Any way to go from a Masters in Finance to VC?
Hey guys, I'm an incoming MSF student with 2 previous IB internships. Is there any way for me to get into a venture capital firm? without going through the IB stint or PE stint? Would appreciate any advice
Thanks
Maybe, maybe not. The only sure thing is that VC jobs don't just come to you, unless you're exceptional in some way (and even then, unlikely). So I'd suggest networking your butt off, which will be good practice for what you'll be doing if you land that VC job.
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It's gonna depend on your network, internships and understanding of the industry. The msf won't impede you, but you're gonna have to hustle.
VCs don't really care where you went to school. Sure, Stanford undergrad or HBS or any of the other usual suspects will help you place well, but not because the school is at the top of your resume.
VC is about dealflow. If you have it, you'll never be out of a job. If you're on the outside looking in, you're not going to expand your capital base (if you're in the partnership) / not getting promoted (if you're junior and trying to reach the partnership).
Don't confuse correlation for causation. The kids from Stanford, Harvard, MIT, getting jobs in VC out of undergrad are snagging them for the fact that they're plugged into all the entrepreneurial communities that matter. Both on their campus (through university-affiliated or -focused organizations like Harvard Ventures, A-Level Capital, Garber, Dorm Room Fund, Rough Draft, KPCB Edge) or in regional things like MassChallenge.
It's not about networking the way people on this site refer to the term (in the mindset of 'how do I grind long enough before enough mid-level bankers push my resume through to get me an interview') for banking recruiting.
It's about dealflow. Go meet dozens of founders who've been funded. Go meet exited entrepreneurs. Attend conferences, listen to podcasts and watch videos from investors and successful founders. Learn, soak up information, and develop a thesis of your own on how a particular space is developing + the smartest way to build a business in that space + whatever regulatory or legal framework that space sits within, then pair that with at least half a dozen companies you personally know of that are attacking a problem in that space.
In short, be able to show some kind of domain expertise (market) and articulately assess a new deal based on the heuristic you've developed for judging product and team.
An MSF doesn't mean shit. Neither does an MBA. Nor does an elite undergrad degree. It's what you're able to bring to the table (new deals) and how you assess what's on the table (insight).
Literally the best advice for anyone going into VC. I've had informational interviews with a number of associates and this hits all the right notes.
I guess the people above covered most of the points and I just gave a few SB+.
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