Job Drop 008

Week of 8/20/23 // Platform & Venture Ops, Weekly Jobs Roundup

Senior Analyst, Portfolio Operations (Business Development) @ ICONIQ Capital // 2-4 yrs exp // NYC // $110-$120K

Operations Associate @ The Chernin Group // 3+ yrs exp // SF // $150-$175K

Investor Support Specialist @ MicroVentures // 3-5 yrs exp // Austin

Director of Entrepreneurship @ The Garage at Northwestern // 3-10 yrs exp // SF // 1-yr term

Director, Portfolio Development @ RTX Ventures // 4+ yrs exp // Remote

Director, New Ventures, Newark @ New Jersey Innovation Institute // 5 yrs exp // Newark

Executive Assistant, Crypto @ a16z // 5+ yrs exp // SF // $149-$165K

Business Operations, Venture @ a16z // 5+ yrs exp // SF // $222-$259K

Director, Portfolio @ Republic // 5+ yrs exp // NYC // $90-$150K

Senior Marketing Manager @ Salesforce Ventures // 5-7 yrs exp // NYC // $168-$231K

Manager of Investment Operations & Accounting @ UCSF Foundation Investment Company // 5+ yrs exp // SF

Managing Director @ Techstars Workforce Development Accelerator // 10+ yrs exp // Denver // $175-$185K

Communications, Infrastructure & Security @ a16z // 10+ yrs exp // SF // $258-$301K

PART-TIME // Venture Fellow @ Gold House // 2-4 yrs exp // Remote // Min. 5 hrs/week, min. 1 yr commitment

INTERNSHIP // MBA Fall Semester Fellow @ Collide Capital // Remote // 10-15 hrs/week, Sept - Dec 2023

PART-TIME // EUROPE // Communications Working Student @ Redalpine // Berlin // 20 hrs/week

EUROPE // Strategy & Investment Manager @ Inoviv // London

ASIA // Associate, Investor Relations & Fundraising @ 500 Global // 1+ yrs exp // Singapore

ASIA // Program Director: Agri-food Accelerator Program @ Brinc // Hong Kong

AUSTRALIA // Analyst, Data Science - Investment Leverage & Portfolio Management @ IAG // 1-3 yrs exp // Sydney

EUROPE // Marketing and Platform Manager @ Maki VC // 4+ yrs exp // Helsinki

EUROPE // Manager - Brand, Communications & PR @ Atlantic Labs // Berlin

👉 Missed last week’s Job Drop? Read it here

Platform Spotlight 🔎✨

⚡ FAST FACTS

# Years in Platform: 1
Size of Platform Team (including you): 1
# Years in VC prior to current Platform role: 0

1 // How do you define Platform?

To me, Platform is different depending on the stage your firm invests and supports. Thus, for us at focal, it’s supporting on all things early-stage. If founders need help thinking through vendor selection or have questions on their GTM, or just need someone there for them while they go through a pretty crazy phase of life - that’s what I try to do! At focal, we’ve decided to focus on a few key platform initiatives vs trying to do it all. There are lots of incredible firms out there who do certain things very well from talent, to website design, to content. We like to stay in our lane and support where we can actually be supportive!

2 // What was your Path to Platform?

I have always been in alternatives starting in Hedge Fund investing at Goldman, then working at Bessemer Trust on their alternative advisory team (my first real look at investing in VC funds), to working at APG, a pension fund, on their private equity co-investment team. I like to say that I spent the first years of my career trying to become an investor and finally realizing, it wasn’t what I loved - especially at the later stage. However, that clarity was the best thing for me because I came to realize what I was good at and what I DID love. What that was for me, was talking to folks, keeping things organized, and supporting smart and energetic people with their dreams. That’s how I ended up at focal!

3 // Favorite part of the Platform role?

My favorite part is EASILY getting to be a resource for our founders and our communities. Providing a valuable intro, helping a community member find a new gig, or thinking through internal processes, I hope to become someone that anyone can go to with anything. In fact, last week I gave recs for things to do in Nashville! It really is, anything and everything :) I think it’s awesome to be alongside founders in making their dreams a reality. While they are doing the hard building, I like to be someone they know they can call.

4 // What part of the Platform role surprised you?

You’ll come in wanting to do everything and quickly realize that it’s better to do a few things really well. Some Platform teams have lots of experienced pros, but on a small team, it’ll be more impactful to have a focus. This was hard for me because I am a do-everything kind of gal! But I’m realizing that our concerted efforts are making a real impact.

5 // Break down your Platform role by function.

• Finance: 30%

• Legal / Compliance: 15%

• Community: 15%

• Portfolio Support: 15%

• Investor Relations: 10%

• Marketing: 10%

• HR/People Ops: 5%

6 // Pitch a founder on the value of your firm’s Platform in 280 characters or less.

At focal, we built our firm to help your startup cut through Seed and get to Series A and beyond with velocity. We do this through community and support. We have a great founder community that has been right where you are ready to help where they can, and we have a community of GTM startup leaders that you can learn alongside as you build your own. We provide support in the form of 1-on-1 workshopping, content, and shared resources, supporting the whole you, and being one call away on anything and everything!

7 // What is your advice to Platform job seekers?

My advice would be to think through how you would build Platform at a firm and make that pitch. Chat to founder friends on what they wish they had at the stage you’re interviewing in and sort of know what you would want to focus on before even going in. That could change of course, but conviction and well-thought-out ideas will help you stand out. Also, teams are lean - if your initiatives can benefit both your founders AND your internal processes, that’s a win/win. For example, I’ve experimented with no code tools that we use internally, and I can now support our founders as they think through similar initiatives.

Platform News & Reading 🗞️

Allie Mullen, Director of Platform for Wireframe Ventures (and creator of this newsletter!) joins the VC10X Podcast as the first-ever Platform guest to dive into all things Platform - what it is, how it works, who it’s for, how to get in, and more! Listen on YouTube or Spotify via the links below.

Are you hiring? 💼

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