10 resources for aspiring fund managers

Building a Conscious VC Fund

A while back, I wrote a piece on the nine-block fund model canvas, a framework to help aspiring fund managers design and launch institutional-grade funds. I have self-educated myself from various resources like podcasts, books, etc., which I would like to share in this post.

It's crucial to differentiate fund management and fund building from pure venture investing. Many of us doing angel investing or working for a fund as an investment professional think fund management is just about sourcing & investing in companies, but that’s far from reality.

The Most Important Steps to Take to Raise Venture Capital Funds

These are some online resources for aspiring, first-time fund managers that they MUST hook on to:

1. GPx is a program comprising educational content, peer learning, and mentorship from industry leaders geared towards equipping emerging fund managers with the knowledge, networks, and tools necessary to run successful funds. The program was designed and built by Plexo Capital.

   Website: https://gpx.plexocap.com/
   

2. Oper8r is focused on enabling the next generation of great founders in VC by empowering the next generation of great emerging micro-VCs that fund them.
   The program was designed and built by Winter Mead.
   Website:

3. Fund Manager Portal - SME Ventures and the Collaborative for Frontier Finance have partnered to curate the Fund Manager Portal, a collection of open-source resources which can be accessed by fund managers operating in emerging markets at various stages of their vehicle’s lifecycle.
   Website: https://www.fundmanagerportal.org/
   

4. #OpenLP by Sapphire Ventures is a resource for the venture capital community to learn from a diverse group of industry participants.
   Website: https://openlp.sapphireventures.com/
   

5. The Full Ratchet by Nick Moran - A Podcast dedicated to demystifying Venture Capital
   

6. Origins by Notation is a podcast about Limited Partners – the firms and institutions that invest in venture capital funds.

   Website: https://notation.vc/#podcast
   

7. Fund 81 -A resource for the next generation of venture capital
   

8. Venture Unlocked by Samir Kaji is the newsletter and podcast playbook designed to educate and assist emerging managers and aspiring investors with the information and tools necessary to drive smart, diverse, and informed capital to entrepreneurs.
   Website:

9. The Twenty Minute VC by Harry Stebbings takes you inside the world of Venture Capital, Startup Funding, and The Pitch. The Twenty Minute VC also provides an instructional guide as to what it takes to get employed in the Venture Capital industry, with VCs giving specific advice on how to get noticed from the crowd and increasing your chances of employment.
   Website: https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/

10. Books

    • How To Raise A Venture Capital Fund: The Essential Guide on Fundraising and Understanding Limited Partners by Winter Mead

    • Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson

    • The Business of Venture Capital: The Art of Raising a Fund, Structuring Investments, Portfolio Management, and Exits by Mahendra Ramsinghani

---

We are building a movement of bringing diversity at the fund manager level. We are launching a cohort-based educational fellowship for next-gen gender-diverse aspiring fund managers.

If you are an aspiring woman fund manager, please apply for the fellowship here.