Rough Draft Ventures is a student-run venture fund, powered and backed by General Catalyst. We bet on student entrepreneurs early and support them as they learn, grow, and build enduring, impactful companies. Over the past eight years, RDV has invested in 200+ student-led startups (Mark43, Spring Health, Instabase, Ribbon Health, Snackpass) that have gone on to raise over $2B in funding from leading investors and partners, including General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, First Round Capital, NEA, Sequoia, Accel, and others. Our fellow alums have gone on to found their own successful startups (Parade), launch venture funds and accelerators (Envision Accelerator), and start their own careers at venture firms including General Catalyst, BoxGroup, Founders Fund, Redpoint Ventures, and more.

Note: this application is both for venture fellows and platform fellows (Head of Growth, Content, and Engineering). It should take about 25-30 minutes to complete (4 general questions and 1 role-specific question). 

👀 What We’re Looking For

We're recruiting for several positions. Interested in joining RDV in a role that's not outlined below? Apply to be a Venture Fellow and we can jam on your ideas! The roles:

• Venture Fellows: As an RDV Venture Fellow, you will gain hands-on experience sourcing student-run startups, conducting due diligence, providing portfolio support, and leading the entire investment process. In addition to meeting with student founders every week, VFs will meet bi-weekly with their regional team to listen to pitches, engage in discussion, and make investment decisions. These sessions will also be an opportunity for VFs to learn about investing directly from partners at General Catalyst, portfolio company founders, and other top investors and operators in the industry.
• Head of Content: As Head of Content, you will lead the charge to build out our content engine, spearhead content efforts, and ideate new content initiatives. You will work directly with Jeremy to co-lead our newsletter, as well as build several key content pillars for RDV.
• Head of Growth: As Head of Growth, you will be the public voice of RDV. You'll take charge of all our public-facing channels, including social media, the blog, and our newsletter, and will help scale the new and improved RDV brand through fun growth initiatives. You'll drive our growth to help us reach more student founders at the earliest stages through events, initiatives, data campaigns, and more.
• Head of Engineering: A lot is happening behind the scenes here at Rough Draft. We have awesome technical projects at every turn, and high-impact opportunities for someone to come in and drive meaningful change. We’re looking for a new Head of Engineering to work alongside Jeremy in building and driving RDV's future. As Head of Engineering, you'll build out our external-facing platform while also building internal products for our portfolio companies. You'll also help manage our website.

We’re looking for:

• Demonstrated interest in entrepreneurship and supporting your peers: You are a leader in the entrepreneurial community (e.g. entrepreneurship club), have spent time working with your peers on a startup, or have actively organized/participated in entrepreneurship-related events. You know the ins and outs of the entrepreneurial ecosystem at your school.
• Authentic passion for technology and venture: You love thinking about the future and how technology can solve problems in an innovative way. You’re up-to-date on the latest and greatest in tech and venture and have a genuine interest in learning about emerging technologies.
• Diversity of thought: You pride yourself in having a unique background and have forged your own path based on your interests. You’ve built your own perspective over time and are now the go-to person for autonomous vehicles, the future of food, growth marketing, etc.
• Generous in spirit (“selfless”): You feel fulfilled by helping others. You find joy in being a supportive peer and friend. You don’t think twice about giving a helping hand whenever you get the chance.
• Growth mindset: In your universe, there are no failures, just opportunities to learn and grow. You believe that risks are worth taking and if they don’t work out, then you can iterate quickly and move forward with a plan.
• Naturally curious: When thinking about the future, you’re constantly analyzing trends and categorizing themes. You enjoy thinking about the world in a creative way, building your own POV, and sharing your thoughts constructively. You welcome diverse perspectives and encourage your colleagues to express their viewpoints.
• Bias towards action / 'builder' mentality: You are a builder and thrive when you are ideating, questioning, moving, creating, and building. You aren't satisfied with the status quo and are eager to take action and be surrounded by others who feel the same.

🤔 FAQ

How long is the program?

The program will run from October 2022 through May 2023.

When is the application deadline?

Friday, September 30, 2022 at 11:59 PM PT. 

Who should apply?

We welcome students of all backgrounds to apply. We are looking for independent thinkers who lead with selflessness. As long as you’re a full-time student graduating in 2023 or later, you’re invited to apply to join the Rough Draft Ventures team.

What will the application process look like?

We will review applications on a rolling basis, so please apply as soon as you feel ready. You will receive an update on your application within 1-2 weeks of submission. If you move forward to the first round of interviews, you’ll have a meeting with an existing venture fellow. If you move forward to the second round of interviews, you’ll have a meeting with an investor at General Catalyst. If you move forward to the final round of interviews, you’ll have a superday with several other RDV candidates.

Final round superdays conducted first week of October.

How many fellows will there be?

There will be ~25 venture fellows and ~30 fellows total.

What is the time commitment for this program?

We expect at least 8-10 hours of commitment to the program per week. While part-time, we’ve seen that the more that VFs put in, the more they get out of it. The hours will be split between meeting with founders during the week, conducting market research, learning from partners, hosting community events, and discussing pitches with other VFs. 

Will fellows be compensated?

All fellows will be reimbursed for any expenses incurred (e.g. coffee for a founder, uber rides to socially-distanced events, etc.). 

Any other questions?

If you have any other questions, please feel free to reach out to jnavarro@roughdraft.vc!