Startup Internships - Best role?
When people say working in a startup is great for VC (you can provide some advice), what roles are referred to? Interested specifically in those that overlap with internship opportunities (i.e. not CXO, instead bizdev intern etc)
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some roles at startups that are particularly valuable for those aiming for a career in Venture Capital (VC) and overlap with internship opportunities:
Business Development Intern:
Product Management Intern:
Marketing Intern:
Financial Analyst Intern:
Operations Intern:
Sales Intern:
These roles provide hands-on experience and a comprehensive understanding of how startups operate, which is highly valued in the VC industry.
Sources: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/venture-capital/internship-at-startup?customgpt=1, A week in the life of a VC intern/VC Intern Q&A, What the f**k is VC even???, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/venture-capital/qa-corporate-development-analyst-at-a-tech-startup?customgpt=1, What to expect at VC interview?
Without a technical background, bizdev is definitely the bsst. Depending on how long you stay, you can pivot that into a product, sales, gtm or strategy role. Another one thats underrated is customer success, you really hear the pain points of the user, I’d really only suggest this one if you’re absolutely sure you’ll crush it, otherwise it’ll definitely pigeon hole you. Another one that I personally like is marketing, but you can really be stuck doing bitch work. Ultimately, your goal is to walk away with a lot of stories, and to have developed an understanding of that part of a software business. In general, business development is the best because the role is very generalist and ultimately leads to a lot of sourcing/account mapping, which is so much harder at a startup than it is at a VC. Personally, I worked at 3 start ups in biz dev before switching over, it’s a thankless job, but can really be foundational. I would suggest that you join one that isn’t pre product, or else biz dev intern is more akin to market research and less like outbound prospecting (also it’s pretty cool if you can close a deal!). All in all, it’s a crap shoot and this internship will only move the needle so much, the best way to get into VC is to start a company, but please don’t start one to get into VC, it’s just happen stance. One last thing, the way I pivoted my BD work into a VC job was by working at a portco, highly recommend you try to do that too.
Thanks for the more than excellent advice. Forgot to mention I have a technical background - what roles would you recommend for this?
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