“Why (Not to) Join and Angel Group?”— a Frank Peters Interview

Recently, I was invited to participate in an interview by Frank Peters who runs the Frank Peters Show along with Curtis Gunn, Chairman of Tucson's Desert Angels, and Bruce MacCormack, founder of the Bellingham Angels. Since Frank recently keynoted at the Texas Funding Symposium here in Austin, I gladly signed up.

The topic was why one should join an angel group but by the time we finished the interview, Frank retitled the show as to “Why Not to Join an Angel Group.”

The key benefits to join an angel group include:

--efficiency of dealflow,

--diverse options such as sidecar funds, co-investment with other groups, as well as direct investments into startups,

--mentoring and education,

--creating a portfolio of deals more quickly,

--negotiation leverage,

--safety in numbers,

--social benefits.

During the discussion, Bruce MacCormack brought up why one shouldn’t join an angel group which includes:

--if you’re looking for entertainment value only,

--if you think it’s going to be like the “Shark Tank”.

For those considering to join an angel group, I recommend you listen to the podcast as it may help you decide and if you want to know more, please contact me.

Best regards,
Hall T.

Mike Craig of 360Partners Talks about His View of Startups

Mike Craig of 360Partners Talks about His View of Startups
Where are you from originally?

I’m originally from Denver, Colorado. I love the mountains and have had a hard time adjusting to the 100 steps required to climb “Mt. Bonnell.”


What university did you go to?

My undergraduate degree was from BYU. My senior year, the Princeton Review named our school the top “stone-cold sober school” in the nation. Conversely, that same year the Princeton Review named the University of Texas-Austin the “top party school.” Of course, seeking to balance my education, I had to do my graduate program at Texas.


What brought you to Austin?

I came to Austin for my graduate program. My masters program focused on consumer generated content & Facebook. After school, I was converted. This place is just too great to leave.


What is your passion and strength?

First class online marketing. I like helping businesses create online demand generation programs that are steps ahead of their competition.


What need does it fulfill?

Good question. I enjoy being on the cutting edge of learning and advancement.


What exactly do you bring to startups?

It’s been my opportunity to consult and work with many new startups. I leverage my experience in online marketing to help them determine the most efficient ways to acquire customers online.


What type of startup would benefit from your strengths?

While I enjoy e-commerce models, I’m most suited to help businesses with complex and long sales cycles.


What was the most challenging aspect of starting up a business?

Regarding my area of expertise, I’d suggest that most startups promote and market to their customers before they’ve mapped out their customers and the right sales process for them.


What advice do you have for entrepreneurs?

Surround yourself with the best people possible.


What Austin-based resource have you found to be the most helpful and why?

In my area of expertise, I’ve really enjoyed the Austin based SEO Meetup. They meet on a regular basis to learn and share the latest best practices for online marketing.