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Ted Alling joined <a href="http://www.ypo.org/">Young Presidents’ Organization</a> in 2013 and is partner at Lamp Post Group, a venture incubator that helps aspiring entrepreneurs take their ideas from the planning stages to reality through financial investment and business guidance. Below are his five tips for successfully advising <keyword id="6362513" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Startups">startups</keyword>. 
 
1. Knowing How to Build a Team Helps 
Despite bringing financial acumen, many investors have never cut their teeth building a company and a team. Everything can look right on paper, but if the right people aren’t on the team, even the best idea with the best capital is doomed. At Lamp Post Group, where our investment team has run companies, we spend more time advising our portfolio on relationships versus strategy. We’ve found, over and over, that the right people will find a way. 
 
2. Once an Entrepreneur, Always an Entrepreneur 
If you are made to lead a team, build companies and make something out of nothing — it can be deeply unsatisfying to just write a check, hope that it all works out and a return is made on that capital. For our team, being entrepreneur investors often means we are investing in people over ideas and sticking with a quality team even if they fail. 
 
3. Nothing Beats Helping Others Get What They Want 
You’ll have more fun and enjoy more financial success when you stop trying to get what you want and start helping others get what they want. That’s a good way to explain our version of “working capital.” If we can pave the way for other people in their 20s to do what they love and build companies that make people’s lives better, we are successful early investors. 
 
4. Sales is Still the Weakest Link of Most Startups 
I was the first sales person for the first company I founded. When we merged last year, we had 400 full-time sales people across the United States. We understand the gritty side of making a deal — the dozens of phone calls and emails to crack the door open with a potential customer. A misguided attitude still exists in startup culture that if you build a good enough product, it will sell itself. 
 
5. We have Already Wasted Time and Lost Sleep 
The way we look at it, we have stressed out about cap tables, screwed up hiring and firing decisions and lost sleep over making payroll so that we can hopefully steer startups away from the same brutal experiences. 
 The author of this article is Deborah Stoll from Young Presidents’ Organization (<keyword id="852310" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="YPO">YPO</keyword>). 
 
This article is brought to you by <a href="http://www.ypo.org/?tag=deal-network">YPO’s Deal Network</a>, a global business network that brings together more than 6,600 chief executives for education and deal support/transacting. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

5 Reasons to Invest in Startups Early

India is evidently witnessing a surge in entrepreneurship with new and innovative startups mushrooming in every sector possible, and some of them are even creating new categories. 
 Investors, today, are more open towards investing in an innovative idea than ever before. However, it is also crucial for <keyword id="53533" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="entrepreneurs">entrepreneurs</keyword> to understand the investors’ psyche in order to succeed in their pitch to raise capital. 
 <keyword id="6365770" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="angel-investors">Angel investors</keyword> who are investing in businesses could have multiple objectives. While some are looking to make a difference by supporting unique business ventures, which have a potential to bring about a societal change, others are looking for a way to give back to the community by sharing their knowledge of running a business or just as a means of staying connected to their industry. 
 
Then there are those who are looking purely for a good return on investment. 
 
In all cases, the secret to their success is to put their money in businesses that will pay highest returns. Intelligent investors always plan to exit the businesses they invest in, typically, three to five years, which means they have an exit strategy even before they begin their journey with the startup. Although, an angel investor is open to taking risks but with high levels of expectations from the entrepreneurs’ abilities to run the business and make it profitable. There are some traits that are common amongst most angel investors. 
 
Play as a team 
Most professional angel investors invest as part of a team. This ensures that when they invest in a business, thorough evaluation and validation of the business model is done collectively. The investors, collectively, also bring along experience of having seen several businesses grow, hence entrepreneurs get access to the resources and advisory that they bring along. However, it is important to remember that they will only work behind the curtains. 
 
Reliable mentor 
Successful angel investors mostly have lot of knowledge and experience by having worked very closely with several businesses, however, remain highly enthusiastic about learning new things. This makes them a reliable knowledge pool and think-tank for the entrepreneurs which they can utilise by frequently consulting them on their business plans. 
 
Strategists 
Investing into businesses with an unpredictable future is a considerably big risk which is definitely not an easy decision. While the investors are ready to take that risk, they, in most cases, have a strategy in mind for the venture to be able to give healthy returns. It is important for any entrepreneur to understand and align business strategies with the assumptions and expectations of the investors to avoid difference of opinions at any stage. This can only happen through constant discussions and counseling. 
 
It is clear that an angel investor will not invest into a business till he/she is totally convinced of its potential to be profitable. They will not necessarily ask, but it is important for the entrepreneur to answer the questions they might have in their minds. There are few key criteria that they evaluate the business models on. 
 
The core 
The core of any venture is the idea behind it and it is crucial that it has the potential to create space for itself in the market, all the more important in a competitive market like India. The business should either be addressing a prevalent need or be able to create a segment in itself. Scalability and a considerable prospective consumer base are also important for future expansion. 
 
Ability of the entrepreneur 
Businesses are run by people and investors understand this fact very well. Hence, it is almost certain that any investor will assess and evaluate the people involved with a venture before investing in it. Investors prefer associating with people who are not just passionate about the idea but also have the skill sets to carry out the business. This is one of the most crucial aspects that I judge start-ups on, before associating with them. Since most investors are seasoned entrepreneurs themselves, they prefer associating with teams who are open to learning from their experiences also. 
 
A convincing presentation 
Any successful investor goes through a large number of business plans on a daily basis and does not always have the luxury of time while evaluating one. Hence, it is crucial to present the business model in the most effective, realistic way highlighting the most important aspects of the business like the core idea, market scenario, go-to-market approach and details of the financials. This helps them get the complete picture in a snapshot, hence enabling them to take an informed decision. 
 
