8 things I wish I knew when I started in VC

Hi! I’m glad you’re here. You’ve made it to issue #86 of VC Demystified🪄.

My name’s Nicole - I’m a Principal at an early stage venture fund, and I know firsthand that VC can often be a black box. Breaking into the industry may feel daunting and resources can seem scarce and inaccessible. I wanted to put together a newsletter to give others the playbook I wish I had when I first started.

Today’s deep dive: The essential skills every new VC should develop to build momentum early (networking, dealflow, time management, and brand building)

^{My personal mission is to open as many doors as possible for other people and this newsletter is just one avenue to do that. As always, I will continue to post VC insights daily for free across my socials. This newsletter may contain paid partnerships or affiliate links.}

Shoppers are adding to cart for the holidays

Peak streaming time continues after Black Friday on Roku, with the weekend after Thanksgiving and the weeks leading up to Christmas seeing record hours of viewing. Roku Ads Manager makes it simple to launch last-minute campaigns targeting viewers who are ready to shop during the holidays. Use first-party audience insights, segment by demographics, and advertise next to the premium ad-supported content your customers are streaming this holiday season.

Read the guide to get your CTV campaign live in time for the holiday rush.

Learn more.

Read time: 5 minutes

The essential skills every new VC should develop to build momentum early (networking, dealflow, time management, and brand building)

Breaking into VC is one thing. Thriving in VC is another.

The first few years of your venture career shape everything that follows (your network, your deal flow, your reputation, your judgment, and the opportunities that come your way). Most people enter the industry without a roadmap. They try to meet everyone, say yes to everything, and end up exhausted, under-leveraged, and unsure of how to stand out.

This is the advice I wish someone had handed me on Day 1.

It’s tactical, repeatable, and based on years of trial and error, both mine and the hundreds of aspiring and emerging VCs I’ve coached.

Let’s get into it.

1. Join the right Slack communities and treat them like infrastructure

Most early-career VCs underestimate how important peer networks are. Slack groups are the fastest way to meet other investors at your level, learn in real time, and get plugged into deal flow.

Many groups run weekly 1:1 pairings, host virtual AMAs, share job postings, and circulate early-stage deals before they hit the broader market.

This is one of the easiest ways to build relationships at scale and those early relationships often become the people you grow up in the industry with.

Two Slack groups to join: EVCA and Women in VC

2. Build a small circle of VC peers you can rely on

This is the best advice I received early in my career!

VC is collaborative. You need a handful of peers you can text when you’re stuck on a market, want feedback on an investment, need intros, or simply need someone who understands the job.

Your close circle will shape:

• The quality of deals you see

• How quickly you learn

• How supported you feel

• The opportunities that come your way

It's not about having 500 VC contacts. It’s about having 5-10 you trust.

3. Learn calendar and energy management early

Venture can very quickly become a calendar you don’t control.

If you don’t learn to protect your energy, you burn out. Simple as that.

For me, the system looks like:

• Tues-Thurs: Calls, meetings, founder chats, networking

• Mon + Fri: No external meetings unless necessary; deep work, writing, memo drafting, IRL coffees

This keeps me focused, grounded, and in control of my week.

Whatever system you choose, pick one intentionally or the job will pick one for you.

4. Always ask for 1-2 intros at the end of networking calls

Subscribe to Premium to read the rest.