Anyone ever joined or hired for a small business / HoldCo / acquisition platform — with salary + upside?

Curious to hear from people who’ve actually seen or done this — Are there setups where someone can join post-MBA at a small business, HoldCo, acquisition group, or investment platform with a competitive salary + upside (equity, profit share, or carry) — without having to start their own? Open to any structure or role — doesn’t have to combine everything: Business level: GM, COO, CXO, or Operator helping run and scale a company Platform level: Chief of Staff, Operating Partner, or Capital-Raising / Strategy role Or even as a #2 / founding member / right-hand to a searcher or owner-operator Essentially, I’m wondering if there are opportunities to join an existing operator, owner, or platform, help drive growth, operations, or fundraising, and participate in the upside — similar to early-stage startup roles that blend salary and ownership. 👉 Has anyone actually done this or hired for it? 👉 Is this structure realistic and common, or more rare? 👉 How would you go about finding these opportunities — any funds, HoldCos, or operators known to bring on partners or #2s this way? Would really appreciate hearing how others have structured comp, equity, and roles — or connecting with anyone who’s built something similar.