There are a lot of data points that one can use to get a sense of the venture capital markets, including the number of startup financings and the level of VC fundraising. They point to some widely known facts: Deal volume and valuations are up massively over the past seven years and non-VC money has entered the system.

But these data points are often lagging indicators. Perhaps a better barometer would be to gather data on VC perceptions in the market right now. Of course sentiment can swing wildly with new information, but I set out to take the pulse of the market as we enter 2016.