4 ms·

I do not want to cynical or questioning anyone's ability, but how on earth does anyone with a degree in `earth and oceanographic science` land a high level posi

I do not want to cynical or questioning anyone's ability, but how on earth does anyone with a degree in `earth and oceanographic science` land a high level position at a VC company that funds tech ventures with magnitudes of million of dollars. Crazy.

catmanjan 5y ago
I have a feeling the answer begins with M and D
- jthrowsitaway 5y ago
  Medical Doctor?
  - bcj7393nsk 5y ago
    Medical Dictionary Because they lose their thinking ability in med school and become dictionaries after STEP exams.
- rexf 5y ago
  Mom & Dad? aka parents
barry-cotter 5y ago
In a perfect world where jobs were assigned based on performance they could have gotten the job by being a very good associate, who did good research and showed a track record of good judgment in picking companies or founders that later went on to some level of success. The entire VC model relies on generalists in any case. Earth and oceanographic sciences should cover the basics or physics, biology and chemistry and plenty of VCs don't even know that. It would hardly be relevant to e.g. Stripe.
- refurb 5y ago
  Like most high compensation jobs, in VC it's all about "sales". Selling a new fund to potential LPs and selling your VC to "hot" start-ups. Nobody cares if you're "good at excel models".
  - barry-cotter 5y ago
    I suggest you restrict the use of quotation marks to actual quotations. It is less likely to deceive. If your mental models (not excel models) are better than other people's you have an advantage in making money because you undersatnd the world better. Not everything is all sales. sales is really important but it's not everything.
    - refurb 5y ago
      How do you use your mental model to make money unless you have money to invest? How do you convince others that your mental model can make more money than other VCs? How do you convince a start-up to take your money because you're a better investor than other VCs? That's all "sales". Venture capital is very relationship driven. Not 100% of course, but it's almost impossible to do without it, at least at the beginning.
brian-armstrong 5y ago
Is this not the same HN where people frequently decry the need for a bacehlor's to get into junior SWE roles?
ClumsyPilot 5y ago
Perfect background to fund startups like liquid robotics - much of startup investment is art, groupthink, luck and casino. Traditional financial background is of limited use in early stage startups
serenitylater 5y ago

catmanjan 5y ago

I have a feeling the answer begins with M and D

jthrowsitaway 5y ago
Medical Doctor?
- bcj7393nsk 5y ago
  Medical Dictionary Because they lose their thinking ability in med school and become dictionaries after STEP exams.
rexf 5y ago
Mom & Dad? aka parents

barry-cotter 5y ago

In a perfect world where jobs were assigned based on performance they could have gotten the job by being a very good associate, who did good research and showed a track record of good judgment in picking companies or founders that later went on to some level of success. The entire VC model relies on generalists in any case. Earth and oceanographic sciences should cover the basics or physics, biology and chemistry and plenty of VCs don't even know that. It would hardly be relevant to e.g. Stripe.

refurb 5y ago
Like most high compensation jobs, in VC it's all about "sales". Selling a new fund to potential LPs and selling your VC to "hot" start-ups. Nobody cares if you're "good at excel models".
- barry-cotter 5y ago
  I suggest you restrict the use of quotation marks to actual quotations. It is less likely to deceive. If your mental models (not excel models) are better than other people's you have an advantage in making money because you undersatnd the world better. Not everything is all sales. sales is really important but it's not everything.
  - refurb 5y ago
    How do you use your mental model to make money unless you have money to invest? How do you convince others that your mental model can make more money than other VCs? How do you convince a start-up to take your money because you're a better investor than other VCs? That's all "sales". Venture capital is very relationship driven. Not 100% of course, but it's almost impossible to do without it, at least at the beginning.

brian-armstrong 5y ago

Is this not the same HN where people frequently decry the need for a bacehlor's to get into junior SWE roles?

ClumsyPilot 5y ago

Perfect background to fund startups like liquid robotics - much of startup investment is art, groupthink, luck and casino. Traditional financial background is of limited use in early stage startups

serenitylater 5y ago