#2 → Jess Li: Avoiding the Trap of De-Risking Yourself

In this episode, Asher is joined by Jess Li, 23 year old VC at Soma Capital and former Partner at Rough Draft Ventures.

We talk through Jess' decision to not return to Morgan Stanley after her junior summer, her experience working for multiple Y Combinator backed startups, and how she thinks about career development.

[1:45]: Jess' background and childhood

[4:42]: Advice from her father and diving into the world of startups

[7:58]: Jess' ongoing work with Elpha (YC S19) - a Reddit type community for women in tech

[16:07]: Investing in student-led businesses at Rough Draft Ventures

[21:25]: Helping founders to see their blind spots and how VCs can add value

[24:43]: Joining Soma Capital and staying on top of 200+ portfolio companies

[30:52]: What Jess looks for when evaluating founding teams at the seed stage

[36:19]: Closing the door on an investment banking job at Morgan Stanley

[41:20]: Jess' favorite podcast and advice for her pre-college self

Worth website - worth.carrd.co

Jess' Medium - https://medium.com/@jessli

Jess' LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-li-12b74968/

Elpha - https://elpha.com/

Book recommendations - https://www.notion.so/book-podcast-recommendations-59abba1db1db4fc2b9b9a4e08edb0b24