There’s more than one way to engage in tech entrepreneurship. Venture capitalist Eurie Kim approached her career from several different angles before finding her sweet spot as an investor in startups. She joined an early-stage venture, founded one of her own and even spent a few months running a fashion-startup incubator in London.
So she got to experience different roles and learn which personality traits each one requires most. Now at Forerunner Ventures — where she helps early-stage startups define business models, identify target markets and overcome the challenges that hinder growth — Kim can look back and see why she didn’t end up staying in those positions.
She’s come to understand that the perfect job isn’t necessarily to be the founder of the next Facebook. It’s the one that allows you to apply your innate strengths, minimizes the things that drain your energy and is overall the best fit for you given where you are in life.
For those wondering how they should launch into their career, Kim has charted out which entrepreneurial path would work best for an individual, matching the entrepreneurial paths to personality, strengths and, most importantly, tolerance for risk:
All that said, Kim says that your career is indeed an adventure, with unexpected twists and turns sure to unfold in the future. Also, that your first job isn’t your last.
“There are a lot of ways to participate in entrepreneurship. Do not think that starting your own company is the only way, and certainly it doesn’t have to be the only way today,” Kim says. “You can do it anytime in your life, and there will be opportunities all along the way.”
Watch her full talk here.
