Looking to make a shift to VC funds backing womenhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kanika-c/

kanikachoudhary·Nov 21, 2022

Posted in:Advice Job Hunting Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Management and Leadership Startups Career Growth

Currently I work for a healthy convenience food based startup in Berlin. I lead their marketing department.

However, over the last year, I have been questioning myself as to am I making a difference that I want to in the world and the answer has been no. I have pondered hard and long and have figured that I want to work with companies that empower women and women led businesses. Not the ones that do greenwashing or do it for the regulated reasons, but ones who actually do it because it is their business, their DNA.

In my opinion, the best way I can combine what I know and love (strategy and marketing), what I have studied (finance, marketing) and what I want to do everyday (help women) is to join a VC fund that not just invests but also coaches or supports them.

Would any one of you know if a thing like that exists, what the job profile / job title for this should be so I can look for it easier and if anybody is already in this scene, could guide me a bit?

I am based in Germany if that matters.

I would be forever grateful for any and all answers!

Filomena21·Nov 21, 2022

The other thing you could do is consult for women-led startups that are pre-product market fit with marketing/growth experiments that cost $1,000-5,000 in cash per experiment. One of the top challenges with marketing for early stage startups is that most marketing freelancers have to focus on clients with large budgets, and they can't afford to take clients who can't pay, say, a minimum of $40,000. Ironically marketing freelancers have even less flexibility to help startups than agencies do.Whereas if you have a full-time job where you are making a salary, you could afford to help startup founders at a below-market project fee while potentially being compensated in equity. It's a win-win because you could help a variety of startups and then choose to go more "all-in" on the ones that take off, all without giving up your paycheck. You might be able to help them with things you find incredibly basic that make a huge difference to their business.Yes, you can also go into venture capital, but the skillset there is very different. It's going to involve a ton of networking with founders to find the ones you want to invest in. For the best founders, there will be competition among VC firms and most of your job will be proving to the founder why they should pick your VC firm to lead the investment instead of a bigger brand name VC. These founders might even find it to be "extra strings attached" that you want to provide them coaching instead of just money. Then once you actually invest, you might not be allowed to be very involved on a day-to-day basis because you will be in charge of finding more things to invest in.Whereas for the founders who are not getting much interest from investors, they are going to require the type of intensive marketing help that might match with your expertise, but a VC firm is unlikely to want to compensate you to spend your time helping startups at this stage (before investors would become interested).

kanikachoudhary·Nov 24, 2022

That is actually very insightful.So just so I understood correctly option 1 is to be salaried somewhere else and on my own time, help these founders, right? But once again, that was indeed really helpful to get a broad picture of expectations!

Filomena21·Nov 24, 2022

Yes, that’s what I was suggesting (being salaried and helping startups in your free time).

iasha·Nov 21, 2022

I also believe you can look for positions within a VC firm, for example "Investment Associate" or Venture Associate. These firms are always looking for people who have domain expertise to help their portfolio companies. You will get to learn the investment side as well. This is if you are looking to step away from your full-time job. There may be part-time opportunities as well where you just work for equity. Hope that helps!

kanikachoudhary·Nov 24, 2022

Yes, looking to step away from my current job and get into this full time. The answer was really helpful, thank you!

Iynna·Nov 21, 2022

That's so exciting! Plugging a resource that might be helpful to you as you consider your shift https://elpha.com/resources/breaking-into-venture-capitalYou should consider non-investing role and ops ones too e.g Director of Platform as you'd be doing exactly what you've described in your post :)

kanikachoudhary·Nov 24, 2022

Oh, thanks a lot!! And yes, definitely open to non-investing roles. Would you have some time so I can pick your brain regarding this field? Its also obviously ok if not. :)