Venture Capital to Growth Marketing with Jessica Li – Parts 1 and 2

In this week’s 2-part episode, Mark talks with Jessica Li, who has a range of experience in VC, content development, and growth marketing.

Mark and Jessica discuss a range of topics, including:

Jessica’s approach to interviewing guests when she develops content and how it informed her approach when potential portfolio companies wer pitching to her and her former colleagues at Sonoma Capital

What makes a good interview, in Jessica’s view

In translating their science to the market, what do many founders get wrong (including the recognition that “translation” is even required)?

In addition to being an investor and entrepreneur with a strong background in quantitative skills, Jessica also is a frequent writer for general audiences. The combination of these two abilities at such a high-caliber is unusual. How did her dual talents develop, and does she see any connections to her approach to writing and how she tackles challenges requiring expertise in quantitative principles?

In addition to her mentoring of founders mentioned in the introduction, Jessica also is Head of Content at Elpha, an online forum for women in tech. Are there specific obstacles that women in tech encounter that are not experienced by their male counterparts? How can men in the industry support their female colleagues who may be faced with these challenges?

Jessica has achieved quite a lot in her career journey so far, which still is in its early stages. What qualities have helped spur Jessica’s successes so far?

What advice does Jessica have for listeners who may be scientists or engineers thinking about entrepreneurship as a career choice?