Frustrations of an Angel Investor – Introduction
In the last few years, I’ve been fortunate to have some money to invest, and was quickly attracted to becoming an “Angel”.
In my twenties, I was a reluctant entrepreneur – there was a terrible recession and few good jobs to be had, and, faced with redundancy and a young family, went into business on my own, latching onto something that enthused me, used all my talents and that “just might work”. In those days there were no Angels, and I had no rich family.
Like everyone else, I went begging to the banks, and got mortgaged up to the hilt. Even then it was a struggle, but I survived through further recessions and finally came good.
“If only”, I thought – so I became an Angel investor, purely (please believe me) with the altruistic aim of helping a few brilliant but misunderstood young entrepreneurs succeed sooner and less painfully than I did. I’d like to help, not only with money, but with my time and experience.
So far, I’ve been disappointed by what I’ve found.
Of course there are some great new business ideas out there being turned into reality by inspired and competent individuals who will become successful business people, delivering valuable goods and services that make the world a better place for the next generation to live in. But there are far fewer than I expected….
In this short series of articles, I’ll explain my thinking, say what I see as wrong with the Angel “ecosystem” (how I hate that word!) and offer thoughts on improving it. These are all my personal opinions, and you may disagree. I’m very open to comment and constructive criticism.
