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Why most VC firms hire associates wrong (and what we do instead) | Amplify Partners

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I’ve spent the better part of 17+ years in venture capital, and in that time, one thing has become crystal clear: most venture firms have absolutely no idea how to hire associates. It's not just that they're bad at it — though they certainly are — it's that they fundamentally misunderstand what the role should be in the first place. To illustrate how extreme the current state of things is, I have it on good authority that a well-known venture firm recently held a partner meeting to decide whether their associates should be allowed to speak during internal meetings. They ultimately decided yes (how generous!), but the fact that this was even a question tells you everything you need to know about how most firms think about junior talent. Things wouldn’t be so bad if the role of these apparently “lowly” associates was just an internal one. But the reality is quite the opposite: associates are disproportionately the first interaction that a founder will have with a venture firm. Associates

Why most VC firms hire associates wrong (and what we do instead) — Amplify Partners Thoughts Why most VC firms hire associates wrong (and what we do instead) Mike Dauber Share 08-07-2025 I’ve spent the better part of 17+ years in venture capital, and in that time, one thing has become crystal clear: most venture firms have absolutely no idea how to hire associates. It's not just that they're bad at it — though they certainly are — it's that they fundamentally misunderstand what the role should be in the first place. To illustrate how extreme the current state of things is, I have it on good au

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