How to Break into Venture Capital | Arun Pai from Monk's Hill Ventures

Understanding VC

In this episode you will learn:

00:00 Introduction

01:28 The Prestige and Challenges of VC

03:28 Arun Pai's Journey into Venture Capital

04:08 Breaking into Investment Banking

06:17 Transitioning from Banking to Startups

07:57 Joining Monk's Hill Ventures

09:04 Advice for Aspiring VCs

11:59 The Fluidity of the VC Industry

12:29 Who Should Become a VC?

15:19 Skills and Specialization in VC

22:58 Building Relationships and Reputation

27:19 Transitioning to Quantitative Roles

27:34 Understanding VC Roles and Value

28:27 Challenges in Breaking into Investment Teams

29:39 Building a 360-Degree Skill Set

30:13 Personal Journey into VC

33:23 VC Interview Process

35:13 Importance of Partner Buy-In

36:47 Why Do You Want to Become a VC?

39:10 Monk's Hill Philosophy

41:48 Due Diligence in VC Hiring

42:22 The Excitement of Being a VC

43:42 Challenges in High Conviction Investing

47:20 The Importance of Networking and Luck

48:37 Burnout and Specialization in VC

51:16 Balancing Experience and Staying Updated

52:53 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

About:

Arun is a Principal at Monk’s Hill Ventures, based in Singapore and responsible for deal sourcing, due diligence and investment analysis and research. Arun brings over 15 years of experience in Finance and Tech start-ups.

Prior to joining MHV, Arun spent the last 6 years in the startup ecosystem as a C-level executive. He was the Chief Sales & Strategy Officer at Flow, where he managed growth and capital raising initiatives for the company leading to its acquisition. Prior to that, he was the Chief Kristals Officer, one of the first employees at Kristal.AI. He started his career and spent just under a decade in investment banking at Lehman Brothers and, subsequently, at Nomura across New York, Hong Kong & Singapore.

Arun graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.

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📍 About:

Understanding VC is a podcast that provides founders with the knowledge and resources they need to understand venture capital. Our goal is to create the best and most comprehensive resource on venture capital on the internet, so that founders can make informed decisions about their businesses and secure the funding they need to succeed.