To start and sustain a successful startup in Africa, like any other place, Startup Founders require a compelling vision that will drive execution of all the activities required to bring that vision to life as a successful startup venture. The life of the founders startup venture is therefore measured by its progress towards the realisation of their vision of commercial success. It is that journey to the successful delivery of their vision by the founders that angel investors like me seek to join and help along the way for a reward from the expected outcomes. The POEM Framework ® is centred on the startup founder having a vision that manifests as a proposition (a product/service offer to target customers in a specified market), delivered by an organisation (an ecosystem of people using proprietary processes supported by technology), whose success is measured by the economics (capital disbursed as expenditure to generate revenue and create impact) at each of the milestones (achievements, challenges and targets) along the journey from idea to launch, growth and scale or as we are prone to say “from Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to Series A …and beyond”. So what happens when an African angel like your’s truly meets startup founders one-on-one (1:1) to discuss possible investment for the first time? That first 1:1 meeting for me personally is to learn about the founders, their interests, needs and goals as individuals. That’s the first step in my process of making sure I’m only investing in startup founders that are right for my portfolio. I expect for the founders it will be to find out if and how I can help them grow their startup venture. It’s like any first meeting where you want to get to know team members you’re probably going to be hanging out with for a while! (and No it’s not like dating either!!) This article covers some of the things I’ve learned from my 1:1 Intro meetings with founders and what I now focus on when meeting them (typically post pitch event) for the first time as a basic part of my routine as an angel.

1. 1:1 Meetings: HowAngel Investors and
Startup Founders Can Makethe Most of
TheirFirst Encounter

2. Content
Startup Founder MeetsAngel 1:1
Ground Rules for Engagement
The 1:1 Intro Questions
Questions 1:Tell MeAboutYourself
Questions 2: What DrivesYou?
What to Look For
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3. Startup FounderMeetsAngel 1:1
As an African angel investor, I meet startup founders to
discuss possible investment opportunities.
During these 1:1 intro meetings, I aim to learn about the
founders, their interests, needs and goals.
On the other hand, the founders want to find out how I
can help them grow their venture.
The POEM Framework® focuses on the startup founder
having a vision that comes to life as a proposition
delivered by an organisation with success being
measured by the economics of the milestones achieved.
My first meetings with founders serve as a way to make
sure they are right for my portfolio.
It is like any first meeting where you want to get to know
the team members you will be working with.

4. Ground Rules forEngagement
As a startup founder, you should always come across as
confident but not arrogant or rude.This is because angel
investors are looking to build a long-term relationship
with you.
When introducing yourselves, try to put each other at
ease by asking questions about the other person using
topics of the POEM Framework.
Angel investors want to learn about your story, passion,
energy, and confidence which can be expressed by how
quickly you answer questions.
To make the most of the time allotted, I have devised two
sets of questions to cut to the chase.

5. The 1:1 Intro Questions
Before I meet founders for a 1:1 intro, I connect with
them on LinkedIn and check their CVI assessment (if
available). If I have a few extra minutes, I take a look at
their social media profiles.
My questions are open-ended and designed to help us
both learn more about each other's backgrounds and
experiences.

6. Questions 1:Tell MeAbout
Yourself
I am trying to get to know the founders by asking
questions about their origin and background to
determine their level of personal evolvement.
As an angel, I need to be able to determine the founders'
suitability for their startup venture.To do this, I follow up
with more detailed "Please help me understand…"
questions.
Furthermore, I try to engage with founders to get a
better sense of their business and personal
achievements and setbacks.
Lastly, technology now permits me to look deep into the
founders' eyes and sense their body language, while also
finding common topics outside of the business
conversation to explore potential synergies.

7. Questions 2:What DrivesYou?
As an angel investor, I prioritize understanding a
founder's core values as they are the driving force
behind their attitude and performance.
Ignoring this detail or not paying attention to it early in a
relationship can lead to breakdowns.
I believe that in alignment with the right support from
the right angel, a founder's core values can determine
their startup's success.

8. Whatto LookFor
As an African angel, I look for three key attributes when
meeting a founder for the first time: truth, sight, and
hunger.
Truth involves the integrity and sincerity of the founder.
Sight is the founder's vision and openness to new ideas.
Hunger is a measure of the passion, energy, and
confidence necessary to build a sustainable startup.
By the end of the 1:1, I am able to determine if the
founder has these three attributes and can decide
whether to invest more time and money in the
relationship.

9. ITrustThat Helps!
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