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There's deeper issues not addressed by this article - why we've created a culture that so highly values 'brand-name resume builders', for one. And I'd argue th
by gyardley 17y ago
There's deeper issues not addressed by this article - why we've created a culture that so highly values 'brand-name resume builders', for one. And I'd argue that startup compensation needs to be rational even when competing sectors are not. But there's real potential in using the prestige (deserved or not) of a venture-capital firm as a recruiting tool.
As an aside, I hired Azeem at my startup after his post-college gig as an investment banker, and he thoroughly kicked ass as an employee. That doesn't come through in his blog post - I wouldn't want people who didn't know him to think he's still an investment banker!
- azeemansar 17y agoHeh, thanks Greg. I may have not expressed it clearly, but when I say "compensation", I mean something that compels the talent you're hiring away from other industries. I think something like student loan subsidies could be very doable for a VC fund with hundreds of millions of dollars in capital. It sends a strong and serious signal IMO. I think that's what it's really about, the messaging. It's just easier to market the names of a lot of these VC funds and the experience/track record/millions of $s that come with them, than it is to market their portfolio cos. It's a better hook; and on the other side of it all, venture funds SHOULD care about developing junior talent, and actively building the next generation of founders, entrepreneurs, etc etc. I just can't possibly imagine how any of this ends up being a bad thing.