A Day In The Life Of A Venture Capital Investor
Silvia, as a limited partner in venture funds, spends time listening to startup pitches via Zoom, using the opportunity to ask questions and participate in due diligence. For direct investments via SPVs, Silvia conducts extensive research, including analyzing financials, competitive landscapes, founders' backgrounds, and even leveraging "open AI's deep research" while also making time to "encourage and inspire other women to activate their own wealth and invest in venture capital" through social media engagement and connections.
Venture Capital, Startup Advising, Investment Strategies, Due Diligence, Networking
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Silvia Damen
Realtor / Investor / Advisor
EXP Realty / Golden Gate Investments
UC Berkeley
UCLA - MBA
Economics, Political Science, American Studies
Finance (Banking, Fintech, Investing), Real Estate
Real Estate
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. As a limited partner in venture funds, she listens to pitch calls via Zoom, asking questions to startup founders and learning about innovative technologies.
2. When considering direct investments, she conducts thorough due diligence, including analyzing financials, competitive landscapes, founder backgrounds, and intellectual property.
3. She spends time on LinkedIn to stay updated on trends in women's health and underserved markets, engaging with content and encouraging women to invest in venture capital.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of a VC investor or startup advisor look like?
This can vary, but often I'm a limited partner in a few venture funds. I listen to many pitch calls via Zoom, which is interesting for asking founders about innovative technologies.
Sometimes, as a limited partner, I just ask questions and might be part of the due diligence process. Other times, there are opportunities for direct investments through an SPV, which stands for Special Purpose Vehicle.
This is a direct investment in a startup and requires more thorough diligence on my part. If I'm interested in a direct investment, I'll review a company's financials, competitive landscape, and the founders' backgrounds and track records.
I'll also research the competition myself to see if the company has enough intellectual property or strategic advantage to succeed. I recently learned about OpenAI's deep research, which is phenomenal and will help with future analysis for these direct investments.
Sometimes, I have one-on-one calls with founders to get to know them better. If I'm directly investing, I want to know the people behind the company. If we connect well, they might ask me to be an informal advisor, running things by me.
They might ask for connections, or I will offer them based on my network. Being involved in VC investment and advising also means spending time on LinkedIn, seeing what's happening in areas like women's health and underserved markets.
I spend at least half an hour to an hour daily on LinkedIn, making comments or posts about women's health. I also aim to encourage and inspire other women to activate their wealth and invest in venture capital to build confidence.
This allows them to use their money wisely and invest in products and services they want to see in the world. If women don't invest in these products, they won't get developed. That's essentially my day.