Reading the available academic research and discussions with experienced Angel investors suggest that “technical” subjects (valuation, financial modelling, technical due diligence) play a relatively limited role in the overall decision-making process, significantly due to the lack of “hard facts” in so many aspects of an Angel type investment. It is not a formalistic driven process. There is no proven formula for success, and no hard data to put into a formula should one exist.
Rather, decision making is based on a mix of technical analysis and intuitive assessment (what Angels frequently refer to as their “gut feeling”), with recent research suggesting that intuitive assessment is favoured over technical analysis[1].
The typical Angel decision making process begins with a subjective assessment as to whether the investment is likely to ‘fit’ with their personal investment criteria rather than a technical analysis. This may include location, amount sought, knowledge of and interest in the sector, and their own ability to add value.
Experienced investors rely heavily on their prior experience and previous investments to inform their present decision making and typically prioritize their intuitions about the entrepreneur over process and “hard fact” (e.g. business viability data). Finance, in terms of the financial structure of and projections for the venture, is the most important criterion for both nascent and novice Angels but ranks only fourth for experienced investors[2].
The Learning Process
Investors who may now be classified as experienced consistently said that initially investing with other, and then more experienced, Angels had been their most valuable source of learning. A number added that they had learnt more from failed investments than successful ones!
This suggests that the most effective way to improve the skills of new Angels is through engaging with experienced Angels in actual real investments. How do they get that engagement? Join an existing, active local Angel group, attend their meetings, help with the due diligence and join in a few syndicated deals.
[1] Managing the Unknowable: The Effectiveness of Early- stage Investor Gut Feel in Entrepreneurial Investment Decisions, Laura Huang and Jone L. Pearce, Johnson Cornell University, 2017.
[2] Heuristics, learning and the business Angel investment decision-making process, Richard T. Harrison, Colin Mason & Donald Smith, 2015.