The #1 reason you're failing at VC interviews (& how to fix it)

Hi! I’m glad you’re here. You’ve made it to issue #57 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: How to craft a smarter VC recruiting strategy to increase your odds of landing a job

^{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.}

Read time: 4 minutes

The #1 reason you're failing at VC interviews (& how to fix it)

If every VC interview feels like you're starting from scratch... you might be doing it wrong.

When I first started recruiting for venture, I made the same mistake everyone makes:

I applied to every open role I could find.

I was desperate to break in. And I assumed the best strategy was to cast a wide net.

One week I was interviewing at a growth-stage healthcare fund.
The next week? A pre-seed consumer firm.

There was zero overlap.

Different theses. Different interview styles. Different expectations.

I was getting to final rounds. But I kept stumbling before the finish line.

Why?

Because I was only prepared at the surface level.

I didn’t have the time to go deep on every firm, every sector, every strategy, especially while working full time.

Here's What I Wish I Knew Earlier:

There are many different types of VC firms (there’s a quick refresher on the 6 types of VC firms below).

And each one operates differently, hires differently, and looks for different things in candidates.

Trying to ace every type of interview is a losing game.

But narrowing your focus? That’s how you win.

The Fix: Depth Over Breadth

If you want to dramatically increase your odds of breaking into VC, you need to stop going broad and start being intentional.

Here’s what happens when you focus your recruiting strategy around the firms and roles that actually excite you:

✓ You only have to study once
✓ You can pitch the same 2–3 startups across all interviews
✓ You can cite the same market trends in every convo
✓ You know exactly what they’re looking for and how to stand out

Less stress. More depth. Better outcomes.

How to Build a Focused Recruiting Strategy

Here’s the process I recommend:

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