You’ll Need At Least Two of These Four Qualifications to Get Hired By a Venture Firm

Disclaimer: I’ve never been hired by a venture firm.

Ok, now that’s out of the way, here’s the advice I give folks who have 2–3 years of work experience and are looking to get an entry-level role at a venture firm (typically called an Analyst or Associate).

“Hi, thanks for reaching out. Since I need to prioritize my family and my fund, I might not have time to jump on a call to answer your questions about breaking into venture. Instead I’ve written some stuff down — take a look and if you have any follow-up maybe we can handle over email. Good luck!

So I’ve found that when you’re not already ‘in the door’ at a firm (ie went to school with the senior GP’s kids, worked at a startup they backed) that there are four different types of “qualifications” they are seeking. Each one can be more or less important depending on role or firm, but generally let’s say these four matter and you need to be strong in at least two of them to distinguish yourself against other applicants.

Qualification #1: You know how to do something specific that is valuable and needed often in pursuing a deal or servicing the portfolio.

You’ve got some operational superpower. Maybe it’s statistical analysis, growth marketing, or deck making. Whatever it is, it helps diligence opportunities, win deals or service the portfolio in ways that make the founders and GPs feel good. In exchange for doing this…