Hi! I’m glad you’re here. You’ve made it to issue #64 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.

^{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.}

VC internships are competitive. But landing one is just the first step.

The real question: How do you stand out once you’re in the door?

Venture firms don’t expect you to be an expert on day one. But they do expect you to contribute meaningfully. Interns who convert to full-time or leave with glowing recommendations are the ones who understand what firms value and deliver on it consistently.

Here are 6 things that set you up to be a top VC intern:

VC involves a lot of research, list-building, and CRM updates. It’s not glamorous, but it’s foundational.

Top interns:

If you can’t execute the basics reliably, you won’t be trusted with more advanced work.

Do the simple things well.

Don’t just report facts. Analyze them.

When building a market map, go beyond listing companies:

VCs value interns who can think critically and form opinions, even if they’re still early in developing them.

In order to fully do a VC job well, you have to understand the most difficult concepts. Learn these as an intern to impress your team. Don’t wait

Here are some technicals to study: