214: Jason Calacanis - How To Turn $100,000 Into $100,000,000 (Angel Investing)

<p>Episode 214: Jason Calacanis - How To Turn $100,000 Into $100,000,000 (Angel Investing)</p> <p>Jason Calacanis is a technology entrepreneur and an angel investor. The founder of a series of conferences that bring entrepreneurs together with potentials investors, he was a scout for top-tier Silicon Valley venture capital firm Sequoia Capital and frequently appears in the media. He is the author of a new book, <em>Angel: How To Invest In Technology Startups - Timeless Advice From An Angel Investor Who Turned $100,000 into $100,000,000</em>.</p> <p>Episode 214: Jason Calacanis - How To Turn $100,000 Into $100,000,000 (Angel Investing)</p> <p style= "font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;"> Subscribe on <a href="http://www.ryanhawk.net/">iTunes</a> or <a href= "http://app.stitcher.com/browse/feed/64865/details">Stitcher Radio</a></p> <p style= "text-align: center; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;" align="center">The Learning Leader Show</p> <p style= "font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;"> "I don't need to know if your product will succeed. I need to know if <em>you</em> will succeed."</p> <p style= "font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;"> Show Notes:</p> <ul> <li>Sustained Excellence/Key Traits in the greatest Founders <ul> <li>Craftsmanship -- Making something, having attention to detail, understanding the <em>why</em></li> <li>Passion</li> <li>Intentionality</li> <li>Thoughtful - Do they know why they do what they do</li> </ul> </li> <li>As an investor, you need to ask short questions <ul> <li>"Small Mouth, Big Ears" -- LISTEN. Let the founder talk</li> </ul> </li> <li>Are they a missionary or a mercenary? Need to know <ul> <li>Why are they doing this?</li> <li>They need to understand that it is really hard</li> </ul> </li> <li>Self awareness is a must -- Jason knows that he is a compulsive gambler. He has a risk taking approach. He likes having an edge. <ul> <li>But he also has "tilt control." He knows when to lay down a big hand (poker speak for when you have a big hand but still know it's not enough)</li> <li>You need to know who you are and what you enjoy</li> </ul> </li> <li>"I love being the guy cutting a check for a founder that nobody else believes in" <ul> <li>"I win about once in every 40 investments. I was a poor kid from Brooklyn and now I'm extremely wealthy"</li> </ul> </li> <li>"I found a casino called Silicon Valley"</li> <li>"There are a lot of really dumb people who are fabulously wealthy in Silicon Valley"</li> <li>"Investing in this market is like being dealt the Ace of Spades"</li> <li>Winning big poker hands against Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth</li> <li>Jason covered Travis Kalanick while he was at Scour</li> <li>When Travis showed him Uber, Jason immediately said, "Can I invest?"</li> <li>Were some of the qualities that led to Travis and Uber's success also what led to the problems? <ul> <li>He has a fighter mentality. That's why he's been so successful. It's a fair question to ask if that's what has led to these problems as well...</li> <li>Sometimes you have to take a step back and analyze what's happening</li> <li>Getting from A to B, you need to fight. Going from B to C, you need empathy</li> </ul> </li> <li>How do you get paid as an Angel Investor? <ul> <li>Go public -- IPO</li> <li>Secondary Shares -- Company buys back shares from early investors (this happened for Jason with Facebook)</li> <li>Company is bought -- WhatsApp, Oculus, Instagram -- Get cash/stock</li> </ul> </li> <li>Investing practices <ul> <li>How much of your bankroll do you put in play?</li> <li>Build a network -- Technology is the future</li> </ul> </li> <li>Ways that everyone can invest <ul> <li>Syndicates</li> <li>Angel List</li> <li>Seed Invest</li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p>Social Media:</p> <ul> <li>See why over 286,000 people follow Jason on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/Jason" target="_blank">@Jason</a></li> <li>Read: <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Invest-Technology-Startups-Timeless-Investor/dp/0062560700/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1498135934&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><em>Angel - How To Invest In Technology Startups - Timeless Advice From An Angel Investor Who Turned $100,000 Into $100,000,000</em></a></li> <li>Connect with me on <a href= "https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanhawk12" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">LinkedIn</a></li> <li>Join our Facebook Group: <a href= "https://www.facebook.com/groups/LearningLeader" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Learning Leader Community</a></li> <li>To Follow Me on Twitter: <a href= "https://twitter.com/RyanHawk12">@RyanHawk12</a></li> </ul> <p>More Learning:</p> <p><a href="http://bit.ly/1OOLpjJ">Episode 078:</a> Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon</p> <p><a href="http://bit.ly/1PoVpmv" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">Episode 071:</a> NateBoyer - Green Beret, Texas Football, The NFL</p> <p><a href="http://bit.ly/2h4yhvT" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">Episode 179:</a> How To Sustain Excellence - The Best Answers From 178 Questions</p> <p><a href="http://bit.ly/21vBS5d">Episode 107:</a> Simon Sinek – Leadership: It Starts With Why</p> <p>Episode edited by the great <a href= "http://www.runanddrummedia.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">J Scott Donnell</a></p> <p>The Learning Leader Show is supported by <a href="http://www.rhone.com" target="_blank" rel= "noopener noreferrer">Rhone</a>. Use the code "Leader" for 15% off. Rhone... premium activewear engineered with principle, performance and progress for the modern man. Rhone builds clothing around 3 main tenants: Cutting-edge Performance, Premium Comfort, and Simplistic Style.</p> <p> </p>