The New Yorker Radio Hour Failed “Finance Bros” Find Success with HBO’s “Industry”
30 snips
Mar 1, 2026 
Konrad Kay, a former finance worker turned TV co-creator, and Mickey Down, ex-banker and co-creator, share the show’s origins. They talk about failing in banking, turning real missteps into drama, focusing on junior employees, crafting Harper’s story, and mixing seductive portrayals of finance with sharp critique.
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Getting Fired For Not Making Calls
- Konrad Kay describes being fired from Morgan Stanley for being a terrible salesman who made almost no outbound calls.
- He says his boss told him he was the worst salesman ever, illustrating how badly he fit into banking culture.
Banking To Please His Mother Then Hating The Work
- Mickey Down recounts entering finance to please his immigrant mother and later being ill-suited to the job at Rothschild.
- He recalls the work as endless PowerPoint and Excel, an exercise in staying up 100 hours a week.
Refine Autobiography Into A Dramatic Prism
- Turn messy autobiographical material into a clearer dramatic focus to find a show's voice.
- Mickey and Konrad transformed a disordered short called Not an Exit into a focused ensemble about junior bankers.