On Breaking into Venture Capital
Building a Brand
It’s not about who can write the best investment memos or who can do the best due diligence, the best VCs I know are ones that have built a strong brand.
The best way to build a strong brand is to focus on three things: relationships, reputation, and results.
Relationships
The best VCs are the ones that have the best relationships. They know the right people and they have the right connections. They’re the ones that can get you in the door
Reputation
The best VCs have a great reputation and known for being honest, transparent, and helpful. They might have a great reputation as a great person to talk to for hiring, marketing, community, or just know the space a founder is building in well.
Results
The best VCs have a track record of producing great results. They’ve helped their portfolio companies raised money, grow their businesses, and exit successfully.
Building a brand is rarely an overnight thing but takes years of cultivating and building that brand organically. However, building a brand is something anyone can do without them even being in VC in the first place. I’ve seen people write startup children’s books, do podcasts, write articles and leveraging that to help them break into the space.
A few examples of VCs who’ve built amazing brands
Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.
This is not the way.
Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (
CtrlP
) instead.