angel investors Archives - Startup Economist

Why Venture Capital Avoids your Startup Ecosystem

Monday, 14 July 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Working with cities throughout the world, developing startup ecosystems, every one of them echos the same in their effort to encourage entrepreneurship, “we’re focused on bringing investors to the table.” What they’re doing is typical, ironically, of founders, who hear a problem and the focus on the solution (which by the way founders, is wrong).

Published in Featured, Startup Ecosystems

114 Comments

What the Best Angel Investors Do Differently in Startup Investing

Tuesday, 28 January 2025 by Paul O'Brien

The rush to become an angel investor mirrors the increase in the appeal of the “celebrity entrepreneur” we’ve seen over the last couple of decades. To flourish, the investor community must consolidate more (i.e. become an LP in a fund vs doing our own thing) and those who remain independent must level up their value-add. I

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Published in Raising Capital, Startup Ecosystems

23 Comments

When Founders Need Referrals to Meet Investors, Fix This About Your Startup Ecosystem

Friday, 08 November 2024 by Paul O'Brien

In a well-functioning startup ecosystem, founders should know who their potential investors are and how to connect with them. In a supportive startup ecosystem, founders should know how to develop ventures that attract attention, supported by journalists and ecosystem leaders who promote fundable startups, so that investors engage them. Yet, we often see founders struggling

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Published in Raising Capital, Startup Ecosystems

20 Comments

Founders, VCs Might Not Like My Sharing This, But They Should

Thursday, 21 September 2023 by Paul O'Brien

One of the more challenging skills to help develop in a founder, is being able to discern b.s. from experienced and valid advice. As you might imagine (and I hope you can relate from the all too prolific frequency with which this happens), it’s particularly difficult to know how to put questions back on a

advice advisors angel investors entrepreneurship investors startups vc venture capital

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

16 Comments

“Venture Capital Destroys Value” – What??

Wednesday, 04 August 2021 by Paul O'Brien

The conversation recently had started, “Why do venture capitalists invest in startups if many of them are losing money and destroying value?” and I had to pause when I heard the point of view because I couldn’t even rationalize how someone thinks that way. Then of course it dawned on me that lately there has

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Published in Industry, Startups

31 Comments

The Funding Flywheel

Wednesday, 09 September 2020 by Paul O'Brien

Businesses and startup founders learn early of a critical methodology in sales referred to as a funnel. Developing products and services, marketing is the process therein by which organizations get to know potential customers and then profile people so as to better understand the needs and motivations. The goal, of course, being the conversion of people

angel investors entrepreneurship flywheel funding fundraising funnel startups venture capital

Published in Advertising, Startups

35 Comments

Why Angel Investors are so Sought After

Tuesday, 18 August 2020 by Paul O'Brien

A great many new ventures are NOT businesses. They don’t yet know customers, have a business model, nor see a clear path to making money. We refer to these as “startups” Startups are distinct from new businesses (and new businesses are not necessarily startups) in that the business model is NOT known. This means such

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Published in Startups

9 Comments