If I Can’t Get In, I’ll Make My Own Way In
Recorded in Chinese
I want to enter venture capital through content, translating technical work into language more people can understand. Ideas for interviews and podcasts meet the reality of limited access and the need to keep developing my insight.
00:01 A long time ago, I wrote an article
00:03 on my WeChat public account.
00:04 It was called "Making Content in VC Seems Fun."
00:10 At the time, the article even got
00:12 some views,
00:13 shares, and likes.
00:15 I hadn't expected that,
00:18 because I only wrote it
00:20 because I had noticed
00:22 some things about content in the VC world.
00:26 So I felt moved to write about it,
00:27 and that became the article.
00:30 Back then,
00:32 as someone outside the VC world,
00:36 I was interested in everything about it.
00:39 Later, I actually started learning
00:42 some things about venture capital.
00:44 And I realized that for someone like me,
00:48 with no connections,
00:50 no resources,
00:51 and perhaps no abilities
00:55 that they could really see,
00:58 getting a job in this field
00:59 was completely impossible.
01:03 So later I started wondering,
01:04 what could I do to get them to notice me?
01:09 I found some organizations
01:11 and sent them my resume,
01:13 but I still couldn't get into
01:15 that kind of field.
01:17 Eventually, though, I realized
01:18 that if I wanted to enter
01:19 this field and do something in it,
01:21 my strength was probably content.
01:26 So I started imagining:
01:27 if I entered this kind of
01:29 industry to make content,
01:30 what should I do?
01:33 I thought about it,
01:34 and felt that the role of a translator
01:39 was one I could probably
01:41 do quite well.
01:42 For example, when it comes to writing,
01:45 I do have some foundation.
01:47 And with my science background,
01:49 I can communicate with people
01:52 in areas like technology,
01:54 or in fields that are
01:56 heavily technical,
01:58 without too much difficulty.
02:02 I can understand their technical language.
02:05 At the same time, I can take something,
02:08 a technology,
02:10 like how it is put into practice,
02:12 or what their product...
02:13 means for the public once it is built,
02:17 and translate that intention,
02:19 that ideal,
02:20 into language the public can understand,
02:22 and write it out.
02:24 That is something I'm fairly good at.
02:26 The other thing is,
02:28 I feel that much of what people
02:32 in technology are doing
02:35 is not actually known to the public.
02:38 The people who
02:41 resonate with them,
02:42 or know what they are doing
02:44 and understand it,
02:46 are mostly concentrated in VC,
02:49 such as investors,
02:54 people with experience in tech,
02:56 or people with technical backgrounds.
02:58 But other people
03:00 may also be curious
03:01 about what is happening in this field.
03:03 They may wonder what a team is doing.
03:06 But there is no one in the middle,
03:08 playing a translator-like role for them.
03:11 So maybe I could play that role.
03:16 But then,
03:17 would any organization need such a person?
03:21 That is an answer
03:22 I will have to find next.
03:25 Another thing is,
03:27 I have thought about...
03:29 Well,
03:33 isn't there a famous saying in Silicon Valley?
03:35 It is something like becoming
03:37 a permissionless apprentice.
03:40 It means that if you want to learn something,
03:42 or want to make something,
03:43 you do not necessarily need "permission"
03:45 before you have the right to do it.
03:48 You can start doing the relevant work
03:52 before anyone knows who you are,
03:54 build up some results,
03:55 and then let people notice you.
03:58 So I was thinking,
03:59 what if I found some lesser-known
04:03 founding teams,
04:04 or some lesser-known investors,
04:09 and talked with them
04:11 about what they were working on?
04:14 For those investors,
04:15 what sectors are they looking at?
04:17 What kinds of founders do they choose?
04:20 If I could turn these conversations
04:23 into written interviews,
04:24 or make them into a podcast,
04:26 then for the people themselves,
04:28 it could offer some publicity.
04:31 It would be a little like content marketing
04:33 or building a brand.
