“I am so glad I stumbled upon Zach’s classes – he has designed a very thoughtful curriculum and cohort to help investors (including those aspiring to break into VC) sharpen their financial modeling and analysis muscle. Zach is very patient and very kind with his time – he will take the time that you need to REALLY understand the concept. He believes in breaking down problems and teaching absolute fundamentals which makes it easy to understand and super engaging. Definitely recommend his class!”
Aashna gupta: Corporate development at hewlett packard enterprises
“I am so thrilled to have found Zach’s class! Not only did I learn useful material which has helped inform my diligence process and understand venture capital more broadly but I also met other investors and had the opportunity to build relationships.
Abbie Strabala: Investment Analyst at Rhia ventures
Even with a background in finance, Zach tailors his curriculum to focus on nuances within venture capital and ensures you understand the principles before building on them. Could not recommend this class enough for anyone trying to upskill their financial modeling skills”
“Participating in Zach’s class was such a positive experience! He tailors the class specifically to address people working in venture capital, which makes the application of the course very valuable (everything from analyzing a balance sheet to cap table analysis). It’s also a great opportunity to network with individuals working in venture across the globe! I cannot recommend this class enough – it’s well worth the commitment & Zach is a fantastic teacher.”
Abha Nath: Investor at wonder ventures
“I came into Venture Capital with very little financial background, and after working in the space, I generally lacked confidence in my financial analysis and modeling skills. Learning from Zach provided a solid foundation of knowledge that I use on a day-to-day basis, ranging from basic to advanced concepts. Zach is an incredible teacher and extremely thoughtful with how he approaches explanations for each of his students. I highly recommend his class!”
Ada Rauch: Investor at AXA Venture Partners
“Modeling for Venture Capital was recommended to me by a mentor and expert in the VC sector – and I am incredibly glad I took her advise and enrolled in the course. As a healthcare expert, my knowledge of finance and modeling was specific to academic research and economic trends along specific disease states. Zach’s course added elements that strengthened my understanding and execution of core modeling concepts, while also supporting opportunities to ask fundamental questions critical for successful understanding. The course was formatted in a way that thoughtful married synchronous and asynchronous teaching, allowing me to review concepts that required additional practice and post questions in real-time. Lastly, Zach’s extensive breath of institutional knowledge layered with real-world examples made the course engaging and enjoyable. It is one of the few finance courses I would take again! “
Alexandria Shandiz: Senior Associate at Kaiser permanente ventures
“This class is an absolute must for anyone new to venture or looking to refresh their skill set. As a former managing consultant, I was very comfortable with Excel and modeling in general, but not specifically for venture. Zach really helped me with foundational learnings like cap tables and waterfalls as well as taking a venture lens to financial modeling. I also really enjoyed his other insights on VC as an industry throughout the course – why one instrument is favored over another, how investing has changed over the years etc. Having extra time at the end of each class to ask questions on course materials or anything on my mind was key as well. Overall I’ve really enjoyed working with Zach and highly recommend this course! “
Alice Zheng: Principal at Rh capital
“Zach’s class is a breath of fresh air in the world of finance education. It’s hands-on and engaging. He focuses on real-world professional applications of the material, while offering enough theory to cover the necessary context. He brings thoughtfulness and care to his teaching. I couldn’t recommend him more highly. “
Annika Lewis: Investor at Vandage capital
“Zach focuses on the “why” as much as on the “what” and “how” of venture financing. Rather than regurgitate buzzwords or cookie-cutter case studies, Zach prepared unique cases per each class and dived deep into the intricacies of different models, metrics, and KPIs — making sure that we had a real conceptual understanding of each of them. Lastly, he is a great teacher and created an excellent online learning experience (one of my best online classes ever). “
BEsart Copa: Student at Georgetown university, fellow at citi ventures
“A must take course for anyone new (or old) to venture!! The curriculum serves as a foundation for those looking to improve their business acumen. Zach will be your favorite professor – incredibly knowledgeable, patient, highly entertaining, and above all, deeply committed to ensuring his students leave feeling equip and confident. The material covered significantly exceeded all of my expectations, the course itself flew by, and overall was valuable beyond words. Thank you, Zach! “
Brie Blumenthal: Senior Associate at Amboy street ventures
“I took a condensed version of Zach’s class while a student at Harvard Business School and came back for seconds! Just wrapped up the four-week version. Zach is a fantastic teacher – he lays out the fundamentals of venture capital modeling in a discussion format that is engaging, intuitive, and educational, with plenty of opportunities for practice offline. He also ensures that students feel comfortable asking any and all questions (including questions you wouldn’t dare ask a colleague at work!). I finished the course feeling confident and far more prepared to do my job effectively! “
Devon Sanford: Associate at sjf ventures
“Zach’s class provides practical venture capital modeling training that is beneficial for anyone who invests in private companies. Regardless of your previous experience, the Modeling for Venture Capital curriculum helps reinforce the fundamentals of cap table mechanics, company valuation, and returns analysis while teaching best practices for financial modeling.
