3 Reflections after 3 Months in VC
At the beginning of the summer, I started my new role at Grand Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm. (If you’re interested to know how I got to Grand Ventures — check out my blog post, here.) It’s now been three months since I started, and I’ve learned a lot. As I think back, I’ve noticed myself reflecting on three major themes.
Despite what you think, it’s never easy to say “no”
The other day, Nathan (one of our General Partners) sent our team a playlist entitled “If Spotify Playlist was a VC Rejection email”. If you haven’t listened yet, definitely check it out. It’s a well-known fact that investors review thousands of pitches a year, but only invest in a small portion of the startups they review. Before I started, I thought I’d become good at saying no. After all, when you say it a thousand times a year, you must get used to it. I was wrong. I spend most of my days reviewing the business model and product solution that founding teams spend thousands of hours, blood, sweat, and tears over. It doesn’t matter if I review a single pitch deck or take a full week in deep diligence, it’s never easy to say “no”.
Your actions matter more after you write the check
At Grand Ventures, we acknowledge that hard work comes after the term sheet is signed and the funds remitted. In my first three months, I saw the GV partners go above and beyond for our portfolio companies. Everything from helping founders raise their Series A to interviewing potential executives and staying up late reviewing board materials. We put our portfolio companies first and will continue to do so. Entrepreneurs have the hardest job in the world, and we have the privilege to help them succeed.
But what matters most is who you do it with
Two weeks into my time at Grand Ventures, tragedy struck my family. After answering an emergency phone call, I left the office and traveled out of state to be with my family. Everyone at Grand Ventures supported me through the tragedy, connecting regularly to see how I was doing, and asking how they could help. Life is hard. Honestly, venture capital is hard. The only thing worse is doing the hard things alone. I’m so grateful I found a strong team and family at Grand Ventures to go through the hard things together.
Looking back, this summer has been one of learning and growth as I began my journey in venture capital. I could not have anticipated these three lessons, but I look forward to seeing what I’ll learn next!
Interested in learning more about Grand Ventures? Reach out to us at info@grandvcp.com!
