How Angel Investing Changed My Life
- Feb 3
- 2 min read
Angel investing didn’t just change how I invest. It changed how I see founders, capital, and myself.
Saying yes to angel investing took me to the other side of the table. A completely different perspective, and one I had never fully appreciated as a founder.
It opened doors to rooms I would not otherwise have been in. Conversations I would not otherwise have been invited into. And exposure to decision-making that sharpened my thinking quickly.
Early on, I made a conscious decision not to raise a fund. I chose to invest my own capital instead. Partly practical. Partly personal. The imposter in me could not bear the idea of learning how to invest with other people’s money.
So I learned properly. Slowly. Often the hard way.
Over many years, angel investing has taught me more than any course ever could:
How to really do due diligence.
How to read cap tables and understand their long-term implications.
How to spot founder traits that compound over time.
And how quickly optimism can outrun fundamentals.
Just as importantly, it taught me how to recognise the investments I want to make again, and the ones I would not repeat.
That lived experience shaped everything that followed. I joined Alma Angels early on to learn from more experienced angels and to be supported while I built my judgement and discipline.
It led to a nomination for an award at the UK Business Angels Association, something I was genuinely proud of, especially in a room that still skews heavily pale, male, and stale. Since then, I’ve joined three boards and am regularly asked into panels and private conversations on capital, growth, and governance.
It has also fundamentally strengthened my Founder Advisory work. My advice now comes from having sat on both sides of the table.
Founder. Operator. Investor.
Angel investing didn’t just diversify my portfolio.
It deepened my judgement.
Expanded my network.
And built a quieter confidence that only experience earns.
Not outsourcing conviction to a fund and checking in once a year, but doing the work.
If you’re a founder curious about investing, or an operator thinking about crossing the table, I can say this with certainty. It changes you, in the best possible way.
Follow along as I share more of my journey as an angel investor, and how to build a portfolio with clarity and long-term thinking.