Shownotes
BIO: Vanessa Ho built a student-alumni-run angel investment network and educates students and fresh graduates on startup and private sector investments.
STORY: Vanessa invested blindly in a startup she was introduced to by an angel investor. She never did any research. There was no market for the company’s product, so it never made any returns.
LEARNING: Dig deep into the business model and ensure the startup has a product that the market needs. Don’t invest in a company just because it’s popular and others do it.
“Learn the fundamentals of angel investing.”
Vanessa Ho
Guest profile
Vanessa Ho built a student-alumni-run angel investment network and educates students and fresh graduates on startup and private sector investments.
Formerly she was a venture capital analyst and a social media content creator and host. Currently, she is in a socialfi startup called So-Col doing business development and marketing.
Worst investment ever
An angel investor introduced Vanessa to a company dealing with paywalls for media outlets. The company looked good on paper, and Vanessa trusted the angel investor, so she didn’t do a lot of due diligence. She simply put money into the company blindly. She didn’t even read the investment contract.
Three months later, the company hadn’t made any progress, and the owners were getting worried about sustainability. Vanessa kept checking the news, and many months later, she realized that the company wasn’t going anywhere. She decided to write it off.
Lessons learned
- Don’t be swayed by big founder names and glamorous titles. Dig deep into the business model and ensure the startup has a product that the market needs.
- Do your due diligence even if other angel investors are backing up the startup you want to invest in.
Andrew’s takeaways
- Don’t invest in a company just because it’s popular and others do it.
- Don’t invest in a startup if you don’t have enough money to risk or if you’re new to investing.
- Weigh your risk before you invest in a startup.
- Invest in 10 startups, never in just one.
Actionable advice
Learn the fundamentals of angel investing before putting your money into it.
No.1 goal for the next 12 months
Vanessa’s goal for the next 12 months is to build a syndicated fund to bring value to private sector investing.
[spp-transcript]
Connect with Vanessa Ho
Andrew’s books
Andrew’s online programs
Connect with Andrew Stotz:
