People often ask me how I got into VC. It’s a difficult question to answer because the truth isn’t sexy or fun. Getting hired in VC was a winding, frustrating, and often draining process during which I repeatedly convinced myself this wasn’t the path I wanted to take, then reignited interest. I’m happy to share the nitty gritty with anyone who asks. While I was lucky to have a few investors believe in me, more often than not, interview processes left me exhausted and underwhelmed.arrived.
I’m being honest about my insecurities and confusions because after cutting my teeth at Bridgewater Associates, one of the most radically transparent workplaces, and building a journalism career rooted in “,” I know that pretending you know it all gets you nowhere. I also know that I’m not the only one struggling, and that as a white woman I have an added privilege to speak up.
I’m not suggesting that all junior VCs create a shared spreadsheet, but hey, it’s an “extreme” concept worth contemplating. All I’m saying is that over the past two months, I’ve made a concerted effort to reach out to seemingly high-quality non-partner investors, genuinely get to know them, and make it clear that I’m pro-collaboration. I come from newsrooms and early-stage startups, where our team’s success depends on our ability to collectively source news, ideas, and facts.
This isn’t a call for blind pipe dreams. My parents nicknamed me Eeyore at age five; I quite enjoy pessimism. Rather, it’s a call for asking how “might” this business succeed before talking about what they “should’ be doing differently.