A chronicle of thoughts, strategies and progress towards my goal of a successful career in venture capital
The Plan - My Path to VC
I’m a firm believer in setting goals and working diligently to achieve them. I also believe that the best way to achieve a goal, especially long term goals, is to create a plan-of-action detailing what needs to be accomplished and when. So I’ll take a crack at that here, with the expectation that it will be refined as I learn more and progress in this endeavor.
Kickoff: Research, Study and Learn
Start: October, 2011
I’ll admit that I currently know very little about what it takes to be successful in venture capital. To enrich my knowledgebase, I plan to read as much as possible about the industry. My reading list includes blogs and books from prominent VC’s and VC oriented websites; VentureBeat, TechCrunch, AVC, Babbling VC, Beyond VC, Brad Feld (Venture Deals and his blog), Venture Chronicle, Lightspeed Ventures, USV, Tim Ferris, Venture Hacks, and Guy Kawasaki.
In addition to digesting as much content as possible, I will write short posts applying what I’ve learned to my own professional experiences along with whatever rambling stream of conscious pops into my head in line with the general topic of VC.
+3 Months: Network with local VC groups
Hopefully, after a few months of intensive study, I’ll be able to speak intelligently enough on the topic of investing in startups that I will be ready to engage with local (Pittsburgh) VCs without coming off as a complete knucklehead. Assuming this to be the case, starting in the New Year I will proactively attempt to establish connections with several VC firms by leveraging my existing network.
Milestones within this process
The goal of this process is to connect with a local VC and volunteer my time and skill set in a way that would benefit their group (i.e. market research, presentation development, copy writing, or competitive analysis) . As I already work full time, I expect to be able to offer ~10 hrs/week toward this effort. I know that as a small privately funded business, any employee of a VC firm, who is not actively involved in bringing in and managing deals, is a cost center. Trying to break into such a competitive field, I would be happy to work free of charge, in return for the ability to learn from industry experts.
+As soon as I am able to establish a volunteer position in VC…
Work, learn and expand my network within VC for several years. Concurrently, pursue career moves at my current company (or at a startup) which will be beneficial towards my goal, such as roles in business development, M&A, or sales & marketing in an emerging tech field (alternative energy, and the internet of things are two fields of particular interest).
Time Frame: 5 – 8 Years down the road
Start as a junior partner in a VC firm, continue to grow, learn and evolve my career in venture capital.
Kickoff: Research, Study and Learn
Start: October, 2011
I’ll admit that I currently know very little about what it takes to be successful in venture capital. To enrich my knowledgebase, I plan to read as much as possible about the industry. My reading list includes blogs and books from prominent VC’s and VC oriented websites; VentureBeat, TechCrunch, AVC, Babbling VC, Beyond VC, Brad Feld (Venture Deals and his blog), Venture Chronicle, Lightspeed Ventures, USV, Tim Ferris, Venture Hacks, and Guy Kawasaki.
In addition to digesting as much content as possible, I will write short posts applying what I’ve learned to my own professional experiences along with whatever rambling stream of conscious pops into my head in line with the general topic of VC.
+3 Months: Network with local VC groups
Hopefully, after a few months of intensive study, I’ll be able to speak intelligently enough on the topic of investing in startups that I will be ready to engage with local (Pittsburgh) VCs without coming off as a complete knucklehead. Assuming this to be the case, starting in the New Year I will proactively attempt to establish connections with several VC firms by leveraging my existing network.
Milestones within this process
- Research local VC firms
- Identify people in my network with connections to the VC industry and/or local firms
- Attend events with the opportunity to make new connections in the VC industry
- Seek introductions
The goal of this process is to connect with a local VC and volunteer my time and skill set in a way that would benefit their group (i.e. market research, presentation development, copy writing, or competitive analysis) . As I already work full time, I expect to be able to offer ~10 hrs/week toward this effort. I know that as a small privately funded business, any employee of a VC firm, who is not actively involved in bringing in and managing deals, is a cost center. Trying to break into such a competitive field, I would be happy to work free of charge, in return for the ability to learn from industry experts.
+As soon as I am able to establish a volunteer position in VC…
Work, learn and expand my network within VC for several years. Concurrently, pursue career moves at my current company (or at a startup) which will be beneficial towards my goal, such as roles in business development, M&A, or sales & marketing in an emerging tech field (alternative energy, and the internet of things are two fields of particular interest).
Time Frame: 5 – 8 Years down the road
Start as a junior partner in a VC firm, continue to grow, learn and evolve my career in venture capital.