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Bryan, Principal at Meridiem Ventures: Advize Career Interview

Bryan's unconventional career journey, from architecture to political economics and then through finance at major studios like Warner Brothers, Disney, and Netflix, showcases a dynamic path to becoming a Principal at Meridiem Ventures, where expertise is used to guide tech startups through the entertainment landscape.

A typical day involves advising companies, networking, and securing funding for startups ready to disrupt the industry, and a huge challenge involves convincing startups to launch imperfect products and learn from feedback.

This exciting role emphasizes listening, understanding diverse goals, and recognizing the power of data in driving business decisions.

What Bryan enjoys most is empowering startups to refine their strategies and witness their growth, especially when connecting them with the right people in the media and entertainment industry.

For students interested in the field, it is important to be flexible, take risks, focus on learning, and understand that relationships are invaluable.

Entry-level positions like assistants to executives or producers, while seemingly simple, provide unparalleled access to industry training and networking opportunities, and it is best to get experience in an industry of interest.

Throughout the career, it is best not to over-plan and to be open to different roles.

Bryan's experiences show the importance of recognizing when a path isn't the right fit and embracing broader opportunities, even if it takes time to discover a passion, making Bryan's story an inspiring example of career exploration and success in the media and entertainment world.

Advizer Information

Name

Job Title

Company

Undergrad

Grad Programs

Majors

Industries

Job Functions

Traits

Bryan Noon

Principal

Meridiem Ventures

UC Berkeley

UCLA Anderson - MBA

Economics, Political Science, American Studies

Arts, Entertainment & Media

Consulting

​

Watch all of this Advizer's videos below

Career Path Of A Principal Working With Startups

Bryan's career began unconventionally, shifting from architecture to political economics at Berkeley before landing at Arthur Anderson, only to realize "didn't want to be a CPA either"; This led to a decade in production finance at Warner Brothers and other studios, followed by an MBA and a pivotal role at Walt Disney, managing finance and later negotiating deals in business affairs, eventually spending nearly nine years at Netflix building out their original series initiative before returning to Disney and ultimately starting a consulting firm focused on helping tech startups with go-to-market strategies and financing.

Career Path Of A Principal Working With Startups

Main Responsibilities of a Principal at Meridiem Ventures

Bryan's current role as a Principal at Meridiem Ventures focuses on guiding startup technology companies, particularly with "go-to-market strategies" to enter new markets like entertainment and content creation, including sales pitch development and fundraising efforts. Prior roles involved developing and implementing business strategies across business units within larger corporations like Netflix and Disney to achieve creative leaders' goals.

Main Responsibilities of a Principal at Meridiem Ventures

A Day In The Life Of A Principal At Meridiem Ventures

As a Principal at Meridiem Ventures, Bryan spends about a third of the time "listening" to the companies being advised, providing input, and guiding them with market expertise; another third is dedicated to networking and leveraging connections for their benefit. The remaining third is spent on lead generation and fundraising, which includes working with companies on their decks and "trying to secure funds" for them.

A Day In The Life Of A Principal At Meridiem Ventures

Most Important Skills For A Principal At Meridiem Ventures

Bryan, a Principal at Meridiem Ventures, highlights the importance of "listening and understanding what others' goals are and what their objectives are", whether in deal-making or corporate strategy. Most recently, Bryan suggests that understanding how data drives business and its limitations, especially since working at Netflix, is essential for informed decision-making in the entertainment industry.

Most Important Skills For A Principal At Meridiem Ventures

Favorite Parts of Being a Principal at Meridiem Ventures

Bryan, a Principal at Meridiem Ventures, finds the most rewarding aspect of the role to be guiding startup companies through the crucial stages of strategy development and market validation, offering expertise to help them adjust and evolve their approaches. Witnessing these companies implement advice and seeing the positive results proves to be "really enjoyable" and fulfilling.

Favorite Parts of Being a Principal at Meridiem Ventures

Biggest Challenges Faced By A Principal At Meridiem Ventures

As a Principal at Meridiem Ventures, Bryan finds that a major challenge is convincing startup founders to launch imperfect products and avoid excessive strategic revisions, because "they're gonna learn the most by just going out and trying to sell their product" and adapting based on real-world feedback rather than overanalyzing in a vacuum.

Biggest Challenges Faced By A Principal At Meridiem Ventures

Favorite Parts Of Working In The Media And Entertainment Industry As A Principal

Bryan enjoys leveraging established relationships in the media and entertainment industry to connect people, especially startups, with opportunities such as finding partners or raising funds; it's rewarding to "connect 'em to the right people" and help them achieve their goals. As a Principal at Meridiem Ventures, Bryan finds fulfillment in using professional experience to facilitate connections and foster growth for others.

Favorite Parts Of Working In The Media And Entertainment Industry As A Principal

What Type Of Person Thrives In The Media And Entertainment Industry According To A Principal At Meridiem Ventures

Bryan believes that successful individuals in the media and entertainment industry are those who can "take risks, particularly taking a risk on yourself," and who demonstrate the willingness to be flexible, pivoting when necessary to explore different roles and paths, even if "the next job...may not be the exact right job." They emphasize focusing on learning and challenging oneself in the short term, trusting that experiences will build towards future opportunities.

What Type Of Person Thrives In The Media And Entertainment Industry According To A Principal At Meridiem Ventures

What A Principal At Meridiem Ventures Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Venture Capital Industry

Bryan from Meridiem Ventures wishes earlier in their career they understood the importance of networking, stating that "relationships are incredibly important" in their industry. They learned that almost every opportunity has come through relationships, not cold applications, and wish they had appreciated that networking was "really gonna be the way to sort of move my career forward."

What A Principal At Meridiem Ventures Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Venture Capital Industry

Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Executives

Bryan, a Principal at Meridiem Ventures, suggests that undergraduates interested in entertainment should be open to roles like "assistant to an executive or to a producer," as these positions, while perhaps unexpected, offer invaluable networking opportunities and industry training, even more so than some "more corporate entry level jobs" that might provide specific skills. He further emphasizes the importance of identifying a specific area of interest within the industry, such as creative, business, legal, or finance, and being willing to start in an entry-level position within that area.

Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Executives

Significant Career Lesson From a Principal at Meridiem Ventures

Bryan, a Principal at Meridiem Ventures, learned the importance of not over-planning a career, emphasizing the value of being "open to different sorts of roles as well as being open to different types of companies," and prioritizing learning and challenge over rigidly sticking to a predetermined path. As a result, Bryan's career path has been "a little bit more of a casual meander than a specific set out the path," proving advantageous within the entertainment industry's flexible landscape.

Significant Career Lesson From a Principal at Meridiem Ventures

College Experiences That Helped a Principal at Meridiem Ventures Succeed

Bryan emphasizes the importance of recognizing when a chosen major isn't the right fit, pivoting from architecture to the more general political economics which allowed for a "much more broad sort of undergraduate experience". This flexibility enabled Bryan to explore different career paths and take accounting electives, ultimately preparing them for a public accounting job unrelated to their major.

College Experiences That Helped a Principal at Meridiem Ventures Succeed

Meridiem Ventures Principal Shares Career Advice For Social Science Majors

Bryan suggests that social science students who aren't detail-oriented should focus on identifying industries that genuinely interest them, as specific job duties early in a career are often less important than being in a field one is "really interested and passionate about," and it took Bryan "two years after undergrad to realize that." Students should "start that process while [they're] in school" to avoid a similar post-graduation pivot.

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