Mark Twain, long known for his critical views of formal education, once wisely noted: “I never let my schooling interfere with my education.” Twain's one-liner strikes at the core of investment banking, where deals must be lived before proper knowledge and understanding can be obtained. Hard time must be spent doing deals, with complexities in valuation, terms, and negotiations unique to every situation. The truly great firms and dealmakers have become so by developing cultures of apprenticeship that transfer knowledge and creativity from one generation to the next. The task of teaching aspiring investment bankers and finance professionals has been further complicated by the all-consuming nature of the trade, as well as its constantly evolving art and science.

马克·吐温长期以来以对正规教育持批判观点而闻名，他曾明智地指出：“我从不让我的学业影响我的教育。”马克·吐温的一句话直击了投资银行业的核心，在获得适当的知识和理解之前，交易必须进行。艰难的时间必须花在做交易上，因为估值、条款和谈判的复杂性是每种情况所特有的。真正伟大的公司和交易撮合者通过发展学徒文化，将知识和创造力从一代人传递到下一代人而变得如此。教育有抱负的投资银行家和金融专业人士的任务由于贸易的全消费性质以及不断发展的艺术和科学而变得更加复杂。