How to excel as a newbie Analyst in a VC firm? CFA or something else?
Hey - first of all thanks for all your responses!
I have been an avid lurker on WSO and would really appreciate your advice. Quick background, I have recently started as an investment analyst in a tech-focused VC firm (2 weeks in) and so far it has been great but also intimidating. I have to review slide decks of industries where I am a complete novice but I am hoping with experience I can climb that hurdle.
I have successfully completed CFA level 1 and I am questioning whether I should continue to get my charter or do another qualification which would help me further advance in the VC industry.
- Any advice for someone who is just starting off as a VC?- books/podcast/ reports/blogs to read
- What qualifications should I focus on? CFA? MBA? Master in AI? etc
Any help is much appreciated
i'm not in VC, but I prepped for it for intermittently throughout the last four years.
here's three books that are quick reads and can potentially add to your knowledge base (note, you will probably have known about most concepts discussed in these books already, but it doesn't hurt to see different perspectives):
Zero to One by Peter Thiel - more focused on the startup side of things Break Into VC - very, very short primer on basic things you should understand in VC (e.g. MRR, ARR, churn/burn rate, DRR, revchurn, etc) Smartcuts - details of various hustlers who made it through unconventional methods (although not entirely focused on VC/startups, it's still relevant because of the atypical life/career paths that startup founders experience)
Curious what type of fund you landed at? A) What's the AUM? B) Corporate VC or independent fund? C) Ivy league school? D) How many analysts are there?
If you're working at an Insight Venture Partners/TA/Summit, you'll learn everything on the job. If you're earlier-stage and lower AUM somewhere smaller like Menlo Ventures, you'll need to brush up quick, which leads me to my next question. How did you get the job?
I'd recommend listening to every single 20 Minute VC episode, joining twitter, reading Secrets of Sand Hill Road, Venture Deals, Zero to one, etc.
You should figure out what sectors interest you and try to become an expert in that both intellectually and networking-wise. I'd make sure to reach out to all the junior VCs in your domain to connect on potenital deals.
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