Masters in Business · Friday, July 31, 2026
Som Seif described his early years in investment banking at RBC as an intense learning experience, characterized by long work weeks. Despite the financial rewards, he realized that accumulating wealth was not his primary motivator, leading him to seek a career path that offered more tangible outcomes and personal fulfillment.
“And you know, young analysts, young individually, you're ultimately working on you know, amazing things. But at the same time you are you know, being you know, you're working like a dog, like eighty to one hundred hour weeks.”
“And I remember succinctly, I came home. I was twenty five years old. It was three in the morning or two in the morning, and I just sat down and kind of weeped because I said, you know, I'm working like a dog, and I'm pursuing this goal, but I'm not happy.”
“And what I realized was that the thing that actually I was in pursuit of was the idea of seeing my ideas progress, seeing the things that I was doing have real tangible outcome.”