Ellen Yang: Senior Associate at Gore range capital
Zach is an exceptional instructor – professional, articulate, and intrinsically motivated to help his students learn. His thoughtful approach to structuring the class made the content highly engaging and provided a forum for me to meet like-minded peers in the industry.”
“I came into the Modeling for Venture Capital course with zero experience or prior training in the finance industry. Fortunately, Zach is a fantastic teacher who was able to break down seemingly difficult and esoteric financial concepts and terminology for a former engineer like myself. Going through this course gave me the necessary context and understanding to immediately get up to speed with senior VCs in my firm and add value as they discussed and executed deals.
Frederick Daso: Associate at UP.Partners, Founder of f2fsubstack.com
I could not recommend Zach’s course strongly enough. 6/5 stars!”
“The ‘Modeling for Venture Capital’ course is brilliant. Zach has assembled a highly relevant curriculum, with engaging content for anyone investing in private companies. His awesome teaching style brings concepts to life and fosters interactive sessions. Our batch enjoyed learning together and I have come away feeling much more confident on the fundamentals of finance. I’m hugely grateful to Zach for being so thoughtful and thorough.”
George Ribaroff: Principal at Meridian Street Capital
“I don’t have a finance background and don’t learn well in academic settings, so I when I was looking for ways to build up my skill set for a corporate development job, Zach’s class was the perfect fit. Zach made us all feel so comfortable – I never worried about asking questions, no matter how basic. I learned more, faster, and better than I would have in more traditional settings.”
Glafira Marcon: new product and corporate strategy at rally health
“Zach’s class was exactly the resource I was looking for to dive deeper into venture capital modeling. He has developed an effective curriculum that builds the foundational finance knowledge needed to succeed as a VC. His genuine enthusiasm for teaching stands out, making each class engaging and memorable. Zach’s class sets the standard for what an educational course should be, and I’d recommend it to investors at any level aiming to gain a better understanding of financial modeling in VC.”
Hyder Alabed: Program Director at techstars
“Zach is by far one of the best instructors I have ever come across. From the get go, he creates an environment that encourages questions. Not only has he put together a curriculum that is highly relevant, but he teaches it in a manner that keeps each person engaged and active in the conversation. The best part – Zach goes out of his way to help you post-course, making himself available for questions that come up for you in routine work or interviewing. Take this course whether you know how to model or not, you won’t regret it!”
Jasleen Kaur: Venture Investor at CE Innovation capital
“Having transitioned from tech to VC, I needed a fast introduction to VC math and financial concepts. Zach’s program was comprehensive and thorough. His teaching style is funny, direct, and refreshing. Since completing the course I’ve used my learnings daily as I work through various deals. Because Zach went through core concepts in such detail, I have a much better understanding of term sheets and complex deals, and can create models and waterfalls with confidence.”
Jemi Schwingenschloegl: Principal – Growth Venture Fund at bdc
“Zach’s class was a fantastic learning experience. Coming to the class with a non-finance background, I was hoping to gain confidence with the fundamentals of VC relevant financial modelling. The course certainly delivered on that goal and more. Zach’s venture-specific insights and examples extend the learning beyond just spreadsheet mechanics by connecting key concepts to industry norms, trends, and VC or LP perspectives.”
Jennifer Erskine: Associate – Deep Tech Venture Fund at bdc
“Zach’s Modeling for VC course is exactly what I needed to build my financial confidence. He is a clear communicator, answers questions well, and is passionate about what he teaches. The examples he gives clearly illustrate key concepts and the templates/homework are powerful tools for locking in the course material. In fact, I am already using some of the tools in my daily work. This course is a must for someone new to VC (like me) or anyone looking to refresh their skills.”
Joshua Speros: Investment Manager at BASF Venture capital
“Zach deftly guided us through modeling techniques used throughout the lifecycle of an investment. While the content was very accessible to students with little prior exposure to VC finance, it was also valuable for students with more, as he shared his experience to help us build judgment around how and when certain deal terms are used in practice. He cultivated an environment that encouraged asking questions and made sure that no student was left behind. I really appreciated his thoughtful and patient teaching style.”
