1) Respect your elders. No matter age and no matter experience; VC is harder to stay in (especially for women) than you’d think. The first thing I would do is reach out to reputable investors in the ecosystem and try my best to appreciate their writing or work through a simple DM or email. Ask for nothing.

2) Good VC bosses are hard to find: find a peer mentor. No shame on your new manager, but this industry is filled with previously mismanaged egomaniacs that just can’t help but not learn how to really nurture someone into being a completely good-natured but total unit investor. No matter your position (principal, associate, whatever) reach out to the youngest person at every fund relevant to what you “look at.” Why? Because they’re more likely to spill the dealflow beans. That sounds predatory, but it’s not. There are plenty of no’s that VCs don’t want to share because they just don’t want for others to have better dealflow. It’s a shitty truth. Fresher in the industry = have more to prove and want to show off.

3) Actually make friends. Turns out, there are many personas that make up a good VC. You’re going to find admiration for people everywhere: in founders, VCs and definitely in operators. Be fucking nice. Not only because “reputation” but because this whole industry is one big game. You’re only going to get better if you admire the other players, learn from them, encourage them. This job is so personal and anyone that says it’s not is lying. Even Insight analysts have souls.