Current State of VC
Hey everyone - have an offer to join a regional LMM Tech M&A shop in a T2 city, but have recently been seriously thinking about my future, and can't seem to shake the idea that the world is a corporate battleground / competition, and bankers are like the water boys helping the actual players compete. However, not sure of what business to start due to a lack of a great idea. With this thinking in mind, I have also been thinking about VC as a potential career path - I think VCs fund the future and are constantly forced to think about what the world looks like and will in the future, so I definitely see the appeal.
However, have never spoken to anyone in VC and am not sure what the analyst role in this world looks like. How does is it similar / different to IB? What are the necessary skills (e.g. is it similar to PE where they assume you know how to model intensely?) What is important to know for interviews? How is this vertical doing in general - is it declining? Stagnant? Hypergrowth?
Thanks for the insight in advance!
Venture Capital (VC) is a fascinating and dynamic field, but it’s quite different from Investment Banking (IB) and Private Equity (PE) in terms of skills, focus, and day-to-day responsibilities. Here’s a breakdown based on the most helpful WSO content:
1. Analyst Role in VC vs. IB
2. Necessary Skills for VC
3. Interview Preparation
To succeed in VC interviews, you should: - Be able to answer key questions like: - What are some current trends/markets on the rise? - What are the 5 hottest startups right now and why? - What is a company you are really excited about? - Demonstrate your ability to source deals and explain how you would approach evaluating a startup. - Show a strong understanding of the startup ecosystem and your passion for technology and innovation.
4. Current State of VC
5. Is VC Right for You?
If you’re drawn to funding the future and enjoy thinking about long-term trends and innovation, VC could be a great fit. However, keep in mind: - It’s a highly competitive field to break into, especially without prior startup or tech experience. - Success in VC often requires a combination of networking, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the startup ecosystem.
If you’re still unsure, consider reaching out to VCs for informational interviews or exploring internships at startups to gain exposure to the ecosystem.
Sources: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/venture-capital/early-stage-vc-101-5-questions-you-better-be-able-to-answer?customgpt=1, Difference between late stage VC and growth equity, Q&A: Analyst --> Associate at a VC / Growth Equity Firm, Interviewing for a SA or Analyst position? Here's what I'd want to hear as a VP.
vc has virtually no similarities to ib whatsoever besides being the two vaguely being in the financial services industry together. tech banking technically allows you to have a reason to understand how to value tech companies and understand their products in general, but otherwise ib just teaches you to work hard, which you certainly will have to do in vc (if you want to be good at it) in a very unstructured way.
venture is currently undergoing the same thing that pe did a decade ago - which is the asset class itself becoming more industrialized. funds have long been bifurcating into large megafund vehicles and the boutique capped funds in venture. working at a megafund and AUM aggregator will be very different from working at a price sensitive, multiple sensitive boutique.
doing well in the venture job is all about sourcing and doing anything you can to be able to find and win. for some, this means a very public presence online, rife with thematic thought pieces on spaces, to convince founders that you really are on their same level. for others, it means physically being at college campuses, carefully mapping out the talent pools that great founders come from, and making sure that they are friends with the people that can give them coverage there. a greater amount as well coast on their firm's reputation to source, or have so much inbound by lieu of their firm's reputation that all they have to do is to be a presentable partner to their portcos, who will often introduce them to their smartest friends as well.
you have to really enjoy being as close to founders and being obsessive about spaces and early-stage businesses as possible. you have to have a taste on good founders that is nearly impossible to build, unless you've grown up/seen greatness throughout the experiences on your pedigree, or have built an angel investing track record that says so as well.
a lot of good quality diligence honestly just comes from having a strong network as well. when you have a startup that is selling to logos like cognition, openai, and anthropic, and you need to figure out within the day (in order to win the deal) whether to invest or not, it often comes down to a combination of how well is your founder taste + whether you have an open network at those logos to call in the same day and assess the business at that point. a lot of bankers on this forum think the above is complete bs when actually, its just that these skills and networks are impossible to gain in banking, and are more so gained in operating roles where you're surrounded by these people and companies every day.
of course, I've trying to describe the top 10% of vcs I've seen here above. many vcs who do the banking to growth to vc split end up matching the stereotype of what most founders think about vcs. of course, on the flip side, I've seen many who come from banking who do the job decently well. NEA, bg, etc. are a couple examples of vcs that have done well with many ex-bankers.
Super helpful and incredibly informative, thank you!
Quae rerum suscipit vel nihil a optio corporis. Aut quo placeat cumque totam accusantium. Quia qui dolorem doloremque quam. Voluptatum itaque nam harum consequatur.
Aut eaque fugit nostrum dolorum et saepe. In aut molestiae modi quidem.
Vitae ea corrupti vel doloribus. Labore quia voluptatibus et et voluptatem sint. Est magni eos non dicta autem aut et. Sed laborum saepe tenetur minus et molestiae cum. Dolorum possimus et quia cumque. At optio libero modi enim velit. Nihil eos quaerat ipsum amet et provident.
Officia quo iste numquam quaerat harum laudantium. Voluptas ut iusto consequatur facere rem. Reiciendis et autem quis ea aperiam nobis officiis. Magnam aut quia possimus voluptate ad cum omnis.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...