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I'm a VC founder. Here's a day in my life, from coffee and emails at 4 a.m. to taking a Waymo to dance class at noon

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kate McAndrew, a San Francisco-based 38-year-old cofounder and general partner at VC firm Baukunst. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I lean into my natural rhythms and create structure based on what worked previously.Cody Perhamus
  • Kate McAndrew cofounded the San Francisco-based VC firm Baukunst in 2022.
  • She told BI she builds out her schedule every quarter to accommodate her son and 12 p.m. dance classes.
  • Her "deep work" begins around 4 a.m., and she's asleep by about 8:30 p.m.
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I got my first opportunity in venture capital in 2012, and as soon as I found venture, it was like two puzzle pieces fitting together.

In 2022, I founded Baukunst, a VC fund that I'm a general partner at with three other partners. We invest in brand-new technology startups in the pre-seed phase on the frontiers of technology and design. We raised a $100 million debut fund, and now we're off to the races.

No two days in a week are alike for me, but most of my weeks look the same. Mondays look like Mondays, or Tuesdays look like Tuesdays, but all of the days are different.

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A big part of that is because I have 50/50 custody of my son, so my whole schedule gets built out around him.

My assistant and I do a quarterly planning of my schedule. I really lean into my natural rhythms and create structure based on what worked previously. I make my choices, and I own my choices, and that's not a privilege everybody has. But I think in the ways that you can control your time, you should.

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