Leap and the Net Will Appear: From Actuary to Angel Investor Solai Valliappan

Solai has built a career that refuses to fit neatly into one box.An investor, advisor, board member, teacher, writer, and founder, her journey has taken her from actuarial science and the corporate world to startups, angel investing, and building alongside founders.But her story isn’t about having a perfectly mapped-out plan.It’s about following curiosity.In this episode of Be Anomalous, Sai Menon sits down with Solai to explore what it means to take an unconventional path and trust yourself through every pivot.Solai shares how she moved from a structured corporate career into the unpredictable world of startups, how she began angel investing with money originally set aside for an MBA, and why she now sees those early investments as her own version of a “practical MBA.”They also explore what Solai looks for in founders, the realities of startup investing, the power dynamics between founders and investors, and why execution often matters more than having all the right answers.Beyond business, this is also a conversation about identity, belonging, and learning to stop proving yourself.As an Australian of South Asian heritage who has often found herself in rooms where she looked different from everyone else, Solai reflects on how her relationship with confidence has changed over time — and why becoming more comfortable with who you are can be one of the most powerful investments you make.This episode is for anyone navigating a career pivot, considering a leap into something new, building a company, or simply wondering whether they’re allowed to change direction.You don’t need to have the entire path figured out.Sometimes, you just need the courage to take the next step.