How to Build an Investment Banking Boutique from Zero, and Why Origination Is the Real Power
The Investment Banking Leaders PodcastShow Notes
Most investment bankers are trained to execute. Very few are trained to originate and that’s why most never make partner or build their own firm. In this episode, Marcel Brix, Co-Managing Director and shareholder at Blok Management, shares how he went from intern to co-founder of one of Germany’s fastest-growing boutique investment banks and why he now spends 90% of his time on origination. We break down: What really changes when you move from executor to originator
How Marcel helped scale a boutique from zero to 20+ people
Why discipline, routines, and soft skills matter more than technical brilliance
How VPs can start building a personal deal pipeline today
The leadership mindset required to grow a firm without losing culture
If you want to advance faster, build leverage, or one day launch your own boutique, this episode is a must-listen.
TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Welcome to the Investment Banking Leaders Podcast Why this episode matters for ambitious bankers 02:00 – From intern to boutique banker: Marcel’s unconventional path Why big banks weren’t the right fit 06:30 – How Bloc Management was born The deal that changed everything 09:00 – The brutal early days of building a boutique Doing everything yourself — models, pitches, admin, and sales 14:30 – Why origination is the real career unlock in investment banking The skill most bankers never properly develop 18:00 – The partner problem: execution vs. origination Why many bankers hit a ceiling 21:30 – How Marcel spends 90% of his time on origination Funnels, LinkedIn, podcasts, and consistency 26:00 – Advice for VPs trying to become originators How to carve out origination time without dropping execution quality 30:00 – Should bankers learn sales? Why soft skills matter more than most admit 34:00 – Discipline, routines, and compounding habits Why success is a marathon, not a sprint 38:30 – Leadership lessons from building a firm from scratch How to lead without ego 42:00 – Treating interns like future partners Why culture compounds over time 45:00 – Building and protecting culture while scaling Putting people first — even before shareholders 48:00 – Book recommendation: Atomic Habits Why small habits drive outsized results 49:00 – One piece of advice for bankers who want to build their own boutique Start earlier than you think
Investment Banking Leaders Club: https://ibleadersclub.com/Host: Peter Nieberg ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/peternieberg/ )Guest: Marcel Brix: ( https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcel-brix/ ) / https://www.blok-management.de/en/Sponsors: https://www.altrum.com/
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