I don’t pretend to be a savant but I have started and ran early stage startups for the better part of 20 years and have seen hundreds and hundreds of pitches and have interviewed and chatted with scores of great Founders and Funders. I have a handful of exits and a few high speed crashes. In short, you build a sense for who has what it takes and the concept that can make it to the finish line - whatever that is.
I'm the kind of angel investor who bets on the jockey more than the horse and frankly, I feel good about my bets because ALL of my horses are still in the race, ok almost all and I have had a few small exits.
I used to focus on media and marketing ideas but that has expanded to e-commerce, fintech, SaaS, clean tech, green tech, and more. I want to believe I’m supporting the next generation of great Founders, who are building companies that will do great things. Things are tracking nicely here but its not definitive.
Domain expertise is really helpful and recommended but if you believe in the jockey and want to support them from the other non-domain skills then that’s an option. But the odds of going from Seed to Exit is frankly a longshot, and not 10-1 but more like 100-1 that you get any kind of return on your investment.
So why invest if its such a longshot? Great question. Its probably a bit similar to why i buy the ocassional lottery ticket or take a seat at the blackjack table. The chance to make a lot of money (greed), sure, but balanced with wanting to support, give back and participate in something exciting.
Angel Investing in 2025:
Really know the Jockey, and the Horse.
Agree to the type of relationship you want with the Co as it grows
Agree on how you give and receive update information
I take my time and dont rush the startup journey or pressure founders to do this or that. Im available to help but rarely push. I feel good about supporting great entrepreneurs!
HERE FOR IT ALL - Humbly - looking forward to a chat. #AngelInvesting #Startups > Have you checked out my FREE podcast?
Yes “paid” subscribers can book time and share their Fundraising or GTM plans for some feedback, possible next steps. All funds are re-invested into the Startup ecosystem. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kanewman/
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