@kate_mcandrew — 4x breakout

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All the jobs I had before age 25 that led to my career in venture capital (this might surprise you):

@kate_mcandrew

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Why it worked

The post resonated by sharing a relatable and inspiring career journey, demonstrating that diverse experiences can lead to success in venture capital. The creator's vulnerability and candidness about past roles, including less glamorous ones, created a strong connection with the audience.

Summary

The creator shares a chronological list of ten jobs held before the age of 25, detailing the skills and experiences gained from each. These diverse roles, ranging from camp counselor to construction worker, ultimately contributed to their career in venture capital, culminating in co-founding a firm that raised a $100 million debut fund.

Structure

1Introduction of career journey
2Listing early jobs and lessons learned
3Transition to venture capital roles
4Founding BauKunst and raising capital
5Concluding advice on career and life

On-screen text

All the jobs I had before age 25 that led to my career in venture capital (this might surprise you): 1. Camp counselor. Learned to motivate people. (age 14-16) 2. Waitress at the Corner Bakery cafes. Learned that not everyone is nice. (age 16) 3. Barista at a cafe in Montreal while speaking no French and not knowing how to make coffee. I was hired for my California vibe and the customers hated me but I got to meet Leonard Cohen. (age 18) 4. I was the lodge manager at a retreat center in NH. I scrubbed a lot of toilets and made a lot of beds that summer. (Age 19) 5. Dining hall manager at the same retreat center. In charge of feeding 150 people three meals a day. I LOVED it. (Age 20) 6. Staff manager at the same retreat center. I managed a staff of 50. A lot of responsibility TBH. (Age 21) 7. Lululemon sales associate at the Toronto flagship. We hacked Facebook pages into business pages in 2009 and ran one of their early run clubs. I learned about company culture, consumer brands, and social media marketing. (Age 22) 8. Receptionist at a hair salon. Wow that sucked but I needed money. (Also age 22) 9. Moved back to LA and started my own consulting business teaching exec teams about social media and building strategies for them. Lived in a windowless apartment and spent most of my time in my car. Figured out I was gifted at strategy and talking to the c-suite. (Age 23) 10. Worked construction building houses with Habitat for Humanity through the Americorps program in small town North Carolina while keeping some of my consulting clients alive for cash. (Age 25) And from there, I got hired at an accelerator program as the program director, did my first 20 investments, moved to SF, got an associate job at a hardware fund, built that for 8 years, and then co-founded BauKunst where we raised $100m debut fund. Well trodden paths rarely lead you to the right place. Work hard, follow your nose. Find great people. Grow. Keep growing. Treat people the best you can. Enjoy the ride.