Getting Access to Amazing Deals

What you need to know as an angel investor

Reminder: Applications for our April cohort of VITALIZE Angels are now open and will once again have limited available spots. Please apply below by April 14th if you’re interested:

We previously discussed building a brand as a way to get access to amazing deals as an angel investor.

In a great post from Lenny Rachitsky, he shared some more insights from a few angel investors on how they think about getting accessibility to deals:

As an angel investor, it’s more important to be swimming in a pool of good potential investments than to be an exceptionally good picker. Obviously if you’re able to be both, it’s better :) but if you had to choose between being in a position to see great deals and then picking randomly, or coming across average deals and picking expertly, choose the former.

Jack Altman, Angel Investor and CEO of Lattice

In Lenny’s post, he also included this quote from Louis Beryl, angel investor and CEO of Rocketplace:

I hate when people think investing is all about picking winners. This presupposes that as an angel you can get into any deal you want to. Definitely not true! Ask yourself—what is your right to invest in a deal? Working at a16z taught me that we are not just picking companies and entrepreneurs to work with—the best ones are choosing to accept our money. So what is your reverse pitch to entrepreneurs?

Louis Beryl

I like both of those quotes because they highlight just how important getting access is.

Yes, as I previously mentioned, building a brand will help ensure founders want to take money from you.

But what will also help?

Building relationships with investors.

Once you start angel investing you realize many of your investments will come from other investors (Not to mention angel groups like VITALIZE Angels 😜 ).

They share deals with you.

You share deals with them.

Everyone is happy.

Sure, when you’re talking about big venture capital firms this may not always be the case.

But with angel investors, solo capitalists, and VCs writing smaller checks, they definitely share deals when they can with people they trust.

Your job as an angel investor?

Start meeting them.

How?

I’d begin by engaging with them on Twitter and reaching out in the DMs.

Play the long game and start building relationships now.

Thanks for reading today!

What topics would you like us to cover next?

Reply to this email or ping me on Twitter to let me know.

Take care,

Justin