the ups and downs of investing

The ups about investing is that I really believe that we are in the midst of change when it comes to everything; education, data collection, ecommerce, transportation, urban planning, etc.  It is the real long tail of the Internet.  We are connected globally.  WIth all the investments taking place in new start-ups and entrepreneurs we are also putting money to work in a changing global economy.  That is a very good thing. 

The downs are the companies that don't succeed.  The other down is that many investors who put a lot of money to work treat a lot of their investments like a crap shoot.  Perhaps it is the maternal instinct in me but it upsets me.  Intellectually I understand that funds or even angels who invest in many businesses know the odds of success for each one.  Some of their investments might hit it out of the park while others only get on first base and others just strike out.  The down is that the care and desire to make sure each is as successful is not consistent among investors. 

I'm seeing those downs right now.  I really do try and help each of the companies that I invest in as much as possible.  I am unique in that I have the ability to heavily curate what I invest in.  I can choose when to invest or not to although there are a few others like me which I really like working with.  I happen to be in a deal now that can really use some guidance from some of the more seasoned investors in the group but the truth is they don't have the time to spend on that company because the investment that they made in it in regards to their entire portfolio is minimal.  I get it but it frustrates me.  I am an equality opportunity investor but I can afford to be with my time.

We will see many of the companies that have been funded over the past year move to stage 2 while we will see many others fail.  Perhaps it is just me but I really want to make sure everyone that I work with succeeds at some level.  To me, it is the out come that I strive for.