![]() Play to your strengths and communicate to the team where and when you can deliver the most value. Product-types typically thrive in earlier stage investing where companies are still in the building stage. Know Your Strengths And WeaknessesAre you a numbers-driven or product driven person? There is no steadfast rule, but the numbers-type usually thrive in growth stage investing, where there is more data to dig into. So you’ll need to demonstrate how your previous experience will be a unique asset in your future venture role. As mentioned earlier, breaking into VC requires someone to take a bet on your potential. Subscribe Leveraging These Skills to Land a Job in VCOnce you’ve really dissected how your company works, you can use your insights to then pivot to a career in VC. The people you meet will also be invaluable resources as you think through product and execution. Learning how everyone’s piece fits into the puzzle and what challenges they face will help you immensely down the line. At DoorDash, my team worked with a variety of stakeholders-from engineering and product to marketing and data science. Coming from a traditional finance background, I was never exposed to perspectives outside of my industry. Having a good pulse on both will help you answer, “is this the right team that can lead the company through the next 5-10 years?” Broaden Your NetworkThis may seem obvious, but a strong and wide network is crucial in being successful in VC. Working inside a startup helps you understand 1) what founder characteristics and leadership styles motivate a team and 2) what high and low performance teams feel like. Get a Pulse on Company Team & CultureVC is both a founder and company bet, and the company’s first 20 hires will set the bar for the rest of the team. warehousing, driver costs), which can be unsustainable if not managed well against revenue growth. CAC, S&M) versus what costs are fixed (e.g. Pay attention to what costs are temporary and can be improved over time (e.g. We won’t go into the details of the metrics here, but as you prepare, know the differences between near-term and long-term unit economics. If you haven’t spent time on financials at your current role, there are plenty of resources that outline key terms to understand for certain industries. Understand the Underlying EconomicsKnowing the key drivers of your business model and what levers you need to drive growth is crucial. Pay close attention to how your company does and does not successfully approach product iteration. However, multiple failures will drain company resources and morale. But how much of this is actually a serviceable addressable market (“SAM”)? Does the founder of the company know their ideal customer profile (“ICP”)? Finding a product-market fit will take a few iterations and that’s okay (after all, Netflix started as a DVD rental service). Understand The Product’s Go-to-Market Strateg圜ompany decks usually quote the total addressable market (“TAM”). This will help you learn what to pay attention to when you’re on the other side of things as an investor looking to determine if a company will be successful. ![]() At your current company, pay attention to what pieces need to fall into place for a product to go to market. See An Idea Through ExecutionEvery startup knows the pain point they’re solving-but the idea often falls apart in speed and execution. Before I made the pivot to VC, here are a few things I focused on learning at a company to deepen my perspectives. Banking taught me what it takes for an investor to believe in a company, but it didn’t teach me what it takes to operate and scale a company. Table of Contents What You Should Be Doing In Your Current Job See An Idea Through Execution Understand The Product’s Go-to-Market Strategy Understand the Underlying Economics Get a Pulse on Company Team & Culture Broaden Your Network Leveraging These Skills to Land a Job in VC Know Your Strengths And Weaknesses Get Granular Without Sacrificing The Big Picture Be An Expert In Two To Three Sectors Show You Can Think From Various Angles What You Should Be Doing In Your Current JobPrior to VC, I worked in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and finance & strategy at DoorDash.
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