Is a Career in Venture Capital Right for You?

Ravi Mhatre, Lightspeed Venture Partners
In conversation with: Ravi Belani, Stanford University

The VC industry isn’t a monolith, observes Lightspeed Venture Partners founding partner Ravi Mhatre. If you want to pursue a career in venture capital, he advises, it’s important to talk to people from across the spectrum, from angel investors to sector-specific firms to global firms that invest across many industries. He adds that working with founders to build companies isn’t about immediate payoff, and that the VC businesses is best suited to people who are comfortable taking risks but can also be patient and take a long view.