25 Must Reads for Angels From 2016


By: Marianne Hudson, ACA Executive Director

This post originally appeared on Forbes.com

On my mission to get smarter and smarter about angel investing, I think it’s important to read as much as I can from leading investors and experts in entrepreneurship.  There were some really great articles last year that made a difference to my own investing and thinking about trends and policies.  Here are 25 top articles that caught my attention in 2016.  I think they’re worth another read, or a first read in case you missed them.

How to Invest

Great thoughts on best practices in investing come from famous investors including Fred Wilson and Brad Feld, but lesser known angels also have a lot to say about best practices that are so essential to successful angel investing.  It is vital to be able to select good companies, understand valuation, and structure deals well – but it is also important to have a portfolio strategy and know what it will take to support the startups after you invest. These articles cover the gamut:

Trends

The article – or really video – that had the most impact on me is from the New York Times and it shows how China is becoming a guide to the future in tech.  WeChat is a “super app” with features so comprehensive and amazing that western companies are trying to replicate it.  WeChat also brings a new meaning to Big Data, as it equals the combined data of Facebook, Amazon, Google and PayPal.  Is this our future?  Read up too on the impact of unicorn thinking on VCs and angels, what’s happening with the new equity crowdfunding market, and how women entrepreneurs and investors are making a difference. Here are some great pieces to get started:

Research and Public Policy

The US Presidential election last year dominated our news more than any time I can think of in my lifetime.  A couple of articles connected President-elect Donald Trump to startups and angel investing, one with a clever comparison of startups disrupting markets to Trump disrupting his market (voters); and another pointing out the need for Trump to recognize that jobs and innovation largely come from entrepreneurs.  There were also interesting articles on the impact of women funding women and the impact of angels in general across the world:

Not to toot my own horn, but I also loved my own post on the Angel Capital Association blog on the 60 plus exits ACA member organizations had in 2016.  It’s not about my writing, but about the great results many angels and entrepreneurs had last year.  Happy reading – and here’s to a succes

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