Hi! I’m glad you’re here. You’ve made it to issue #49 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.

April marks 1 year of VC Demystified! Time has flown by. Thank you so much for being here.

^{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.}

There’s a lot of debate in the startup world about whether speaking with junior investors (analysts, associates, and sometimes principals) is worth a founder’s time.

My take? It’s 1000% worth it.

Let’s break down why.

Every junior investor is trying to prove themselves. Sourcing a great deal and getting it through the funnel is one of the clearest ways to do that. If they love your company, they will work hard to push it through.

They’re not sitting back, filtering for no’s.

They’re actively looking for the right company to say yes to and to build their reputation around.

In most firms, the junior investor is the one running the diligence process, doing the market work, analyzing the model, and most importantly: telling your story internally.

Here’s what they do: