Senior Associate choices - high performing, low key fund, or name brand fund everyone knows?
I'm thinking forward as my Associate program wraps up next year about pivoting from PE to VC. I'm getting good looks but I'm trying to evaluate "name brand" importance. I can join a Sequoia / Accel / Lightspeed in a senior associate position and grind, or I can join a younger, higher performing fund that does not have the same reputation for a partner-track position (basically an old school partner / non-partner structure). I'm particularly sensitive to this because my pre-MBA firm was meh name brand and now I'm in a great spot so am fearful of losing this perch to recruit from. Thoughts?
hey. Always join the better name brand until you reach a higher rank then leverage the name brand to spin off and set up your own shingle. Accel, Sequoia are too A1 to pass up. Better money. Smaller shops promise you more upside but the probability of beating comp at a larger shop is slim. But comp ain't everything. Lifestyle might be better. you may genuinely enjoy the dudes you work with. You may also have the autonomy to source and invest in what you find to be interesting/cool. very important factors in your choice. Do what you enjoy.
If you were talking LBO PE I would err towards the newer fund with more upside / room to grow. Rising the ranks of an established spot is typically a grind. That being said, consistent performance in the VC world is very concentrated amongst the top names. A lot of newer funds can hit a few home runs from Fund I but fail to do so with Fund II once their pipeline of xyz niche industry contacts dries up. The whole Tiger Global aspect has only made the dynamic fiercer so would take a name brand VC.
Came here to say this. The earlier stage you go the more name branding matters and the more concentrated the distribution of returns are. Given VC, would take the brand name here at this stage in OP's career.
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