04:36 The effect
04:37 might not be extremely obvious,
04:39 but at least it would leave
04:42 some trace of them on the internet.
04:44 Because I think sometimes,
04:47 people who want to start a company,
04:49 or people looking for a founding team,
04:52 may not be able to reach certain people.
04:56 Content left behind on the internet
05:00 can be a very...
05:02 convenient way for them to make contact.
05:05 So I think this could be
05:06 a pretty good kind of practice.
05:11 But the reality is,
05:13 I have none of those resources around me.
05:15 If I posted on Xiaohongshu
05:17 and asked people to respond,
05:19 the chances of success would be very low.
05:22 So I put that plan aside.
05:27 And then...
05:29 What was I just thinking about?
05:32 I actually started recording this on a whim.
05:34 I had no idea what I would think of
05:36 once I pressed the record button.
05:39 So I am just saying
05:42 whatever comes into my head.
05:43 There may be many things in this process
05:45 that I still haven't figured out.
05:47 But I do not want to wait until I have
05:49 before recording this audio,
05:51 because many things are not something
05:54 I can figure out just by taking more time.
05:56 Instead, I need to keep...
05:58 for example, talking them through
06:00 and sorting out my thoughts
06:04 in that way.
06:06 Sometimes, sorting out my thoughts
06:08 does not mean researching or finding more context.
06:13 Instead,
06:14 it can happen through something like
06:17 the casual, conversational way
06:19 I am describing things right now.
06:21 That may also help me think of
06:24 points that really resonate with me.
06:25 For example, a while ago,
06:27 I tried to find out
06:30 which organizations
06:32 in mainland China
06:35 need to build momentum through content
06:38 and use it to build their brands.
06:41 I learned about a few organizations.
06:43 One example is
06:47 Li Feng of FreeS Fund.
06:51 When I first learned about this VC firm,
06:55 I did not know who Li Feng was,
06:59 because my
07:00 understanding of venture capital
07:02 was still extremely, extremely limited.
07:05 So when I saw
07:06 the keywords FreeS Fund and Li Feng,
07:08 those two terms,
07:10 I first watched a video of Li Feng speaking.
07:14 And I immediately thought,
07:17 wow.
07:18 The way this person expressed his ideas...
07:22 It was just...
07:24 I do not know how many people
07:26 have this kind of feeling.
07:28 You watch a video of someone,
07:30 see the way they carry themselves onstage,
07:33 or listen to how they speak,
07:35 and you think, wow,
07:36 this person is interesting and substantial.
07:38 That is how I tend
07:41 to recognize whether someone
07:44 is the kind of person I really admire.
07:48 At the time, I watched
07:50 a video of Li Feng that was two minutes long,
07:53 and thought he was so interesting.
07:55 So through that video
07:59 and the little information I found,
08:01 I felt that FreeS Fund
08:03 might be an organization
08:06 I should learn more about in the future.
08:12 But I still do not know
08:13 what I should do next.
08:16 No matter what, though,
08:17 now that I have this idea,
08:19 my next actions
08:22 may have a clearer direction.
08:25 Of course, I also need...
08:29 If someone really does see this video,
08:31 maybe they can point me in a direction
08:33 and help me learn.
08:35 I will also keep publishing content
08:37 on my own WeChat public account,
08:42 so that my...
08:44 for example,
08:46 ability to develop insights,
08:48 or...
08:50 how I analyze an industry,
08:52 how I use the information
08:55 and materials I already have
08:58 to extract structure
09:00 and distill insights...
09:03 For example, a while ago,
09:04 I tried to learn about
09:06 an industry I was somewhat interested in,
09:08 one related to exoskeletons.
09:12 I found it very interesting.
09:13 So next, I am also planning...
09:15 Not planning.
09:16 I have already decided
09:17 to write an article about exoskeletons.
09:21 From what I have learned about
09:26 the relevant exoskeleton...
09:29 I cannot tell whether to call them companies
09:31 or the directions they are pursuing,
09:35 meaning rigid or soft ones,
09:36 I think there is a lot to write about.