People tend to fall into two categories: the founders, who create and the operators, who execute. In my period of self-discovery post-college, I wanted to find who I was. In that time, I met people from a variety of backgrounds, creative and technical. I found myself drawn to the founders, entranced at how they thought. At the same time, I found myself drawn to operators and how they enabled founders to run wild with ideas and reigned them in when it was necessary. I discovered that I probably would not be a great founder, but I relished being a supporter, an operator. I am a quintessential third or fourth employee. I work well with the creatives and the founders. Those who have an idea come to me to get things done. I can identify the right contacts, determine the correct course of action, and gather the resources needed to complete tasks. I believe venture capital is the natural extension, the logical conclusion of these strengths.
Venture capital in its purest form, at its core, isn’t creating anything new. It takes the ideas and products of visionary founders and gives them the resources and support to bring them to fruition. VCs are almost never experts in the field they invest in, but they know how to find those experts and assemble the right team around them to reach remarkable outcomes.
Take Mozart, Hadyn, and Beethoven. What is the common link between the three? Besides being immensely brilliant creatives, they shared a patron, Baron Gottfried van Swieten. In a more local example: Serge Koussevitsky, music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, conductor, and double bassist. Also, a major commissioner of 20th century pieces from Stravinsky, Copland, Prokofiev, Ravel, and Bartok. While vastly less well-known than their patronage, these people played a crucial role in creating timeless masterpieces. All around the world, venture capital plays a similar role in providing the capital, guidance, and network that startups need to succeed in today’s business world.
I want to pursue a career in venture capital because, in many ways, venture embodies who I am. My passion for supporting innovative ideas, my ability to execute and drive projects forward, and my desire to be part of transformative ventures isn’t limited to whatever I am working on at any one moment. Venture capital allows me to leverage my strengths in a way that helps bring groundbreaking ideas to life, contributing to meaningful advancements to the world.
My interest in venture capital stems from its core mission of investing in disruptive, status quo-rattling enterprises and supporting ambitious entrepreneurs with audacious ideas. I am drawn to the strategy of being open to new experiences and having faith in bold founders, as it closely aligns with my personal view on investing.
Growing up in the Midwest, I witnessed firsthand the raw, untapped potential of the region’s young minds and aspiring entrepreneurs. However, there is a noticeable scarcity of venture capital in the area to cultivate this potential. My long-term ambition is to establish a venture capital firm in the Midwest to promote local technological development, attract indigenous and local talent, and infuse the region with a dynamic and innovative spirit.
I perceive venture capital as a blend of never-ending dynamism, unrelenting innovation, and unshakeable resilience. These qualities, often associated with major entrepreneurial hubs, are also present in the Midwest, albeit less recognized. For instance, breakthroughs in mechanized farming implements by Cyrus McCormick and later Hiram Moore would not be possible without the Midwest’s large flat landscapes and its history of agricultural innovation.
I believe that entering into the world of venture capital would be a significant step toward my objective of fostering innovation in underserved regions. It would allow me to learn from a team that shares my beliefs and practices them successfully, contributing to an iconic organization while also growing personally and professionally in the direction of my vision for the Midwest.
In essence, venture capital allows me to leverage my strengths and passions to support transformative ventures, enabling groundbreaking ideas to come to life and contributing to meaningful innovation across the country.