Venture Capital Education

9 weeks of executive education helped me create more wealth than 9 years of trial and error. Here’s why ambitious entrepreneurs shouldn’t ignore advance degrees: In 2008, I joined Harvard Business School's Owner/President Management program. Those 9 weeks (spread over 3 years) completely transformed my business trajectory: Unit 1: Led to selling my first company at the perfect time Unit 2: Gave me the blueprint for building my next venture Unit 3: Guided my transition into Venture Capital and investment strategies After that, I took finance classes at The Wharton School focusing 100% on portfolio management, M&A, and VC investing. It was a life-changing period that shaped my outlook and gave me the confidence to execute on my Family office vision. 5 unexpected benefits that paid for the entire investment: 1) Deal Evaluation Speed ↳ Spotting red flags and opportunities in minutes, not months 2) High-Level Network Access ↳ My classmates became investors, partners, and advisors 3) Strategic Clarity ↳ Complex decisions became simpler with proven frameworks 4) Pattern Recognition ↳ Learning from others' successes and failures accelerated my growth 5) Confidence In Bigger Moves ↳ Knowledge replaced guesswork in major decisions Looking back, the biggest mistake was waiting so long to start. I thought I couldn’t afford time and attention away from my business. Yet the first unit of that course showed me the time was ripe to sell. And I went on to have a great exit. TL;DR: Executive education isn’t about theory. It’s about investing in speed, clarity and access through structured learning. The tuition pays for itself. And the transformation lasts forever. The next level of success requires next-level education. ____________________________ Hi, I’m Richard Stroupe, a 3x Entrepreneur, and Venture Capital Investor I help early-stage tech founders turn their startups into VC magnets

The venture capital industry has a learning problem, and it is destroying careers before they start. Too many aspiring investors think they can shortcut their way to success by copying established VCs. They mimic investment theses they do not understand. They chase hot sectors they have never studied. They write checks based on pattern matching instead of independent analysis. This approach creates a generation of investors who sound smart but make terrible decisions. Real investing education requires intellectual humility. You must admit what you do not know before you can learn what you need to know. You must study your failures more carefully than your successes. You must build conviction through research, not through consensus. The best investors I know treat every investment decision like a graduate level research project. They read academic papers. They interview industry experts. They build financial models. They stress test their assumptions. They do this work because they understand that venture capital is not about being right all the time. It is about being right when it matters most. The learning never stops. Market dynamics change. Technology evolves. Consumer behavior shifts. What worked five years ago might be completely wrong today. But here is what never changes: the discipline of rigorous analysis, the courage to think independently, and the wisdom to know the difference between confidence and competence. If you want to build a career in venture capital, commit to being a lifelong student. Read everything. Question everything. Test everything. The industry needs investors who think for themselves, not followers who repeat what they heard at the last conference. Your portfolio companies deserve better. Your LPs deserve better. You deserve better. Start learning like your career depends on it. Because it does.

Long story short— how to get into VC Your prior experience matters. Here’s what you need to know: The Best Path, what to consider? - If you want to enter EARLY-STAGE VC, startup experience (founding or operating) is highly valued. - If you prefer GROWTH-STAGE VC, investment banking, or consulting backgrounds help. - If you specialize in a technical field, deep expertise (PhD, research, or corporate innovation) key is for getting adjacent roles and then working your way into investing. BEST CAREER PATHS BEFORE VC » Startup Founder / Operator - with some industry expertise » Investment Banking - closed stellar deals with exceptional work » Management Consulting - exceptional growth trajectory internally » Corporate Strategy / Leadership - identifying the big things + execution » Product Management (Tech / SaaS) - Understanding tech. / scaling tech » Angel Investor (with track record) - Success of deals (MoIC + Exits) » PhD / Deep Tech Research - Deeptech / innovative frontier findings THE REALITY CHECK: » Entry roles are rare—VC firms are small & highly selective » Prior exceptional success matters in whatever space you work → with long term vision. » Foot in the door is through making investments or a pov on the sectors you have worked in. KEY SKILLS TO SHOWCASE: - How Relationships helped — Deal sourcing and networking - Financial modeling and assessment — Growth-stage VC - What you to spotted in your industry — Deep market understanding - Storytelling and persuasion – Convincing founders (or LPs at Senior levels) is critical - Self-driven projects – No one hands you deals on a platter - Passion for startups / businesses Any aspect to be elaborated on? Let me know in the comments. #VentureCapital #Careers #Analyst

