Posted on Nov 6, 2013
What is the route into venture capital as a career?
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I have started 2 companies that I bootstrapped with my own funds. (A web development firm and a management consulting firm). I love learning and am looking for the next career challenge of being involved with a "funded start-ups" that have received angel investor money and venture capital money.
My unique value that I bring is my USNA and USMC leadership experience of building and leading small teams in constrained settings coupled with my civilian experience of working in the high-tech and consulting industry.
I want to be on the team of the VC firm so that I they can leverage my expertise over ALL of their portfolio companies rather than working within any one of them individually. Improving the operations of the portfolio companies (and saving the ones that are on life support) improves their valuations and puts more money into the fund and the VC's pocket.
Seems like a valid plan to me, but what am I missing? Who should I talk to next?
Entrepreneurship Degree
Personal Finance
Entrepreneurship
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
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Although many venture capitalists do have MBAs, right now most are more interested in having partners and associates with operating experience. That said, it's a niche community and most people get in via personal connections. One way to gain credibility with venture groups is to establish yourself as an expert in specific areas. It usually better to be a technical or functional area but could be more basic - such as building business at the early stage. I'd recommend writing, blogging, tweeting and consulting about these specific topics. At the end of the day you are going to someway need to figure out how to get to know venture capitalist personally. Sitting on boards or basic networking can help. Venture firms are small and the partners want to work with people they like.
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Sir, there are other routes into VC, you can parlay your experience into consulting and show your track record that way by working with existing companies, and then transition to a VC firm. Other than that networking like most of the other respondents have suggested will also work. The only connections I have in VC are former pro athlete friends also in the bay area who have decided to invest their wealth in the visions of others.
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Bob, I currently work for a Venture Capitalist, but he is in this position because he has made his millions and now invests that money on his own.
The large VC firms seem to only hire MBAs. I got into my position because a friend was already working on the inside. There are less Venture Capitalists than MLB players (counting A, AA, & AAA farm systems) so that should give you an idea of the career's exclusivity.
Funded startups appear to have a bias towards age (mostly staffed by under 30 crowd). The ones I applied to also assumed that Infantry Officers like us were knuckle dragging cannon fodder, not leaders with extensive project management experience. Once I had civilian work experience in the Tech sector I was able to get my foot in the door, but it was only through people that had a friend or family member in the military.
My recommended course of action is to network as much as possible, by attending Meetups in your community that might have Startup people who attend.
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Capt (Join to see)
Jonathan, thanks for your reply and your connection request on LinkedIn. I accepted it this morning.
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