Kate Brea: MBA Candidate at Harvard business school
“Zach is offering the only course I’ve been able to find that is tailored to the unique financial knowledge you need in venture capital. The curriculum approach is very methodical, with every piece of information building on each other in a way that makes the course seamless and the material easy to understand and apply. Zach will also go out of his way to ensure that everyone is understanding the course material, and even set up one-on-one time to make up for a class that I missed. Even with a financial background, I found this course to be extremely relevant to build my knowledge and skills in venture finance.”
Kavon Badie: Senior Investment analyst at village capital
“I really enjoyed the Modeling for Founders course. As a founder of a venture-backed startup, there’s so much to learn at every fundraising stage. Some things fall through the cracks while other details are forgotten. Pivot Education helped fill in those gaps for me — Zach has a lot of experience and confidently brings that insight and comfort to a group learning setting. I appreciate how he shows step by step how to model your cap table all the way to P+L. He gives you the tools and confidence to knowledgeably reverse engineer these models to fit your needs at any stage in your company and at any experience level as a founder. Lastly, he makes everyone in the course feel comfortable asking questions and showing their vulnerability — this is crucial in a group setting where often founders need to learn, strategize, and execute all in one setting but don’t always know what they’re “supposed to know”. Zach makes this okay, and gives you the tools to successfully model and forecast as a first time startup founder. I wish I took this class a year ago.”
Larry Rosenzweig: Co-Founder & CEO at Cquence
“Zach’s class was a game-changer for me. Thanks to his guidance, I have developed a highly proficient VC modeling skillset. Zach’s approach covered all core concepts and had an easy-to-follow class structure. The weekly homework assignments were manageable and helped solidify my understanding of the material. In addition, Zach provided support after class hours and was ready to help with in-class materials and homework assignments. I highly recommend this class to anyone looking to enhance their VC modeling skillset. The level of detail and teaching skills made it a worthwhile learning experience.”
Laura Hamilton: Investor at Spring mountain capital
“Zach is a fantastic teacher and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to take his class. Zach is humble, clever, and highly authentic. His passion for teaching shines through in each of his lessons and he goes out of his way to be there for his students. I’d highly recommend working with him.”
Madeline Keulen: Managing Director at Circle Up
“Incredibly grateful for the opportunity to take part in the Modeling for Venture course. Zach is a great teacher – professional, thorough and very methodical. The course is suitable for anyone regardless of their proficiency – his approach and materials allow everyone to benefit and improve!”
Magda Posluszny: Investor at Speedinvest
“This VC modeling course was a revelation. Clear, engaging, and hands-on, it skillfully demystified complex VC concepts. Zach is knowledgeable and supportive, creating an interactive learning environment. The case studies and exercises directly mirrored real-world scenarios, making the learning immediately applicable. I’m now more confident in analyzing VC deals. Highly recommended for those seeking an edge in their VC career!”
Marianne Dubois: Discovery Manager at Inovia
“The class was incredibly insightful and helped clear up a lot of the foggy terms and assumptions I had, all the way from term-sheet to exit. Even after three institutional funding rounds, I was surprised with how many of the mechanics that was misunderstood. This class was perfect for getting me and my co-founder up to date ahead of our Series-A raise later this year”
Martin Lien: Co-Founder and CEO of Volt
“If you get the opportunity to take Zach’s course, I highly recommend it!
Mary Boyajian: Analyst At Ridge Ventures
The course content is clear and relevant, covering not just mechanics and formulas but also a ton of examples & the underlying concepts and how (and how often) they apply in real-world scenarios. The concepts are presented clearly, and they build on each other, which makes learning much more accessible. The materials are organized and easy to reference.
Perhaps the best part of the course is that Zach creates and continuously fosters a supportive atmosphere where all questions are welcome. He also manages to address each one fully without making the class feel rushed.”
“Zach’s class is fantastic. The content is must know for anyone in venture capital or thinking about venture capital. Honestly, I’d recommend Zach for anyone in a finance-related role that deals with investing in private companies. In addition to exceptional content, Zach is an exceptional teacher – patient, accessible, and always going the extra mile to ensure his students are getting the most out of the class. I could not recommend his class more.”
