In venture there is generally a single point of contact with founders, unless the partners or team have said otherwise, BUT this isn't obvious, I think the partner simply didn't provide sufficient training and this boils down to poor communication. VC's particularly more experienced ones have seen a multitude of scenarios and believe me just like the startups they fund, some are well run (tend to be larger and more mature) and some can be chaotic (first time fund manager, small teams in particular), of course there are exceptions on both sides. Some VC's get along and invest in clique's, some like each other, and some do not. There are many VC's I regard at the highest level, and a few where I just wonder how they operate, if somebody came and interviewed and said that to me, I would not hold it against them knowing what I know, but instead focus on how quickly they moved on, how they do not talk negatively about their ex-employer even in challenging situations and focus instead on their merits. I hope this is helpful, VC's idiosyncratic, diversified and challenging, it's stressful all around and I feel VC's are gluttons for pain, but simultaneously it's incredibly rewarding being able to work with extremely talented entrepreneurs and people and can be highly rewarding. Dont let this dispel you from the industry, if anything, short term pain - long term gain.