James Routledge is most definitely a founder at heart having founded MatchChat and Seedcamp incubated NowNative. However, he has made the move into the investing world and is now Partner at one of the UK’s largest AngelList Syndicate’s, the famous Doug Scott’s potential syndicate, who invest in extremely early stage companies. In the episode we discuss their investing thesis, their DD process, why startups now need 2 seed rounds and much more. In Today’s Episode You Will Learn: 1.) How James made his entry into the investing world? What was it that attracted him to investing? 2.) What is the background of the Potential Syndicate? How does it run? What is the average investment? Are there any preferred sectors or locations? 3.) As a syndicate what does Potential’s deal sourcing look like? At such an early stage how do Potential find and hunt the best deals and entrepreneurs? 4.) What are the KPIs that Potential deep dive on? What metrics get them excited? 5.) What does James think makes a great investment lead? What are the benefits are of this collaborative model of investing? What are the challenges? 6.) As a syndicate and thinking of angels also, how can angels and syndicates work with VCs to encourage further development in the ecosystem? Items Mentioned In Today’s Show: James’ Fave Blog: Fred Wilson: AVC, Paul Graham, Paul Smith: Ignite

Great words of advice from James “Don’t raise money just because you can”. Ultimately, entrepreneurs need to be sure they understand what they want, what they need, and what they need it for. There are massive ramifications to raising a large funding round, always make sure you consider them all before agreeing to any deal.