Should you jump into VC right after undergrad?
Starting VC after undergrad can work, but real investing judgment usually comes from spending time as an operator first.
The vast majority of times people ask “how to enter VC?” instead of “does it make sense to enter VC right now?”
I did myself the same first question before making the second one.
But then I reconsider, and I landed into VC with a truly why.
But the thing is: does still make sense to invest in the best-in-class founder without having seen the operator side after your undergrad/MBA?
The truth is: it depends.
Starting your career in venture straight out of your undergrad is not the most common career path students dreams of; and if you land that role, it’s an exciting opportunity. I know lots of wonderful VCs analysts, associates, principals… that started as an intern and they are running their ways to a GP; and that’s great!
I know, VC can feel like the dream job from the outside; the day-to-day reality is more ambiguous, more relationship-driven, and more dependent on judgment than most early-career roles.
If you’re considering the leap, you’re probably should be asking:
Is VC the right place to start my career?
Will I learn fast enough, or should I build reps elsewhere first?
Are there better stepping stones (startups, consulting, banking, product) before VC?
Let’s break it down: the pros, the cons, and the alternatives, so you can make a decision you won’t regret two years later.
So, should you jump into VC right after undergrad?
My quick take: you can do it, and some people thrive.
But you need to be honest about what you’ll gain, what you’ll miss, and what kind of VC role you’re actually stepping into.
VC is not a single job. An analyst at a €20M pre-seed fund and an analyst at a €250M seed to series A mega-fund can be completely different careers.
Your experience will depend heavily on fund stage, team size, partner style, and whether you’re empowered to build real conviction, or mainly asked to do coverage and process.
Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, former founders of Netscape and Opsware, went on to build arguably the most influential modern VC firm, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z).
Why it can work
In early-stage VC (where I am), a lot of the core skills are learnable on the job, especially if you’re a fast learner with high curiosity and low ego.
