Four Questions Before You Write the Check

Episode SummaryNeal Bloom takes the stage at the 2026 San Diego Angel Conference Knowledge & Networking Event at SDSU to walk a room full of aspiring and active angel investors through the four questions he uses to evaluate early-stage companies. Using live audience exercises - pitching Uber, Airbnb, and Palantir in one sentence, debating whether Viori was a pass or a miss - he turns startup evaluation from an abstract skill into something visceral and personal. This isn’t theory. It’s how the sausage gets made when real capital is on the line.Key Topics* The four-question framework for evaluating startups* Why clarity is a test of the founder, not the investor* One-sentence pitching exercises with Uber, Airbnb, and Palantir* Venture scale outcomes vs. good small businesses* Salt Couture vs. Reef vs. Vuori - three paths from the same starting point* How EBITDA, CAC, and growth get valued differently across business types* Excitement as signal, not hype* The calendar test: would you spend one more hour on this company?Links & Resources* San Diego Angel Conference (SDAC)* SDSU Fowler College of Business* Evo Nexus* NuFund* Vuori* Rising Tide PartnersConnect on LinkedIn* Neal Bloom This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit risingtidepartners.substack.com/subscribe