If you're a startup founder or considering a venture-backed business, Secrets of Sand Hill Road is amazing book. Scott Kupor from Andreessen Horowitz opens up the world of venture capital and shares how founders can navigate the VC landscape. Here are some insights:  → Venture Capitalists’ Mindset: VCs invest with a 10-year horizon, aiming for high-growth companies with billion-dollar potential. Their goal is big wins, not small gains.  → The Fundraising Journey: From seed rounds to Series A and beyond, each stage brings new investors and strategic decisions. Choosing the right investors can make or break your journey.  → Term Sheets and Deal Structures: Liquidation preferences, anti-dilution provisions, board seats—each term can impact your company’s future. Negotiate wisely.  → Building a Strong Board: A great board adds more than just funds; it brings industry expertise, scaling experience, and strategic insight. Choose board members who align with your vision.  → Exit Strategies: IPOs, acquisitions, and now SPACs—exits are the VC’s way of realizing returns, and each path comes with its own opportunities and risks.  → Founders’ Long-Term Success: Company culture matters. Founders should build transparency with investors and think of VC as a long-term partnership.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 23/30 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬:𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐕𝐂𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐂 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 (𝐋𝐏𝐬): Large family offices, pension funds, or institutions with significant capital. Allocate 2-5% of their portfolio to VC, the riskiest but highest-return asset class. 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 (𝐆𝐏𝐬): Manage the fund and operations (analysts, EIRs, fund expenses). Earn a 2% management fee and a 20% carry if returns exceed LP expectations (~12% annually). 𝐓𝐡𝐞 2-20 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞: 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐕𝐂 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐬 A $100M, 10-year fund uses $20M for management fees. Leaves $80M for investments. Expected returns: ~$310M to meet LP demands. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: $100M fund, 10 investments of $8M each, 25% ownership at exit. 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬: All exit at $50M: $125M total—far below $310M. 5 exit at $50M, 5 at $100M: $187.5M—still short. One overachiever: $287.5M—almost there. A unicorn: $362.5M—goal achieved. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 5 fail, 3 small exits, 1 medium, 1 large. Likely returns: ~$318M—possible but not common. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐕𝐂𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 Assess risks: development, market, execution, finance. 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: Team: Cohesive and skilled. TAM: Large addressable market. Technology: Scalable and innovative. Traction: Evidence of growth. Trenches: Competitive advantages. Follow: Priyanshu Pandey #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #BusinessStrategy

Huge thanks to Emma Scharfenberger Off for joining our VC class this morning—fresh off spring break!—to walk us through the whirlwind of due diligence in early-stage investing. Emma brings a unique perspective, having led this process from both sides of the table: first as an attorney, and now on the VC side, leading CincyTech. We packed a ton into just one hour. A few key takeaways: 🔍 Early-stage diligence breaks into two big chunks: 1. The Prescreen: Before digging in, ask: • Does this company fit our thesis and stage? • Does the math work—i.e., could this be a fund returner? • Do we love the CEO and founding team? • Does the business model make sense? If yes to all of the above, it’s time to move into… 2. Deep Diligence: This is where you dive into the Data Room. A great framework for this: Cooley’s Sample VC Due Diligence Request List (linked in comments). 🚩 A few cautionary flags Emma highlighted from experience: 1. The wrong team. Most startup failures aren’t about the idea—they’re about execution. Often, the founding team that gets you started isn’t the one to scale. But founders rarely see it, and boards often struggle to address it. 2. “Bridge to Nowhere” rounds. These happen when investors undercapitalize companies—for example, offering $500K when $2M is needed—hoping they’ll “figure it out.” It rarely ends well and usually leads to the same conversation a few months later. Grateful for Emma’s insights—and continually blown away by the curiosity, questions, and engagement from my students. I’m honestly jealous of the real-world exposure they’re getting as undergrads (would have loved this)!