Angel investing is time consuming and risky. Don’t walk the path alone. — Solo angel investing can be rewarding, but it’s a ton of work. Accessing deal flow, completing due diligence, negotiating investment terms, and monitoring progress is a beast to tackle alone. Especially while building out a diversified portfolio of investments. Over the past few years, I’ve onboarded several new members into…

Building relationships with your angel investors can be critical — and easy. — Congrats! You’ve successfully raised an angel round and are ready to focus on company growth. You’re hiring and development is in the works, and milestones are staring you in the face. Life is busy. But before you go any further, consider adding one more item to your perpetual to-do list…

It’s new. It’s different. It might work for you. — Over the last few years, revenue-based financing (RBF) has made a splash across the startup world, offering founders an alternative method to raise capital. Compared to the usual equity and bank loan paths, this method has appealed to many entrepreneurs for numerous reasons. …

Get help with fine-tuning your pitching skills and capitalize on investor introductions. And yes, angel investors are watching. — Have you considered participating in a startup accelerator? Is it worth your time and effort? Will participating improve your odds of successfully fundraising down the road? These questions — and so many more — should be considered before deciding if an accelerator is right for you. While most have similar…

Do angel investors actually lead rounds? Are lead investors required prior to pitching Angels? Which one comes first? — Often I’m asked by first-time founders if a lead investor is required before pitching to angel investors. The answer I give: maybe. It’s a lousy response, I know. The truth is it isn’t an easy ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer, and many other factors need to be taken into consideration. …

Navigate these pitfalls to avoid the dreaded “No” — Have you pitched angel investors and walked away without a check? Or heard stories from founder friends on unsuccessful angel rounds? It’s hard to always pinpoint why angels do (or don’t) make investments in startups, but oftentimes the reasoning comes down to a few simple explanations. Many entrepreneurs seek capital…

Fundable founders prioritize these messages in their pitch — I clearly remember the phone call I had with a founder where I knew within the first five minutes she would be successful in raising outside capital. She’s what I consider a “fundable founder.” Impressive, clearly communicative, and zero BS. …