My goal is to break into VC or a PM position out of undergrad. If I have four VC internships under my belt (3 summer, 1 part time during the school year, all at non-brand name early stage firms with at least $100MM under management), and founded a startup that got some local accelerator funding + brand name partners + decent number of customers, should this set me up very well for both?
I will graduate from a top 30 school with a CS + Economics degree with an expected GPA of 3.2. Asking this question because I've seen many people graduate with an inflated view of their experience and wind up unable to find positions. Can I expect to stand out with my experience?
Put simply, yes you have enough of a resume to make a case to get a position. However, junior level positions are few and far in between for VC's, so it's obviously no guarantee. Same thing applies for PM roles, not many of them exist for junior level employees (Google's APM program is super legit though).
Startup --> VC Analyst (Originally Posted: 08/14/2012)
I cofounded a startup after college and due to certain factors, I'm thinking of leaving. How likely is it for me to obtain a position at a decent VC (pre-MBA position)?
19.6467%
unlikely, unless your startup had meaningful traction, and you were a primary driver of that traction...
Has your startup worked with, pitched to, or received an investment from VC's to date?
It's likely, but depends.
Started a company? That is truly exceptional and will help. Now, how was that experience? How is the company doing? What were the milestones you achieved? How many rounds of capital have you raised? What was your role? How many employees did you have? How many customers? Among the candidates I interviewed to fill our last Associate spot, a few had started companies, but they all somewhat failed and never really built smth significant. These experiences had little weight in their cases. The weight of your experience is tightly linked to how the company has or had risen. If the company is failing now, it's ok. You just need to show that you've been there and done that, and had an impact.
How are your hard skills (excel modeling, ppt)? Banking analysts and consultants are often hired because they can analyse and produce accurate models and spotless presentations in a matter of minutes. You need that at all funds, but how good you are at modeling is less important in earlier-stage funds.
Give me a bit more info and I can give you a better answer.
Thanks for the responses. See below for answers to questions. Looking for more opinions and suggestions.
@Themistocles: The company is doing alright, but has not reached considerable traction. We are F500 corporate venture-backed. Just received another year of funding, so we're not "failing." My role is product manager/CEO. We have 15 employees.
In terms of hard skills in modeling/ppt,,,etc, I have some background in them while prepping for a job in college (was planning to do something in banking), but definitely rather rusty compared to bankers obviously.
I met a few startup guys who blew all the VC's money at the past Techcrunch SF and now are working for VC's
Pre-VC Experience (Originally Posted: 08/15/2015)
Which division in a BB bank is most useful if you intend to work in venture capital in the future? IB (M&A vs. Technology) or Sales and Trading?
TMT or go the startup route
Start up to VC (Originally Posted: 06/16/2013)
Hi,
I recently moved from a Sales and Trading Desk at a bulge to a start up (late stage) company working strategy and bd.
As I continue to learn more about the industry I think my long term goals align well with working at a VC because of financial background.
I also started a company in college that folded after graduation so I do have some early stage experience.
Is this transition somewhat possible in 1-2 years (Maybe after the start up sells/ipos)
Any advice is appreciated!
If you don't have an MBA you will need to get one at some point before making the transition. I would recommend only considering a top 10 MBA program for VC.
how strong is your academic background? (pedigree and major)
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