{"id":309299,"date":"2025-11-21T18:37:39","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T18:37:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/angel-investor\/how-founders-can-work-better-with-angels-%e2%94%82-dealum-blog\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T18:37:39","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T18:37:39","slug":"how-founders-can-work-better-with-angels-%e2%94%82-dealum-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=309299","title":{"rendered":"How founders can work better with angels \u2502 Dealum Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Our new team member Victoria shares her experience as an angel-backed founder and the realization of the simple things she could have done differently to improve the success outcomes for all involved.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve spent my first few months at Dealum deep in conversations with angel investors \u2014 not pitching or in founder mode, but really listening. It\u2019s been fascinating hearing what they actually need to understand how their portfolio companies are performing.<\/p>\n

And honestly? It made me realise how much I got wrong as an angel-backed founder myself. Hearing their perspectives revealed some key things I\u2019d do differently now to improve the success outcomes for them and for me.<\/p>\n

Here are some of those lessons.<\/p>\n

1\ufe0f\u20e3 Ask about their strategy and motivation upfront<\/strong> <\/h3>\n

They picked you<\/em> for a reason \u2014 but not all angels invest for the same reason. Well before their money hits your account, understand:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Are they backing you<\/em> or the company<\/em>?<\/li>\n
  • Are they sector specialists or generalists?<\/li>\n
  • Are you a small bet in a big portfolio, or a relatively big first-time bet for a new angel?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Knowing personal motivations early helps you nurture the right relationships. Some angels are founder-focused \u2014 they want to be relevant, involved, and will have your back when things get tough. Identify one or two people on your share cap table who can be that moral compass, critical friend, or sounding board, and build that trust before you need it.<\/p>\n

    2\ufe0f\u20e3 Do your own due diligence<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    It still surprises me how few founders vet potential investors, especially given how much diligence we<\/em> go through. I can count on one hand how many times founders have asked me for a reference on an angel or group \u2014 yet those conversations are invaluable. Not just for red flags, but for reassurance.<\/p>\n

    Remember: It\u2019s perfectly OK to say no to money that doesn\u2019t feel right.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Personally, I say no to anyone trying to buy their way into a job or consultancy gig, or those whose real goal seems to be acquiring IP or control. And if someone doesn\u2019t like investing in couples \u2014 fine. My husband is the best product lead I\u2019ve ever worked with, and we\u2019ve built five companies together. That\u2019s not changing for a cheque.<\/p>\n

    The first time you turn down money, when you\u2019re not sure your company will survive, is terrifying. But I promise \u2014 no money is far less traumatic than the wrong money.<\/em><\/p>\n

    3\ufe0f\u20e3 Understand the angel investment asset class<\/strong> <\/h3>\n

    This is their personal<\/em> money, not fund capital. Angel investment isn\u2019t just \u201cearly VC.\u201d<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s OK to be an angel-track only<\/em> business \u2014 not everyone needs VC levels of cash or hypergrowth. But if that\u2019s your path, be deliberate. Your valuation, growth story, and exit logic still need to make sense for individual investors \u2014 just in a different way.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re raising in the UK, learn the EIS\/SEIS tax relief system \u2014 over 90% of UK angel deals use it. At the European Angel Investment Summit last week, non-UK angels told me they\u2019re baffled by UK founders pitching them without realising how much of UK angel investing is shaped by game-changing tax reliefs that they can\u2019t access in their own country.<\/p>\n

    We\u2019ll post separately about what UK-based founders need to know about EIS\/SEIS and investor loss relief \u2014 but for now, really understand your role in securing and maintaining their tax relief. A total write-off after two or more years is, perhaps surprisingly to founders, far better for an angel than a \u201czombie company\u201d that limps on indefinitely.<\/p>\n

    4\ufe0f\u20e3 Know your place in their wider portfolio<\/strong> <\/h3>\n

    An angel\u2019s risk profile improves significantly once they reach 20+ investments in their portfolio. At that point, they expect<\/em> a mix of good and bad exits.<\/p>\n

    Be cautious about being someone\u2019s first or only<\/em> investment. New angels may bring enthusiasm and time, but also unrealistic expectations and over-involvement. I also avoid friends or family unless they\u2019re already active, dispassionate angels \u2014 I couldn\u2019t bear the weight of that responsibility.<\/p>\n

    Working with a syndicate or multiple angel groups can balance enthusiasm with experience, and keep legal costs manageable (important, given these are ultimately your costs). I\u2019ve learned to appreciate angels who explain their strategy clearly \u2014 e.g. \u201cno follow-ons, 10 deals a year, all SEIS, same cheque size.\u201d Transparency like that makes everyone\u2019s life easier.<\/p>\n

    5\ufe0f\u20e3 Communicate consistently and proactively<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    I\u2019ll admit: I was terrible at this in my first angel-backed startup. It filled me with dread. But I now realise I was thinking about it all wrong \u2014 investor updates aren\u2019t a test to pass or fail every month; they\u2019re an opportunity.<\/p>\n

    Angels want to understand how their investments are doing, where they can help, and whether you\u2019re still delivering on what you promised. You\u2019re probably one of 20-50+ companies in their portfolio, and they\u2019ll have their own way of grouping companies into good performers and otherwise \u2014 so make their life easy.<\/p>\n

    Maintain structured, regular updates. Even a simple standard template covering runway, pipeline, revenue, and headcount can make a big difference. It reduces surprises and the likelihood of inbound enquiries about progress, and it helps you stand out for the right reasons. Believe me, life is so much easier if you can track along nicely in the good performer zone of their portfolio. But you won\u2019t be there if you hide bad news or overpromise and then fail to deliver.<\/p>\n

    Be confident asking for specific help \u2014 or in saying \u201cno, not now\u201d when something is a distraction.<\/p>\n

    \ud83d\udca1 Good investors are discerning. Founders should be, too.<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Angel money can do a lot of good \u2014 or a lot of damage \u2014 depending on how well motivations, expectations, and communication are aligned. Take the time to ask, listen, and assess as you go to make sure all the hard work of fundraising is ultimately worth it.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Our new team member Victoria shares her experience as an angel-backed founder and the realization of the simple things she could have done differently to improve the success outcomes for all involved. Nov 12, 2025 \u2014 4 min read I\u2019ve spent my first few months at Dealum deep in conversations with angel investors \u2014 not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":309300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12034],"tags":[2214,3767,13314,12635,418],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-309299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-angel-investor","tag-angels","tag-blog","tag-dealum","tag-founders","tag-work"],"yoast_head":"\nHow founders can work better with angels \u2502 Dealum Blog - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=309299\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How founders can work better with angels \u2502 Dealum Blog - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Our new team member Victoria shares her experience as an angel-backed founder and the realization of the simple things she could have done differently to improve the success outcomes for all involved. 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