I feel really lucky to work in VC. Working in service to entrepreneurs has been my only real job, a literal life’s work so far, and one that continues to expand and challenge me as I get older. 

I would not have this privilege without the mentors who trained me. The partners at USV and Spark Capital gave me the opportunity to be a fly on the wall as I watched them work. I shadowed these partners across pitches, board meetings, LP fundraising, and our weekly internal team meetings. From this viewpoint, I got to cherry pick the traits of these investors I admire most. It felt more like an apprenticeship than a job.

I can say “I feel grateful,” but actions are louder, so I strive to pay this education forward. Fred Wilson wrote a great post about this process back in 2010: the prior generation of VC teaching the next. I’ve played a small part in training 8 junior investment team members over the years, some of whom are wildly more successful now than I’ll ever be. I always want this to be a significant part of my job in the future. It’s a real joy to try to share what I’ve learned and watch the next generation build upon those kernels and carry them forward.

Spero Ventures is hiring for a new Analyst or Associate. We put up a job description and to apply you have to fill out this form. 

Some part of this job will be below your pay grade. I spent many late nights at USV cleaning up empty pizza boxes and folding up chairs after events. I quite literally, and happily, emptied wastebaskets, because at a small VC firm, there is never a job too small, and there’s no place to hide. Some parts of this job will be well above your pay grade. Cold emailing your idols from a reasonable VC email address tends to give you completely unjustified access to the greatest minds of our generation, and they will whiteboard with you for hours on their subject matter specialty.

VC isn’t for everyone. Rob Go wrote a good summary back in 2011 of the downsides of the job. You need to be comfortable working with little feedback in undefined directions. Self-starters and self-directed learning are essential traits. But for the right personality fit, it’s a dream job. I can’t wait to meet and help shape the next generation of investors.