A NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ALYSON SHONTELL

I always loved this old quote from legendary startup investor, Ron Conway, about why he loves VC. Conway has backed some of the largest companies in the world since the 1990s. “Entrepreneurs share their vision of the future with me,” he wrote in 2012. “And every so often, their vision becomes the future. What could be more interesting than that?”

The problem is, VC gigs are hard to land. And landing the initial interview can be the hardest part. Fortune‘s Jessica Mathews and Anne Sraders rolled up their sleeves and interviewed 11 VCs and VC hopefuls about what it takes to work on Sand Hill Road—a famous street in Silicon Valley where some of the biggest firms set up shop. They also learned which questions to watch out for in VC interviews.

“You don’t need to know every portfolio company,” a partner at Harlem Capital told them. “But at a high level, you should know the fund size, the check size, what stage they invest in, any major industries that they invest in.” The partner also suggests being familiar with two portfolio companies that you like, and one that you have questions about why they invested.

For more on how to break into venture, read Jessica and Anne’s complete guide below. And subscribe to their newsletter, Term Sheet, which digs into the venture capital industry every morning.

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

FINANCE

Microsoft’s venture arm M12 is undergoing a big strategy shift—and insiders have left the fund

Databricks had one of the worst pitch decks Ben Horowitz has ever seen. Now it’s riding the A.I. boom as one of the world’s 10 most valuable startups

Charlie Javice, the 30-year-old Frank founder accused of fraud, says Jamie Dimon took a personal interest in her $175 million acquisition

SUCCESS

Some companies are already replacing workers with ChatGPT, despite warnings it shouldn’t be relied on for ‘anything important’

Hybrid work is failing to provide workers with two of the three things they want most, says a management expert

LinkedIn has officially entered its ‘cringe era,’ and it’s working

Tech giant Salesforce is caught in a war with employees that sums up the pandemic workplace: ‘wellness culture’ vs. ‘high performance culture’

LEADERSHIP

The leadership lessons Britain’s only blind female CEO learned from losing her sight in her 40s

Employers are taking the easy way out and cutting employees through ‘backdoor layoffs’

PERSONAL FINANCE

Is $1 million enough to retire? These experts say no

How “fit” is your organization’s culture? Download this brief to see key findings from the global study by i4cp and Fortune.