I am at Brown University this morning, speaking at a class on entrepreneurship, which Danny Warshay teaches. I’m grateful for the opportunity. I’ve arrived early and am parked at a coffee shop at a bookstore. Why not blog? I’ve never been to the campus. An ex-girlfriend went here (we met in high school, things didn’t
Category: Career management
Dear VC Associate…. Here’s How You Get Promoted
Over the years, it has been a blast to meet many people, including those in the VC industry. Sometimes, people come to me for career advice. I take very seriously those conversations, and I’m sworn to secrecy on the details. A question I get from VC Associates is this: how do I get promoted? So,
Finding a CEO Mentor
I had breakfast with one of our CEOs this morning. It’s a great way to talk about the company, and his career progression, in a relaxed environment. One thing he has done is brought on some CEO mentors to the Board. I’m a big fan of bringing “CEO coaches” to a Board, as I think
How to Find Your Passion in Life
I really enjoyed Fred Wilson’s post on “Finding Your Passion.” He chronicled how he found his way into VC right out of b-school and about his life partner’s strong role in that process. My journey took a lot longer. I tried different jobs, had a very support spouse as well, but it took me longer
Free Exec. Coaching for One Lucky Winner
I didn’t set out to do it, but I think I now have a “Personal Board of Advisors.” And, it has been very helpful. These are people who: Know me very well Offer different points of view Have my best interests in my mind Don’t have a competing agenda The group doesn’t meet all at once,
Figuring Out a Career
I had a call today with a college freshman, a friend’s son, who wanted to ask about what a VC does and how to figure out a career. I pointed him to some of my blog posts on career management and also told him what I wish I knew when I was his age. For