mooze wrote:
I'm really interested in VC, however I don't have a VC or tech background and I know its notoriously difficult to break into that industry. I was wondering whether working/interning at a Venture Philanthropy firm would be an effective way to get through the door? VF uses the same concepts as VC except its geared toward philanthropic ventures rather than technology. Obviously there are skills to be gained and leveraged with such an experience,...but in practical terms is this crossover possible?
I would say breaking into VC is not just a function of experience, but also the quality of your network who are already in VC. I would weight the latter more than former, but getting experience in venture philanthropy doesn't hurt either (even some VC philanthropy internships are as competitive!). Operational experience via Consulting/Banking/Product Manager/Entrepreneurial experiences are also appreciated by VCs. The network is the biggest hurdle in my opinion.