Why Cleantech Venture Capital (VC)

VC recruiting for MBAs takes lots of work. Job offer isn’t guaranteed prior to graduation. So students need to clearly understand why they want to pursue a career in VC, before committing to this energy-draining process.

When I thought about my post-MBA career, I told myself I wanted to combine my technology foundation (Ph.D. in chemistry followed by R&D with four patents, management experiences, business strategy in emerging technologies, etc. at a Fortune 500 company) with business skills acquired through MBA. I believed this would be a good way to maximize the value-add to both a firm and my own career.

The Cleantech space has been growing so fast. The space became particularly exciting to me when I was doing my MBA. I believed VC investment in Cleantech would get the most synergy out of my background and skills. The job won’t only require deep knowledge of a given market but also solid understanding of technology innovation. I was confident I’m equipped with the skills to do it. Plus, whether it’s renewable energy generation or energy efficiency improvement, the opportunity in Cleantech VC will allow me to potentially make a positive social impact. That’s 100% in line with the value of my life.

But let me also make it clear - the VC career path has its own risk. Only some people start as Associate and eventually manage to become partner at a venture firm. For me, whether I’ll be able to turn a near-term Cleantech VC job into a long-term career path, I want this near-term experience to become a stepping stone to the next phase of my career, whatever and wherever it will be.

In the next couple posts, I’ll talk about my Cleantech VC recruiting experience.