How I Broke Into VC From Sales With Liam Mulcahy, Operating Partner @ Kleiner Perkins

11 snips

Jan 15, 2026

Liam Mulcahy, Operating Partner at Kleiner Perkins, shares insights from his impressive journey in venture capital and sales. He reveals how a creative cardboard cutout earned him a spot at MongoDB, emphasizing the importance of treating interviews like sales deals. Liam discusses the invaluable 'MBA in sales' training he received and how he broke into VC by cold-calling top investors. He also covers effective outreach strategies and underscores that effort is key to career success. A must-listen for those transitioning into venture capital!

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

MongoDB As An 'MBA In Sales'

MongoDB offered an 'MBA in sales' through intense training and real experience.
Liam found that on-the-job sales training trumped a formal MBA for career impact.

ANECDOTE

The Cardboard Cutout That Changed Everything

Liam sent a life-size cardboard cutout of himself to MongoDB after being told he didn't fit the role.
The stunt cost about $120 and created a memorable story that helped land the job and changed his trajectory.

ADVICE

Treat Interviews Like Sales Deals

Treat interviews like deals and actively ask for live feedback when rejected.
Ask to redo failed interview components and demonstrate coachability to earn a second swing.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Episode Description:

Liam Mulcahy is an Operating Partner at Kleiner Perkins, where he leads go-to-market strategy for their portfolio companies from Series A through C.

Before Kleiner, Liam was an early member of the GTM ops team at Unusual Ventures where he served as the first sales rep for 26+ portfolio companies simultaneously, building their GTM motions from zero.

He cut his teeth at MongoDB pre and post-IPO, where he went from being told "we don't think you can cut it" to becoming a top performer and sales leader.

Liam is one of the most thoughtful and intelligent voices on zero-to-one sales, career strategy, and what it actually takes to break into venture capital from an operating background.

Discussed in this episode:

The cardboard cutout Hail Mary that landed Liam his job at MongoDB
Why you should treat interviewing like a sales deal
The "MBA in sales" - why MongoDB's training was more valuable than business school
Cold calling the Midas List to break into VC without an MBA
How Kleiner Perkins rebuilt their operating team with peak-career subject matter experts
Why a signed contract is now your best competitive differentiator
The three rings of outbound: warm network, lukewarm, and ice cold
Step-by-step guide to breaking into VC from a sales background
"Effort is free" - why some people are stuck in third gear
What Liam would tell someone who says "I want your job" & how to break into VC from sales

Episode Timestamps:

(00:00) Liam's Journey: From D1 Track Athlete to Kleiner Perkins Operating Partner

(06:00) Why Advertising Taught Him Sales (Without Realizing It)

(10:00) The Tim Ferriss Books That Sparked the Startup Bug

(14:00) What Made MongoDB's Interview Process Hard (In A Good Way)

(18:00) The Cardboard Cutout That Changed Everything

(24:00) Treat Your Interview Like a Deal: Getting Feedback After Rejection

(31:00) Dealing With Imposter Syndrome

(36:00) "If You're Going to Do Something, Do It Well" - The Flashcard QBR Story

(40:00) Why Liam Didn't Want to Be a CRO

(45:00) Cold Calling the Midas List to Break Into VC

(50:00) How Kleiner Uniquely Positions The VC Operating Model

(57:00) Why a Signed Contract is Your Best Competitive Moat

(62:00) How to Actually Break Into VC (Step by Step)

About The Vibescaling Podcast:

The Vibescaling Podcast interviews GTM leaders and investors at top AI startups and early-stage companies.

Every week, host ⁠⁠⁠Chris Balestras⁠⁠⁠, partner @ ⁠⁠⁠Vibescaling⁠⁠⁠ (an advisory, recruiting, investing, & media firm for seed through series C AI-natives & SaaS startups) sits down with GTM operators from the fastest-growing AI natives and SaaS companies to break down what's actually working in go-to-market today.

No fluff, no theory - just honest, tactical insights from people in the trenches building the next generation of AI breakouts.

About Vibescaling:

⁠⁠⁠Vibescaling⁠⁠⁠ is an advisory, recruiting, media, & investing firm for seed through series C AI-natives & fast-growing SaaS startups scaling from 0 to $100M ARR.

Where to Find VibeScaling: