Molly Alter wears many hats. She’s a mocumentary filmmaker working on a project about an alternate reality where charades is big business. She’s also a caesar salad connoisseur, ranking different restaurants’ attempts on her blog called JULIUS. And, as of recently, she’s Northzone’s newest partner.
Alter’s path to venture capital wasn’t always clear-cut. Her parents were journalists, and she grew up with a passion for creative pursuits like theater and improv comedy. These interests eventually led her to start a company at Harvard that filmed a cappella concerts and dance recitals.
A Surprising Entry into Venture Capital
Alter told TechCrunch that she initially started the company as a way to make money, but it eventually scaled up to 27 employees. Insight Partners approached Alter via Facebook Messenger to join their analyst program after graduating from Harvard.
"I went to Insight straight out of undergrad," Alter said. "My rationale was that I’m not from this world. I don’t know anything about these different businesses and business models. There is a lot for me to learn about starting companies. I’ll get a broad exposure, and after a couple of years, I’ll start my next company."
Alter never did start another company and has been in venture ever since. After nearly five years at Insight, she moved to Index as a partner out of their London office in 2020. In 2023, she joined Northzone and moved to New York City.
Why Venture Capital Felt Like Home
Alter assumed she’d eventually return to being an entrepreneur but realized that venture capital was a better fit for her. She mentioned that building blocks for this career were always there, even if she hadn’t noticed them at first.
"What you are doing at its core by investing in innovation is finding out how things work right now and how things could be better," Alter said.
Alter likes the fact that being a VC requires going deep into a subject and learning all the intricacies about it. Her investment in GovDash is an example of this, where she was fascinated by the complexities of government contracts.
"This is such an exciting job," Alter said. "You are learning about things that are right under your nose and learning how these things work today and if they are broken how an entrepreneur could fix that."
How Creative Backgrounds Can Be Beneficial
Alter thinks her creative background and current pursuits have made her a better investor. She mentioned how her experience with mocumentary filmmaking helped her develop strong storytelling skills.
"When I’m analyzing companies, I’m always looking for the story," Alter said. "I want to know what drives these founders, what motivates them. It’s not just about the product or the market; it’s also about the people behind it."
A New Chapter at Northzone
Alter is now part of Northzone, where she’ll be focusing on investments in the US and Europe.
"I’m really excited to join Northzone," Alter said. "The team has a great track record of supporting founders with innovative ideas. I’m looking forward to learning from them and contributing my own expertise."
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