User Manual

If you’re reading this page, it means I’ve invested in your company. Thank you for the privilege! I’m excited to be part of your journey.

This page is a “user manual” for getting the most out of me as an investor. It’s a collection of patterns and practices that have worked well in the past. Feel free to suggest improvements!

Overall Philosophy

  1. I try to be an active and engaged investor, adding value beyond just my investment dollars. I genuinely want to help, and am willing to devote time and effort on your behalf.

  2. I have a low ego about it. I help if I can, and stay out of the way if I can’t.

  3. After I’ve invested, you don’t have to pitch me or sell me any more – I’m already on your side.

  4. I don’t ever want to add negative value. If I ever waste your time or give you faulty, useless or irrelevant advice, please tell me bluntly, and I will course correct. I have a thick skin, I can take it.

  5. You don’t have to flatter me or worry about hurting my feelings. That said, I’m only human; consideration is always appreciated.

    Communication Channels

  6. Email is my preferred async channel. I’m trying to move all my “work” email to at@abrahamthomas.info – if you previously corresponded with athos1@gmail.com, please switch.

  7. I read emails daily and indeed hourly, but may take 2-3 days to respond. If it’s time-sensitive, don’t hesitate to send me a nudge – I don’t mind.

  8. If you want a quick, short turnaround, text me or whatsapp me. Those channels are noisier and stuff slips through the cracks all the time, so again, don’t hesitate to send me a nudge.

  9. Zoom (or equivalent) is good for open-ended conversation, but it can be fatiguing. Phone calls work just as well.

  10. Sometimes I like to record Loom videos when I don’t have the time to write a detailed email.

  11. I travel a fair bit, and I don’t always set out-of-office replies. If it’s important, put URGENT or ACTION NEEDED in the subject line. Don’t abuse this option :)

    Types of Help

  12. The vast majority of help I provide is in the form of advice. Here’s what my portfolio founders have to say about this.

  13. I am always willing to offer suggestions, share experiences or observations, collaborate on problems or strategy, and act as a sounding board or sanity check.

  14. I cannot make decisions for you, and I don’t want to. Instead, I try to share frameworks for thinking through any given problem or situation.

  15. If my input is relevant, great; if it’s not, please feel free to ignore it – I don’t mind.

  16. As a founder, I was a true generalist, and there is almost no category of problem that’s out of scope for me. If in doubt, ask!

  17. I think I’m especially strong on financial strategy (budget, burn, growth, board service), on marketing (all aspects – demand-gen, brand, positioning, seo, pr), on company-building (culture, recruiting, handling tricky situations), and on fund-raising (pitch design, VC outreach, planning a campaign).

  18. I’ve angel-invested in 30+ companies and I’m an LP in multiple VC funds, so I have a pretty good view of early stage tech. I’m happy to share benchmarks and anecdata across my portfolio.

  19. I write occasional memos for portfolio founders. I also have a number of spreadsheet templates for financial planning, sales modelling, growth analytics etc, which I’m happy to share.

  20. Here are some other ways I can help.

    Cadence and Scheduling

  21. Some founders like to have regular scheduled calls me; others like to invoke my help “on-demand”. I am fine with either of these options – whatever works best for you. (And some founders don’t want or need my help – that’s cool too.)

  22. I find that for pre-scheduled calls, 1 hour every 6 (+/-2) weeks works well. For on-demand calls, the typical pattern is that a founder goes 3-6 months without needing any input, and then something comes up and we have multiple calls and interactions over a short period of time. Again, whatever works best for you.

  23. Please send calendar invites with meeting links for all conversations.

    Investor Updates

  24. I strongly recommend that you send out monthly investor updates – it’s the one thing I ask for as an investor. It’s hard for me to help you if I don’t know what’s going on. More here.

  25. Quite apart from my help and input, writing investor updates helps you zoom out on the business, and it builds confidence across your investor network for future fund-raising conversations.

    Fund-Raising and Syndicates

  26. Although I write small cheques, I do like to participate across multiple rounds of financing, and appreciate being given the opportunity to do so.

  27. I have a network of fellow angel investors and I manage a small syndicate. If you’re raising capital and if I think your company will be a good fit for my syndicate, I may be able to mobilize some extra money for you. Let me know if this option ever makes sense.

  28. I think I’m exceptionally good at helping companies “tell their story”, so if you’re getting ready to raise a round, let me know, and we can craft your pitch together.

  29. I have a number of VC connections in Canada and the USA, and can make introductions when appropriate. I’m also very experienced at navigating the fund-raising process, both for Quandl (raised 20M) and for a number of my portfolio companies, and can be your consigliere through it all.

    Emotional Support

  30. Being a founder is incredibly hard. One of the best ways I add value is by offering an empathetic view from somebody who has been there and done that.

  31. You can be vulnerable with me, ask for help, share your worries – I won’t judge you, blame you, criticize you, discourage you, or write you off. I will try to help. I’m on your side.

  32. Fundamentally, I believe you are the best person(s) to run the company; that’s why I invested. My job is to support you and be steady: keep you grounded when you’re euphoric, and lift you up when you’re feeling down.

    References and Introductions

  33. I don’t want to spam you with unwanted intros, but am happy to connect you with my other portfolio founders if you’d like; let me know.

  34. I’d like to expand my network of angels and VCs, and I may ask you for intros to your other investors, if you’re okay with that.

  35. My reputation is my best (and only) currency as a small angel investor. I deeply appreciate any positive references or introductions you provide. A testimonial, like, tweet or Linked-In post goes a long way!

  36. I’m always keen to meet talented founders building exciting companies. If you meet or know of other pre-seed or seed stage founders who are raising money, please send them my way!


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