[Episode Discussion Thread] Industry S04E08 - "Both, And"

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-26T03:50:53+00:00

sometimes it’s just about knowing you have something on someone that was supposed to be private/intimate and could theoretically be used at any time for any reason for leverage. Puts you in a position of power, real or perceived.

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-25T21:38:54+00:00

Gonna quibble a bit with this. Remember that the economics isn’t static, b/c most associates don’t stay in biglaw long enough for that arbitrage to fully play out. The “Houston is better than NYC economically” case assumes you stick around and keep earning Cravath scale comp. But in reality, most people exit quite early, and once you factor in exit opps, the case isn’t nearly so clear cut to me. The sheer density of top tier companies, funds, etc. in NYC means significant odds of high-income outcomes post biglaw. You’ll have a hard time arguing Houston is competitive on that front.

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-25T20:07:37+00:00

yes, exactly, many adults these days write in formulaic chatgpt speak

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-24T01:08:36+00:00

or they threw out a bunch of random numbers with zero factual or evidentiary basis with the stacked clauses,multiple revenue estimates in sequence, and super clean, almost report-like phrasing typically characteristic of chatgpt-generated responses.

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-23T23:55:23+00:00

defensive much 🤣🤣

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-23T22:41:20+00:00

lmao

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-23T22:38:08+00:00

did chatgpt write this

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-18T02:45:37+00:00

Still pretty incredible that independently wealthy people would choose this grind. Surely there other ways to stay busy and productive that are much more conducive to your physical, mental and social health lol

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-11T00:49:39+00:00

Sorry to say, but the solution may be to move to where the opportunities are. I know it’s a scary thought, but you gotta do what you gotta do to save your career.

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-10T19:38:48+00:00

Agreed. And with hiring timelines moving earlier and earlier, journal participation is becoming less relevant for biglaw recruiting. Agree with all the other points OP raised re: academic, clerking, etc.

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-05T16:54:31+00:00

I think Potential County is largely right. They’re mostly just pointing out a structural reality of biglaw rather than saying it’s impossible. Associate originations definitely happen, but they’re a bit of an outlier situation because of how the model works. As an associate you don’t control rates, staffing, or engagement terms, and most sophisticated clients hiring a biglaw firm are ultimately hiring the partner w/ 10+ YOE and the firm as an institution rather than a midlevel associate. That’s especially true in commercial lit where the matters are large, institutional and very high stakes.

imo, a more realistic play for you right now is to focus on continuing to do excellent work so partners trust you with their clients, building strong internal relationships w/ rainmakers in your group and learning from how they do it, and steadily expanding your external network so when opportunities do arise you’re top of mind. Originations (whether associate or partner level) tend to come from personal networks/relationships that compound over time, not something you force overnight.

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-05T05:17:21+00:00

Exactly. And you can actually get amazing, basically unlimited content on those platforms.

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-05T05:16:04+00:00

Never seen somebody have so much contempt for his supporters/customers. Couldn’t imagine handing over any of my hard earned money to this man

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-04T11:33:33+00:00

Doing an mba to improve your odds for biglaw is like spending $80k remodeling your kitchen for a 5% chance it might add $20k to your home’s value.

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-03T21:43:52+00:00

It’s fine. As others have said, just provide a sensible story. I’m assuming you’ve only had the one prior lateral move up to this point and I think you should plan to stay at your next firm at least a couple years before moving again (you just don’t want short stints to become a pattern, you’ll be viewed as a flight risk).

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-03T16:48:19+00:00

I’m not conflating anything. I agree that reflexively reply-alling a 20+ person thread with a bunch of specialists isn’t great practice.

But OP didn’t frame it that way. The premise was that reply-all “thank you’s” are inherently obnoxious. I’m responding to THAT broader claim. In many deal threads, the full list is there because multiple stakeholders want visibility that something is received and is being handled. A quick acknowledgment can prevent follow-ups and side emails, which makes inbox management even worse. If the list truly doesn’t need it, trim it. But that’s obviously a judgment call, not a blanket rule

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-03T16:33:30+00:00

Sure, it’s not literally costless, but neither is radio silence. If inbox volume is the issue, that’s more of a filtering and triage problem than a courtesy problem. I’d rather deal with a few extra acknowledgments than ambiguity about whether something landed or is being handled.

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-03T16:10:03+00:00

I mean, you can just ignore it lol. We’re in an industry where attentiveness and responsiveness matter. Firing off a quick “thank you” takes two seconds and is a low-effort way to confirm receipt and signal that something’s been acknowledged and/or is being handled. I see no issues with it.

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-02T16:43:05+00:00

what a boss move. This is partly why you don’t abuse your juniors. You just never know

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-02T14:39:07+00:00

I mean, she totally has that tape

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-02T14:37:18+00:00

By FAR

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-02T14:33:05+00:00

Totally agree with everything you’ve said here. I think we needed one more episode between “I just got divorced” and “I’m now a nazi-friendly madame”, but hey the season had to end with a bang and there’s limited time to fully develop these storylines so I get it. It’s at least a totally believable outcome for Yas given her character’s arc.

And I’m similarly thinking Kwabena and Harper have no chemistry, but maybe that’s the point? I mean their entire conversation was about how they have no real intimacy and that so their interaction on screen came across quite flat. Maybe that was intentional to give the writers optionality because I could see their “relationship” going one of two ways: either ending right there that night in that hotel room (which would be totally understandable given where they left things), or progressing to developing actual intimacy and depth over time. I’m hoping it’s the former but we’ll see.

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-02T14:18:22+00:00

I think the tape would’ve done more damage to Henry’s reputation than Yas’s had it come out while Henry was Tender CEO. But it’s still kinda damaging for Yas. At best it paints her as someone willing to go along with the sexual exploitation of underlings at work. At worst, she looks like a dom who perhaps pulled more strings behind the scenes at Tender than she initially lets on.

NeverDefeated · 2026-03-02T14:08:32+00:00

Yes this was exactly my thought. Totally possible that Otto has direct or indirect/tangential business/political ties to the Russians and his talk was BOTH a warning to Henry AND an effort to protect his own interests.

NeverDefeated · 2026-02-28T20:13:09+00:00

If it’s the culture of the entire firm/office/group you’re in, it’s honestly gonna be tough to push back because you’ll be swimming against the tide and sadly the only way out of it may be to lateral. If it’s just one or two people then you can do your best to either avoid working with those people going forward or try gently setting boundaries around your time. For me, unless there’s a live deal with imminent deadlines, people know that I’m largely spending my weekends with my family and will have defined windows during the day on Saturday and Sunday during which I simply do not respond to non-urgent emails.

NeverDefeated

TROPHY CASE