Matt Weinberg: Partner at Max ventures
“Taking Zach’s class was exactly what I needed to supercharge my financial skills and take them to the next level in my VC career. Zach’s deeply rooted experience in the finance industry shines in his thoughtful, articulate, and eloquent curriculum. His ability to be a patience yet encouraging teacher brought confidence to my financial modeling skills which will greatly assist in opening doors to places I want to be with my financial modeling skills— it was a true delight and privilege to be apart of this program!”
Marielle Ednalino: Senior Associate at Initial capital
“As a startup founder with experience in venture investing, I found Zach’s course to be incredibly helpful for filling in knowledge gaps, and building a much stronger foundation when it comes to financial modeling and reporting. Zach is a very structured and experienced teacher, and I thoroughly enjoyed the course.”
Nick Rasch: Co-founder & coo of cquence
“Zach’s financial modeling class for VC is truly a gem. I’m immensely grateful that I’ve been able to participate in his class to sharpen my skills and dive deeper into modeling. I’ve enjoyed every single class and thought that the curriculum as well as teaching materials are of amazing quality. Last but not least, Zach has a fantastic teaching style and goes the extra mile when it comes to creating a fun, interactive as well as judgement-free environment for his students. I cannot recommend Zach’s class enough!”
Nina Litman: Strategy Analyst at energy impact partners
“I could not recommend Modeling for VC enough. Zach creates a judgement free environment for his students to feel comfortable asking questions and communicating when they need help. The curriculum is set up to make sure students get a broad range of topics that cover the span of their role in VC and Zach applies real life examples to help showcase the application of what you are learning during the class. He has a very clear teaching method that meets you where you are and I am incredibly grateful to have been recommended to the course. I’d recommend it for people at any stage in their VC career! .”
Payal Parikh: Investor at Unseen Capital
“To anyone who is thinking how to apply what they already know about finance and modeling, and adapt it for the field of venture or technology investing, Zach’s course is a fantastic resource I highly recommend! The course weaves through key stages of a startup —from incorporation, to scaling and final exit. The sessions are highly structured — efficient to cover all key points, but also allow for inquiry and discussions, oftentimes surfacing new ideas that are informative for the group. Zach is very approachable and cares deeply about his students, creating a safe and encouraging environment for anyone to excel. I’m immensely grateful for the opportunity to learn with him! “
Rachel QIU: Rotman MBA
“It’s not surprising that Zach’s course attracts investors from analyst to partner at leading funds (Bessemer, Greycroft, GV) and from top institutions (Harvard, Columbia, Stanford). The passion, expertise, and humility he exudes create an intense, collaborative, intellectually stimulating atmosphere. He weaves a latticework of technical points while building cases that leave all students more capable in valuation and modeling.”
Shane Sabine: Venture Partner at NextGen
“Zach Brauer’s financial modeling course was incredibly helpful and I’d recommend it to anyone working in or interested in private investing–at any level. I loved how customized the course is for the VC/growth industry and how great Zach is at explaining complicated concepts as well as simple ones that get overlooked, both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Tali Vogelstein: Investor at avid ventures
Zach is a phenomenal teacher with a unique ability to prepare lessons that can be understood by and engaging to students with no previous finance background as well as students who have been working in private investing / finance for years; everyone in my cohort would look forward to learning something new each class.
I appreciate that Zach is not only good at what he does, but he’s also dedicated: he always stayed late after class and hosted homework review sessions on weekends to make sure no one fell behind. Since having taken the course, I feel so much more confident in my ability not only to build strategic financial models and evaluate a company’s performance, but also to teach founders and other investors how to do the same.”
“I am grateful to Zach for the chance to participate in his modeling for venture capital course. His systematic approach to breaking down and explaining concepts allowed us to move from basic finance concepts to more complex and nuanced modeling in a straightforward and easy to follow way. Zach is an awesome teacher, and I enjoyed his class.”
Terri Burns: Partner at gv
“Zach is an educator with practitioner experience. His class is very well structured and caters to both newcomers and experienced professionals. His teaching style is engaging and it is clear he knows his materials very well. By the end of the class, you will be very well prepared to tackle financial modeling.”
Vince Kong: Senior Credit ANalyst at Aflac GLobal Investments
“One thing that I learned in venture is that you will receive different models from different stakeholders (lawyers, etc.), and you could end up with different results based on two models that look different but are both correct and simply use different assumptions. This course really helped build the confidence to know the questions to ask to make sure everyone is on the same page and to save time.
Vincenzo Elifani: Investor at lego ventures
Overall, it helped me build the confidence to more effectively approach the technicalities of venture capital.”