I meet many MBA students studying Entrepreneurship who tell me they are planning to have a career as a venture capitalist. Guy Kawasaki recently wrote a post at his site offering some lengthy, but very good advice to young aspiring VCs. Here is his conclusion (edited to make it "G" rated).
Here's the bottom line: You should become a venture capitalist after you've had the [expletive deleted] kicked out of you. This will yield at least two positive results: First, you’ll stand out from the full-of-[expletive deleted] artists who entered the business when they were young. Second, you'll really be able to help your portfolio companies--which is what venture capital should be all about. See you in ten or twenty years.
It is similar advice that I offer to those who aspire to teach Entrepreneurship. Go out and be one, or at least work for one. A little miles under your belt and some wear on the tires goes a long way!
(Thanks to James Shewmaker for passing this along).
