> ...can I go to the big guys (Microsoft, Google, etc?). Can I go become an associate at a VC firm?

If you're interested in these kind of jobs then why not try and get one. If you want to work at Google, apply to Google. If you want to work at a VC company, get in contact with some of them and discuss it with them.

In my experience (of both being an interviewee and an interviewer) a degree helps get you in the door, but it's your ability and experience that decides whether you get the job or not.

Good luck!