Being a venture capitalist from the age of 19
Hello, I'd like to tell you a little about my past and my personal views so that you may get to know me better!
Why am I pursuing a career in venture capital?
From the beginning of 2021, when I was a sophomore and still unsure about my post-graduation career path. During the twelve-hour journey back to my hometown before enjoying the Lunar New Year, I had the chance to speak with myself in order to have a deeper understanding of my future goals.
The question is straightforward: "If money were no longer a concern, what would I want to do?" The answer may be summed up in two words: social impact. Then, I applied the reference to potential careers in the financial field, including Audit, Corporate finance, Consultant, Investment bank, and fund. Consequently, joining a fund provides the clearest benefit, and because I like how the technology re-shape our life, I opted to pursue a career in venture capital. To better visualize the value that VC brings, I would like to take the following example. Suppose you invest in Grab in its early phases, so enabling the firm to grow and give services to more individuals, hence making life more convenient. And now we can see how Grab has altered our lives! (Even I'm not a Grab fan). To clarify, that bus ride is only a tipping piont after an extended period of research.
Incredible opportunity
Rumors say that VCs usually hire people from Investment Banking, Big 4, or even just their network. There are also many of those working on the buy-side who recommend entering the Big 4 first, but by chance, the Big 4 just finished recruiting that day, so I have to wait a few more months for the next one. Simple thinking, why don't you submit directly to VC? I've researched VCs operating in Vietnam, then found an email to submit the CV. After submitting 10 VCs, only one replied, and fortunately, after more than a month, I was accepted. Many thanks to Mr. Long - Manager at Access Ventures for giving the 19-year-old boy the opportunity to realize his vision.
The mission of blog
As mentioned above about the reason why I chose this job, I want to be more dedicated, maximize my lifetime value, and not merely invest in and support the companies in which my fund has invested, but I can also share experiences with Founders that I have not had the opportunity to meet through my blog posts. Also, when I start blogging from 2022, I observe that the quantity and quality of Vietnamese startup-related content are fairly limited, noting that content availability plays a vital role as the foundation of an ecosystem. I hope that I can do something to solve this dilemma.
Last words for Founders
I have a few words with the Founders that the fund I work for has invested in and will invest in, as well as with the Founders who read my blog. Although my age and profession are both extremely young, my experience and knowledge are still very limited. However, I am always committed to making constant efforts to learn and accumulate more value and become a trusted partner of Founders, to be able to contribute as much value as possible in the future startup community!