Why Curiosity is Your Superpower in Venture Capital

4 min readOct 4, 2024

There are so many articles out there telling you what makes someone a great VC. Everyone’s got their take, from industry icons to loud emerging managers on Twitter. Maybe you’ve even started building your own theory about it. Some might say it’s all about having entrepreneurial/operating experience or having a killer network. While those things matter, I think there’s one quality that really stands out. It’s the trait that will not only determine if you’ll excel in VC but if you’ll genuinely enjoy it — curiosity. It may seem obvious, but there’s a deeper layer to it.

It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of venture capital — the fast pace, the carried interest, the obsession with the ‘next big thing’ — but have you ever stopped to think, “Am I actually wired for this?”

Curiosity as the Defining Trait

In my experience, curiosity is the not-so-secret ingredient that separates the good from the great in VC. The ones who really thrive in this space aren’t just here for the deals or the exits — they’re here because they want to learn about everything. They get excited by exploring new industries, figuring out why companies succeed or fail, and learning about the stories behind innovation.

VC is all about asking deep questions, whether it’s digging into a startup’s business model or understanding how a whole industry works that you’ve never even heard of, like real estate title insurance or blockchain-based coffee supply chains (because regular coffee wasn’t complicated enough). If you’re naturally curious, those tasks are going to feel exciting rather than a chore.

It’s easy to look at VC as a job filled with prestige, high-risk investments, and exciting tech companies. But here’s the thing: if you’re not driven by a deep desire to constantly learn, this career might not be as fun or fulfilling as you think.

Curiosity Wins

While I was at an event in Chicago, a professor from Chicago Booth School of Business shared some insight that really stuck with me. After years of mentoring incoming VCs, he’d noticed a pattern: the highest-performing associates weren’t just the smartest or the most well-connected. They were the ones driven by curiosity. They wanted to know how the world worked, how products are made, and why industries evolved the way they did. Curiosity wasn’t just a nice trait — it was the driving force behind their success.

That got me thinking, and I began to notice this trait among the most successful VCs I’ve met. Curiosity is the common thread that weaves through all great VCs. The drive to learn is what sets apart those who excel in venture capital from those who follow the motions.

Are You Wired for VC?

Everyone’s curious to some extent, it’s human nature. But some people are more motivated by it than others. The people driven by curiosity are the ones spending all their time in YouTube rabbit holes about everything from how airplanes are built to the history of AI. They stay up late researching the origins of Meta or learning how to bake the perfect sourdough. They’re excited about how things work and constantly in search of more.

In venture, curiosity looks like reading up on niche industries, asking founders and investors a lot of questions, and understanding not just what a product is but why it works. The best VCs are always learning.

On the flip side, if deep dives into new industries aren’t your thing, then VC might feel less exciting for you. And that’s totally okay.There are different drivers for different people.

Other Strengths and Personality Types

Of course, not everyone is as driven by curiosity, and that’s perfectly fine. Some people thrive in other ways. Maybe you’re more of a creative thinker, interested in building and designing. You might love connecting people and building deeper relationships. Others might be super analytical and thrive on research, data, and structure. Curiosity isn’t everything, and there are other strengths that help VCs succeed — creativity, relationship-building, or executing on big ideas.

If you’re curious to explore what your natural strengths are, tools like CliftonStrengths can help you figure it out. CliftonStrengths identifies key characteristics under themes like Strategic Thinking, Relationship Building, Influencing, and Executing. I imagine that many VCs have strengths like Learner, Context, Input, and Intellection. These are the folks who constantly ask, How does this work? and Why is this happening? They bring strategic thinking and a learning mindset to everything they do.

The Key to Enjoying VC

Of course, curiosity isn’t the only thing that matters. A great VC has a mix of skills — networking, financial acumen, resilience, and more. But if you’re not driven by a genuine love of learning about industries, innovation, and business, you might not find VC as fulfilling.

So, if you’re thinking about VC, ask yourself: are you curious about the world around you? Do you get excited about learning new things every day? If so, you might be fit to be a great investor. Curiosity may not be the only trait that makes a successful VC, but in my opinion, it’s the one that makes this career truly fun.