Put most succinctly, my early stage investing activity is a hybrid of angel investing and venture capital. Maybe that makes me a Venture Angel, or an Angel Capitalist. In the final analysis, the label is not important. There are easier ways to engineer financial returns in the capital markets - for me, angel investing is equal parts passion and business. We see ourselves as a true partner to entrepreneurs. We actively help to build an entrepreneur’s business by leveraging our knowledge, experience, and network to create a successful company.

This is his list of differences (excuse the caps, I was too lazy to change them):

FLEXIBLE INVESTMENT PARAMETERS

A GUT FEELING

FIRST ROUND FOCUS

SIGNIFICANT BOOTSTRAPPING EXPERTISE

AN ENTREPRENEURIAL PERSPECTIVE

COLLABORATIVE FUNDRAISING

WE ARE NOT VC TASKMASTERS

A PARTNER YOU CAN COUNT ON

SELFISH PERSONAL INTEREST

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

You really need to read the rest of the details. It’s a fundamentally different approach to investing in a startup. I would love to have him working and investing in one of my ideas like Jumble Lunch. Did you hear that Jesse?

If you hearken to any venture capitalist or angel investor I’m sure that they would tell you that the management team associated with a business is more valuable then the actual idea. If an investor believes in the management team and specifically the leader of that team, then investors will start opening up their wallets.

Crowdsourcing is no different. In fact, it might even be more important. Managing a crowdsourced project is about motivating people who are either interested in working for free or some future hope of wealth. This is definitely simplifying the situation, but the point is that a project manager of a crowd sourced project has a variety of ways to build a business. The methods they choose to employ could alienate the entire community if they aren’t careful.

I’ll address more on this subject later, but I think it will be absolutely critical for Cambrian House to determine how they are going to handle the various project managers in their new crowdsourcing model. There are a ton of questions to be answered. For example…

Who will be the project manager of an idea?
How much influence will the idea submitter get in determining a project manager?
Can a person working a full time job be a project manager in their “free time?”
What share of the project does the project manager receive in the idea?
What’s the process for replacing a defunct project manager?
What share of the idea will a project manager keep if they no longer have time to work on the project? (severance package?)
Will Cambrian House be able to get enough project managers involved in the community?

My own personal questions involve my two ideas: Jumble Lunch and Spoil My Spouse. I can’t be the “leader” of both projects. Which one should I do and which one should I give to someone else? Is there someone else interested in working on these projects? I currently am leaning towards working on Spoil My Spouse since it matches my skills and interests more than Jumble Lunch. However, there is tremendous momentum behind Jumble Lunch. Decisions Decisions!!

Don’t get me wrong, I think it is a fantastic idea. I’m just not sure the crowds have caught the vision of what It’s Just Lunch for Networking really is all about. It’s built on a solid foundation of It’s Just Lunch and has a great book that inspired the idea called Never Eat Alone. I’ve been practicing the really basic principle of never eating alone and I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the relationships I’ve created over lunch. The networking that can occur over lunch is more profound and interesting than what can often be created in my job. Lunch with colleagues opens up a nice side of them which is interesting and much more fulfilling for me.

I also must admit that I love the idea because asking some people I met to lunch was the key to me being able to start my own company. I hope to complete my funding and start my venture into the sports fund raising arena in January. Lunch is what has made this a possibility for me.

If you want to help me out then please vote for It’s Just Lunch for Networking. The more votes the merrier.

I think I should have probably called the idea Never Eat Alone. That is where the inspiration for the idea came from. The basic concept is that as a business person you should never eat alone, but should always go with someone to lunch where you can interact and create a network of business associates.

I know it has been working well for me lately. A while back I asked one of the angel investors that I met if he wanted to go to lunch. Well, from that I may have found a partner to help me with my high school sports (probably football) fundraising idea. Eating lunch with him was essential to me having the opportunities that I have available to me now.

Hopefully you all understand the importance of networking and will vote for my idea It’s Just Lunch for Networking.