How do I handle the pressure of sourcing deals as a new VC analyst?

Question

I recently started as an analyst at a venture capital firm, and one of my key responsibilities is sourcing deals. I’m feeling a lot of pressure because it seems like everything hinges on finding the next big thing, and I’m still learning the ropes. How do you manage the stress of this responsibility, especially when you’re new and still building your network? If anyone has tips on how to approach deal sourcing effectively and how to stay confident despite the pressure, I’d love to hear them.

Answer 1

Great question. With all deal sourcing, it's impossible to control the outcome of your work, and that can be extremely stressful. So, generally the best approach is to simply focus on the inputs and trust that the outputs will follow if your thoughtful and give it enough time.

For example, instead of focusing on number of deals sourced, focus on number of good cold emails sent and industry theses developed and introductory management calls held. If enough of those input metrics play out, the outputs will come through.

There are a thousand other specific strategies we could talk about in terms of how to effectively source and handle the stress of sourcing, though, so please reach out for a free intro call!