Profitability 
Return on investment is an investor’s aim from associating with the start-up venture; hence, this becomes the most crucial aspect for them. It is important to show them a realistic picture of the possible returns and profitability of the business model in order to help them take a decision. While most investors prefer investing in the industry of their experience, however, are usually open to exploring newer and promising industries. 
 
The exit route 
As I have mentioned above, angel investors plan their exit well before entering a venture, hence they are constantly planning ahead. Most of them have a well thought of time-period in mind for their exit which can be anything from three to five years. 
 
(The article has been authored by HCL Founder Ajai Chowdhry) 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

8 things you must know about angel investors

Choosing a qualified, experienced <keyword id="140092" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="investment-banker">investment banker</keyword> with significant transaction experience to speak to your company may be the most imperative decision you make to guarantee a fruitful sale of your business. If you choose poorly, the drawback is not kidding, as even good bankers can derail a deal with awful advice, misguided thinking, or a distortion of their skill-sets, the nature of their relationships, negotiating ability, and general transaction experience. 
 
The question here is “How to select the right investment banker for your business?” 
 
The "Companion" banker 
 
Relationships are built on trust, and an association with an investment banker is no exception. You have a considerable measure riding on the outcome of this relationship, so when screening potential investment bankers you have to consider the applicant's likeability, communication style, and trustworthiness. If you don't bond with an investment banker amid the initial interview, keep looking. 
 
Experience 
 There is no substitute for experience in <keyword id="48051" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="investment-banking">investment banking</keyword>. Since the nature of investment banking is fairly speculative, the person you choose to speak to your company's advantages' should be confident in his ability to acquire the highest conceivable price in the <keyword id="6354763" type="EVENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPO">IPO</keyword>. 
 
Motive 
 
If you are looking for the highest valuation from any funding source, you need a banker that is aggressive at getting the opportunity priced up. If you are more concerned about finding the right partner with the right fit, be cautious at picking a banker that is incentivised to discover who will come in at the highest price. Sifting through this information might be difficult and require being a good judge of character, or having external references to go down your choice in banker. You'll generally need to intimately know your own particular business goals so you can make sure your banker has the same. 
 
In the end, your business is just worth as much as somebody is willing to pay for it. Be that as it may, a good banker should know enough about industry trends, current market movement, average multiples, and other valuation factors to give you a ballpark figure of what your company is worth.

How to choose the right investment banker for your IPO

As <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=investors">investors</a> are rushing to put money in new-born <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=startup">startups</a>, there is more than moolah that startup founders want. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=founders">Startup founders</a> have begun giving more importance to their investors and are looking to bring <keyword id="1634680" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="seed-investors">seed investors</keyword> on board under whom they can get the right grooming, in a bid to grow right. 
 
A good seed investor is one who works closely with the founders and helps them in analysing the product-market fit for their offering and standing out of the crowd. 
 
Paavan Nanda of ZO Rooms told ET it is very important for an investor to believe in a portfolio startup's vision, trust the team, and give them the freedom to work independently. 
 
Support from the beginning is critical in helping a startup scale quickly. 
 
In a survey of funded entrepreneurs by ET and Tracxn, seed investors in India were rated high for their ability to open doors for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=partnership">partnerships</a>, back founders' judgment, and reach out to other investors for the next <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=funding">funding</a> round. 
 
Mayank Kumar, cofounder and CEO of months-old logistics startup Opinio, benefitted from this. 
 
"Accel helped us tremendously in talent acquisition. They gave us a few personally vetted profiles within a 24-hour turnaround. They would also connect you to any CEO in the country immediately," said Kumar. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

New-born startups want parenting from investors for right grooming

<ul><li><keyword id="328347" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Angel-Network">Indian Angel Network</keyword> has closed its fundraising for the <keyword id="6129174" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IAN-Fund">IAN Fund</keyword> after raising at ₹375 crore.</li><li>The fund over exceeded its target by ₹25 crore. </li><li>It currently has 34 companies in its portfolio, including the recently turned unicorn startup Druva.</li></ul>Seed and early stage investment platform Indian Angel Network closed its capital raising activity for the IAN Fund as it overshot its target by ₹25 crore. The fund raised ₹375 crore in all. “The fact that we have achieved and exceeded our capital target underlines our impressive growth trajectory and highlights the faith that investors have in our vision. Moving ahead, we aim to scale newer heights and play a bigger role in transforming and nurturing India’s entrepreneurial landscape,” said Padmaja Ruparel, founding Partner of the IAN Fund. Some of the fund’s participants include Institutional investors like SIDBI’s Fund of Funds for <keyword id="6362513" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="startups">Startups</keyword>, IIFL, Wadhwani Foundation, Yes Bank, Max Group, Gray Matters Capital, and Hyundai. Individual investors like Kris Gopalakrishnan, Sunil Munjal, Rajan Anandan, Kanwal Rekhi too invested in the fund. IAN fund was founded in 2017 and since then it has been an active angel investor. It has 34 companies in its portfolio, including Druva which recently turned a unicorn. The other startups it funded includes the QSR chain Wow Momo, wedding platform WedMeGood. The sector agnostic fund primarily invest in AI and machine learning, augmented and virtual reality, biotech, cleantech, fintech, agritech and healthtech.

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5 Reasons to Invest in Startups Early

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8 things you must know about angel investors

Ajai Chowdhry

How to choose the right investment banker for your IPO

Gaurav Sangwani

New-born startups want parenting from investors for right grooming

BI India Bureau

Indian Angel Network closes its fund after raising ₹375 crores

Sanchita Dash

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