Majors and Minors

well since you haven't mentioned what exact type of VC, I'd say to do that Bio & Comp Sci double major.

But it also depends on ur work experience as well after graduation. If you go work in IT/programmer versus working as a Biotech equity analyst or some type of design engineer.

Networking helps out as well. I know a finance major who worked at a big pharma company for a year and through his network/knowledge (through work and through "personal education"), he ended up at a start up VC fund.

I'm sure that the comp sci background will help out as will econ and biotech.

Its more the work experience and how you can gear it towards VC.

I'm particularly interested in IT/biotech venture capital.

I agree that work experience is probably more important. I have some good undergrad biology research experience, am working at a tech company this summer, and am looking at management consulting for a full-time job. In a few years I'm planning on b-school.

Like you said, I think it's all about how you play your cards. I just want my degree(s) to be as helpful as possible -- to strengthen my hand even more, if you will. CS/Bio double major is probably the least attractive option to me in terms of coursework required, so if it really wouldn't be a big deal in the scheme of things, I'd probably go with something else.

Thanks again for the help. Any other thoughts?

By the way, what exactly do you mean by "biotech equity analyst"? Are you talking at an i-bank? Do you think it would be possible to land such a position without finance experience and given the current job market?

He means a biotech equity analyst in research. They keep up with publically traded companies and try to figure out where their earnings/value/price are going in the coming quarter/year, etc.

As for your studies, I think option 1 is great. Maybe it comes easy to you (I never understood how that kinda stuff good, clearly I'm not that smart, haha), but adding biology will marginally add value to you in the long run. So unless you don't have a great passion for it, or see yourself going to med school/into the sciences directly in the future, keep it at the minor and be able to talk intelligently about bio.

I think for going into VC, you've got a great set of studies there. You've got to think about when you'll be applying.

Are you going to try and throw your name in the hat for an analyst position at VCs? This is really tough, but possible (I suppose VC Monkey is a good example of this). If so, I'd focus on setting up informational interviews with as many as you can in the coming months and reaching out to any and all Duke alums (I'd imagine quite a few are out there, you've gotta tap into the alumni network).

Good luck man. Oh, and fuck Duke. Chef-Chafe-skiiiii babayyyyyyyyyyy

Thanks, Alphaholic. Not so sure about that snide Duke comment, but given your otherwise good advice, I'll let it slide...

Yeah, I used to be a big biology guy, back in the day. Wanted to get a PhD, all that good stuff. In fact, I spent last summer doing biology research, and have won some prestigious research-related awards. However, there came a point where I realized I no longer wanted to spend my time doing research in a lab. It simply was no longer fulfilling, and the prospect of making 20K a year for 7 years while all my friends made great money in industry started to get to me. My long term goal was to get into business anyway, so I decided enough was enough. I dropped my Bio major down to a minor and started taking a few Econ courses, which I loved. This now leaves me in the position, with a year remaining, to decide between finishing the Bio major, finishing an Econ minor, or doing neither.

This summer I'm working at a tech company and working on a startup on the side. I've become very interested in business, am also looking at consulting full-time next year, b-school in a few years, and my long-term career goal is VC. So yeah, that's where I am right now.

I am going to seek out some VC analyst positions next year as well, though. I think I'd make an attractive candidate given my resume, but you're right: it will be very tough. My plan was to start emailing a bunch of VC firms and asking if they have any open analyst positions, attaching my resume for reference. I'm in the Valley this summer, so maybe I should try to snag an informational interview before I head back east. Once return to school, I'll see if I can track down any alums. Do you think this is the best way of going about finding a position?

Sorry, I hate your school's basketball team and lol all up and down the street at your football "team".

Haha, all jokes aside, I think that's a good idea. I'm really interested in VC too. I started reading a few venture blogs, which are really great to get an idea of how the industry operates. Red Herring, VentureBeat and Silicon Alley are great resources to keep up with the Jones' on current stuff.

As for blogs, look for those too. Alot of top-dog VCs keep up blogs. Robert Kasaki (sp?) is a good example. His blog, "How to Change The World" is pretty good. He puts it well, "Venture Capital Should Be The Last Job You Ever Take, Not The First". While I disagree on the absolutism of that statement, it's worth thinking about.

The info. interviews is an awesome idea. Set up a few before you go. You'll find VCs are incredibly open to speaking to you. Hell...I've got an informational interview with Tim Draper in the fall...haha, so I'm betting you could set some good things up.

Hey Duke kid,

I do DD work on VC managers for a career, so take my comments in that light. VC is excruciatingly difficult to get into, particularly without a defined set of skills and/or one or more graduate degrees. Teams are small, and only a select few managers are established considering the number of firms out there. The NEAs and KPs of the world have such massive networks that generally they need only recruit through their company/CEO contacts in order to on-board junior professionals.

There are several avenues into the industry, though. I see you are approaching it from perhaps the portfolio company angle-- having the technical skills first (instead of a finance/M&A dept route). Considering your studies so far, this is probably a good tactic. However, I would advise you to explore your options beyond just trying to break into a VC firm as an analyst (most shops have no more than 1-2, if any-- this is an industry that establishes a team over several funds, not just 2-3 years and out like in FS). Working for a biotech/biopharma/HC company or start-up is a fantastic starting pad, especially if you have entrepreneurial aspirations.

Also, are you interested in IT or HC more? Most managers and investment professionals in VC specialize in one or the other, since VCs make their case based on a differentiated strategy. Also, if you want to do HC/life sciences, consider getting an advanced degree/MD in a specialty sometime in the future. An MBA is great, but good managers need both industry expertise and investment experience. Unless you want to be a serial CFO or VP...

If you need more advice, PM me. Also think about googling a ton of top managers and check their team charts. The bios should give you a great idea of what kind of avenues people walk to get into VC.