Becoming a successful angel investor should not just be reserved for a few. You'd be awesome at it.
And to prove just that, we gathered together a group of the seasoned and the new to hear from Collider’s multiple-time angel Richard Fearn, and Super Mentor who led Unruly’s exit, Marion Bernard.
And now we’re sharing it with you.
Enter a community, don't go it alone.
As an investor, you need to pick the right companies – obviously, so why risk everything to begin with when there's a whole ecosystem out there looking to help you.
As Richard said, accelerators can solve problems before said problems kill a business. That's for sure a comfort to investors.
Your time is more valuable than your money.
If you're looking to invest, you'll likely have some pretty useful skills – so why not share them? Work out how you can add value to your companies, which actually might not be what you think.
Get good at being patient.
Once you invest, don't expect it to pay for itself within a year or two (or even five). You're playing the long game, so make sure you follow the company through from the start.
It's not just about investing for returns.
Really, there’s so much more than that. Make sure you allow yourself to enjoy the journey as you'll be surrounded by some of the most innovate startups and investors. It's quite infectious, really.
Check your record.
Learn the lessons from your track record; and if you haven’t got one, learn from those that do.
Amplify you.Position yourself in the market as you would with anything else.
Position yourself in the market as you would with anything else. Amplify what you can bring to get on the cap tables you want to be on. Amplify your value.
It really isn't just about your money, and the best startups will know that. They'll be looking at your connections, too.
It’s about your exit too.
Do your best to work out where you might like to follow on, and what would have to happen for you to not. Remember, you’ll likely get most of your money from just one or two exits.
