What criteria should founders use when selecting which angels to bring onto their cap table?

Jude Gomila · published Feb 11, 2020

Founders should deliberately architect a 'dream team' of investors with complementary spiky T-shaped strengths that fill the founding team's specific gaps, rather than filling the cap table with similar profiles

Different investors are good at different dimensions — sales, product, team building, pricing — and no one investor covers them all; putting several T-shapes together builds a complete structure

27:03 Assemble complementary t shaped investors that fill founding team gaps rather than similar profiles

Shardul Shah · published Sep 16, 2024

Founders should construct the angel/operator allocation by flavor — a 'rainy day' backer plus specific distribution, product and engineering expertise — and should limit the number of people

You want expertise you actually need plus someone who will be there when you really need something, and too many participants creates overhead

34:07 Curate angels by specific flavor rainy day support plus targeted expertise and limit count

Mati Staniszewski · published Sep 8, 2025

Angels should be selected on three criteria: domain expertise the founders lack, ability to validate the company in circles it can't otherwise access, and go-to-market expertise the team is missing.

For an AI founder, having other AI founders on the cap table puts you in the same events and conversations; in their case they needed sales-led go-to-market experience to complement their self-serve strength.

27:22 Select angels for domain expertise validation power and gtm expertise gaps

Paul Graham · published Nov 2005

Angels who made their money in technology are preferable to other angels, and their contacts and advice can matter more than the money they invest.

They understand your situation and are a source of contacts and advice; e.g. Tim O'Reilly's small investment in del.icio.us was valuable because of his influence.

source Prefer angels with a technology background since their contacts and advice matter more than the money