Why early-stage VC is more like a sales job than you think

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Hi! I’m glad you’re here. You’ve made it to issue #29 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.

Yesterday was my birthday! I had the chance to celebrate with some close friends over a lovely dinner. As a bday gift from you all, I’d be grateful if you could check out the Notion offering below 🙂. I’m testing something new out!

Today’s deep dive: The day-to-day activities of an early-stage VC that make it seem like a sales 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 across my socials for those of you who prefer those channels.

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The day-to-day activities of an early-stage VC that make it seem like a sales role

When most people think about venture capital, they picture analyzing markets, evaluating founders, and making strategic investments.

BUT there’s another side to early-stage VC that doesn’t get talked about as much: it’s actually a lot like a sales job.

At this pre-seed to Series A stage, it’s less about spreadsheets and data, and more about:

• 🤝 Building relationships

• 💡 Selling your vision

• 📈 Convincing people to buy into the future you see

Here are 6 key day-to-day activities that make early-stage VC much more like a sales role than you might realize.

P.S. These are SO important to know before choosing this career path!!

Let’s get into it!

1. Sourcing Deals is Like Prospecting

At the early stage, sourcing deals is a major part of the job. It’s all about finding the right startups before anyone else does and getting the opportunity to invest.

This is very similar to a sales rep looking for potential leads—they’re constantly on the lookout for new prospects and opportunities.

• Salesperson: Network, cold-call, and follow up on leads

• Early-stage VCs: Hustle to find the most promising startups

You’re attending events, reaching out to founders, and building relationships with other investors to find that next great deal. In both cases, it’s all about having a strong pipeline.

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