Could Your Rising Analysts Be Your Biggest Revenue Drivers? Develop Promising Analysts Into Leaders

A familiar scenario: you’re running a content-focused equity business under pressure to move up the ranks. The knee-jerk proposal is to spend millions recruiting star analysts. It would make a splash, and clients would notice quickly — but it’s costly and rarely future-proof. What if there were an alternative path to lasting impact that started at home? With the right support, you can develop promising analysts into leaders that deliver both revenue and recognition.

Consider another high-pressure, revenue-driven industry: football. By 2021, FC Barcelona faced a crisis: nearly €400 million had been spent on stars who underperformed, leaving the club financially strained and the squad in turmoil. The club turned to La Masia, its youth academy. In two years, academy graduates directly generated €96 million in revenue, while the under-21 pipeline reached a value of €444 million — and on the pitch, they powered the 2024–25 La Liga title and a Champions League sem

i-final run.

The lesson carries into our industry: winning organizations don’t just buy talent, they build it. Homegrown analysts are not only high-performing; they’re often more engaged and invested in the firm’s long-term success.

The leap from potential to performance isn’t luck. This is where I come in. I work with firms to establish precise objectives and orchestrate a strategic approach that ensures rising talent has the tools and resources needed to reach the top tier.

The playbook often comes down to four things:

• Spotting the rising stars: Identifying analysts with the right mix of intellectual capital and interpersonal talent.

• Leading with content strategy: Defining the companies, themes, and upcoming inflection points you want them to own, then reinforcing these areas relentlessly through publications, analyst marketing, and events.

• Amplifying with marketing: Generating buzz through email campaigns, press coverage, and multimedia.

• Executing with data: Creating a systematic plan for consistent, high-touch engagement with the clients most likely to influence votes and revenue.

  
  

Have a talented analyst sitting at #15 at a major hedge fund? Let’s build a plan to get them into the top 10. An analyst within striking distance of an Extel ranking? Let’s make sure they get there next year.

Of course, having a Messi on your side certainly helps — but even Messi can’t win the game by himself.

If this resonates, I’d love to connect.

KTB