How to build real VC experience (without working at a VC firm)

Hi! I’m glad you’re here. You’ve made it to issue #89 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: Three credible ways to build real VC experience without waiting for a full-time role

^{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.}

Read time: 5 minutes

Three credible ways to build real VC experience without waiting for a full-time role

One of the biggest paradoxes in venture capital recruiting is this:

Most VC roles want prior VC experience.

But most people can’t get VC experience without first landing a VC role.

According to a recent VC recruiting report, nearly 70% of aspiring VCs say lack of prior VC experience is the single biggest barrier to breaking in.

Which leads to the obvious (and incredibly frustrating) question:

How are you supposed to get experience in an industry that won’t let you in without it?

Here’s the part most people miss:

VC experience doesn’t only come from full-time roles.

There are multiple legitimate ways to build hands-on venture experience, sourcing, diligence, research, even investing, without quitting your job or landing a formal VC title.

Below are three proven paths, each with different time commitments, risk profiles, and learning curves. You don’t need to do all of them, you just need to pick the one that fits where you are today.

1. VC Intern Programs (The On-Ramp)

Time commitment: 2-4 months
Experience level: Beginner
Focus: Deal diligence, market research
Check writing: No
Personal capital required: No

VC intern programs are designed to teach the fundamentals of venture capital from the inside.

Interns typically:

• Support deal diligence

• Conduct industry and market research

• Assist investors with day-to-day workflow

You won’t be making investments or sitting in IC as a decision-maker. That’s not the point.

The value here is exposure:

• How VCs think about deals

• What questions actually matter

• How firms evaluate risk at the earliest stages

This is often the cleanest entry point into VC for people starting from zero. It was mine.

2. Angel Programs (Learning by Doing)

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