)