Investing in your first business can be incredibly daunting. 

There are so many unknowns and so many what if? questions running through your head. It’s the same situation for both the entrepreneur and the investor. Entrepreneurs and investors alike have a goal in mind—and they need the other person in order to get there. It’s risky, but sometimes it’s totally worth it in the end.

Today’s guest is Zach Coelius. Zach has worked on both sides of the story. He is a four-time entrepreneur, but now that he’s sold his last company, he shifted to full-time angel investing. In this episode, Zach tells us all about his experiences of getting started in investing, what his strategies are, and how he has become so successful. 

So get ready to learn about Zach’s journey so far. Along the way, ask yourself: what will it take for me to get started? 

Listen on Apple Podcast

Some Questions I Ask: 

• What do you like better: being an entrepreneur or being an investor? (2:04)
• How did you first get involved in angel investing? (3:34)
• Where do you get your deal flow in? (7:10)
• What are you looking for in an investment? (8:51)
• When investing, when do you look for in the founder of the company? (11:54)
• There’s a lot going on in technology today. What are you interested in? (14:57)
• What red flags do you look out for in investing? (16:28)
• How much do you get involved in your investments? (21:55)

In This Episode, You Will Learn: 

• About both the dark and light sides of entrepreneurship and investing. (2:07)
• How Zach transitioned from entrepreneurship to angel investing. (3:38)
• About how Zach’s “lazy-helpful” work with Silicon Valley changed the course of his career. (7:14)
• How entrepreneurship experiences can change investment behavior. (8:58)
• Why the founder is what can make or break the choice to invest. (12:10)
• Why Zach gets as involved as possible in his investments. (22:00)
• Why pitch competitions are ineffective and inefficient. (24:12)