{"id":406426,"date":"2024-06-29T18:56:03","date_gmt":"2024-06-29T18:56:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/savepearlharbor.com\/?p=406426"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T21:00:00","slug":"","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/savepearlharbor.com\/?p=406426","title":{"rendered":"The founder\u2019s guide to AngelList<\/span>"},"content":{"rendered":"
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AngelList is a social network designed to connect startups with investors and vice versa. The founders of it were dissatisfied with how opaque the VC world was, and found a way to increase the amount of available data. The project began in partnership with just 50 volunteer investors wishing to allocate $80 million in capital, and has grown to be the leading website of its kind. Over<\/a> the past three years more than 75% of startups<\/a> that received seed funding from American investors used AngelList to make it happen.<\/p>\n

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Pic by Filip Baoti\u0107 \/ Unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Overview<\/h2>\n

AngelList has a number of distinct uses. First and foremost, it\u2019s a startup directory<\/strong>. It can be filtered by industry, location and other criteria, like funding stage and amount of money raised. You can follow corporate profiles to get the latest news, status updates and press releases in your personal feed.<\/p>\n

Given the number of companies on AngelList, some investors simply use it to look up startups they found elsewhere. The visibility of your profile depends on the number of connections you make \u2014 investors you feature, people who follow your page. Each company is assigned a \u2018signal\u2019 value, based on its performance, and some investors get startup suggestions, based on the criteria of their choice.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also an investor directory <\/strong>with information on more than 40,000 angels, VCs and advisors. Investor profiles work like CVs: they feature the person\u2019s investment history so that startups can easily access their competence. Just like with companies, you can keep track of what the investors are doing.<\/p>\n

In recent years AngelList has become increasingly popular for its recruitment features<\/strong>, as well. Startups can post job listings<\/a>, regular members can publish their r\u00e9sum\u00e9s, and both sides can browse it all.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

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Last, but not least, it\u2019s an investment website for individuals<\/strong> that want to diversify their portfolio. Syndicates<\/a> allow investors to \u2018chip into\u2019 deals organised by top VCs in their fields. Funds let people invest in tens of startups with a single check. In either case, your investment goes straight to the recipient \u2014 AngelList simply takes a 5% cut of the exit money.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Pic by NeONBRAND \/ Unsplash.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thousands of new startups get listed on the platform each month, all hoping to get funded. If you\u2019re reading this guide, chances are, you have a similar goal. How should you go about it?<\/p>\n

Ground rules<\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t go in unprepared<\/strong>. AngelList is not an all-in-one platform: you have to work offline to make things happen. If you aren\u2019t an active member of your local startup community, and have no connections to speak of, nobody will notice you. So work in that direction before ever registering a corporate account.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t expect investors to behave differently <\/strong>just because it\u2019s an online service. You can\u2019t catfish your way into capital \u2014 online introductions have to be followed by meetings and\/or phone calls.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t spam people. <\/strong>You can\u2019t register and simply start messaging the founders of Reddit and Techstars. Most users don\u2019t allow messages from people they don\u2019t follow \u2014 and those who do, may not appreciate unsolicited pitches, either. The proper way to do it is to get \u2018introduced\u2019. If you and your desired investor have a mutual acquaintance, you can set up an \u2018introduction\u2019 and if it\u2019s not possible \u2014 tough luck. Spamming people, even if they follow you back, is prohibited and you will be banned for it.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t lie. <\/strong>Might be alluring to embellish things, but don\u2019t do it. Lying to investors will get you banned and possibly persecuted, depending on your local laws.<\/p>\n

Do It Right<\/h2>\n

AngelList employees often share tips on using their website. Here\u2019s a guide to Angel List, based on the suggestions of Phillip Moehring, the head of AL Europe, alongside other advice from across the web.<\/p>\n