If you’re a startup dedicated to solving big problems in sectors such as energy, education and transportation, Brittany Heyd wants to help. She’s the managing director and general counsel at 1776, a global venture capital fund and business incubator based in Washington, D.C., that specializes in linking socially innovative startups with the funding, business connections and expertise necessary to succeed.

Q. Do you get a lot of emails from law students and young lawyers who want to pick your brain about being a startup general counsel?

A. Yes. Many of them are in the paying-their-dues part of their careers. They look at the exterior of what I do and think: “How can I do that?” But only 20 to 30 percent of my job is general-counsel-related. Most of it is company building, and that’s what I tell people: If you want to work for an early-stage startup, you can be a lawyer, but you have to be able to bring other things to the table. You have to be willing to do the big and small things to bring value to the company. Our first year, we did over 200 events, and the whole team had to stay to clean up, to move furniture back and take out the trash. It was me; it was the CEO; it was everyone on the team. Even the most glamorous jobs have the most unglamorous aspects. You have to be willing to roll up your sleeves.

Read more from Jenny B. Davis about Brittany Heyd.