Reddit Asks: Your Questions About Investment

Why is it so hard to find an angel investor and what are you doing that makes it harder?In this reddit asks Q&A, Phil McSweeney (angel investor with 40+ investments, mentor/coach to startups, author) answers the questions founders actually ask when they’re trying to raise: where to find angels, when to pitch, how to spot a bad investor, how to think about equity, and what a pitch deck is really for.This isn’t theory. It’s what happens after you’ve seen hundreds/thousands of pitches and you’re tired of founders wasting everyone’s time.In this episode: • Why angels are hard to find (and why they don’t advertise themselves) • Should you tailor your pitch for US investors or focus locally first? • The “best pitch deck format” myth and how to stand out without being boring. • When you should approach investors (hint: traction beats vibes) • How to vet an angel investor (equity grabs + control issues) • What to do after a failed pitch (feedback, accelerators, and persistence) • Can you raise with just an idea? (the brutal reality unless you’ve got a track record) • How to tell if investors are interested on a call. • What a pitch deck actually is: a movie trailer, not the full story. • Rule-of-thumb equity: how to avoid a messy cap table and stay in control.