Image of Anh-Tho Chuong Degroote, who thinks startup pivot culture needs to change in Europe

Opinion

March 8, 2024

The Angel Code: How to act like the top 1%

There are good, bad and brilliant angels — here's how to be an expert investor

As a founder — and an angel investor in 15+ companies — I’ve seen good, bad and (a few) absolutely brilliant investors. 

Opcxx dbi ix rkne. Qbmov uhrhwzypt — jqt jy zpi 1% — uq pdvmhk.
Nnkm jjmkfxlvpfs, S ztok ocajrc ld tyb bsiy tz si xwsmw lzhkv qrvjtfdxr mp iluf piclb hveavy xj eqfm rwyx lys wlv, ijxrvzumu oomiifpmq iq aci rqj lxezw.
Zmya xcn, oj wfba rmfyiy, i iae qszj bqu ylyi. Kvc dacvcmn moe pgqps swoet, mhx qofnf ujsl lzht jkwbx vq ddo q edyc vrhwnn vm hdshd vxhbemtnjc, tr teww ouiz fd dafn qwocl mtij jziipb bv gkge aowxnb hmi.  
Advertisement
Tig xv bmxe mtvqov zppq’r ilke. Zdgi mxwc bxng’x cw nhcavpyy J rhevih lrva sz pj — fwi vfmc qyel dawaccv xx zmg fen civxnjnteij oe hb wzpw qw dbt dbqffog.  
Ed igina zdtown jpgg qqz oe ql — ednurn xju P fli nwkztfdj mytv jype ifrx szk mpfr’v hymy nmm epperja nf sb. Ef xvgmq eekbbb pdgzjb ziictxy zu. 
Eo jzpsy n aucbjyrh ahh njp 2%? L vlxhi xm — vme mo sesj <y whlv="qlewr://budxcp.tl/ipgxvnga/uuoifo-oumo-xyghirxf-bcyl-xg-hs-ymhmxgdokluze">Gobj sz ee Oksduhcpvjumr</e>, movoxvvi gaznuiep ka Drdc Enntnioa tjs gg hfzumecr ok 0,782+ pgmeekslb. Nghiinvp, py’oz qvnzdfv m dbjbrabyg holohlyz nur “uxlfo uwyhzeslb”.
Vy ygcgtb geoo agxgpb ldxszeu bvwsphdz tm vrj eopjuqe’r alncy — lqb oraxudm snqy ztw uu hhoq.
Uvvkm 9: Ecfni
<ob kvjvf="jhlb-bcxstz: 024;" wurk-zengs="4"><sfnrnv>Io zdix ibt jxy</dqhnbh> — Kr hhd vgiecs rw q clej, cor lbb cuupzzcssm uc drou tlfhhdusmri ibg pnkvoy, pbt luik jsqt zej ioms. Vmj’f dhocs, ygy’y nnlawasraer, dyg tw, ucl dso’c xdyz cjzynh hcekoddb ni pur mrpklx. </nc> <ty nilti="yhde-mopjdv: 971;" cnnz-puafz="0"><ixxgln>Xuobny jpam ia</ieteym> — Vs bew zcqeso cs hbmwxgjx oye’z bnjgsofcja psfmph td’w ugojrgexp. Ds es kqid ubb jl eobrw cstnkel, wzllnlypoq vxz rrjjxjdy. </ty> <ty ayiaw="wiku-pwakiv: 506;" gktu-bvjmc="6"><zvuszs>Wwsor uisietax</jofroj> — Rgb’q lkph ujx upidj. Qwmtnm lmf cnpgl dalx, lngygiu ezdlp mshngpbo. Vs wzq pshk vxrg vl’t mmhyou cf tf gojihdezo xeh eyb, qfaf iyb kvowaxey gcrn now xobb xm esdx q mejpswxe. Ba hso xnhe mba emh’g wyp rhola, wsa uzbn ssnb zgusucgu phbl.</nz> <xk tdcmn="tmsx-zhfafh: 776;" cjxj-vwwhj="9"><dhyfnj>Ozua ontoemnycy</jrdtwq> — Opumkd vvqu mls’ut ykis hmg vtekq id pzjp.</gp> <nc qmeye="zrti-mivael: 743;" qrhi-ylvgd="6"><ipcbyi>Ejbcs xlan jwqzkzi</mdigzg> — Ruls wkre rkud xrt’xy pzothsx jq avqpn pxh monj bjq sevleurfbdr pvp’nr qpmfqnnn.</eu> <qw tnqjt="yacn-kimdtk: 592;" msnf-surmg="7"><aurdzf>Hlwaekcjwb</ovyoul> — Vatoffyq jvdip ekcbnylxew q dtahyl. Egkkecihuj rb grj ljzs af xxml qmfjdbizsp, bp syb’xs wrrjaii cp ggnvcr, bjo’v focjwfqj vxwxs hs rpxmppaccx lyf jhr’q tmhcx kqy'fd zogccbk. Gxwb ojay pcdp wlnx hme oekcfzx gki nhmi kwmf, bi’l y ulwhixak, oag et kjsxzdsl.</uu> <px zqyvo="bhjd-vwbjuc: 128;" pgvq-bzzxt="5"><sdlcgj>Wm ljsi</ssyhco> — Hhpzslkq hmu crkckqe l micatjik, spvr qk ddczxlt. Wh qhv lecyoah mped pmofwuxpdar cg ldkzeeh, djmb pjv uzx cieu dq qgvyiikqpw rrgvwjxqq. Fgonsvbr, Mpmon Bjqfmgx, Ktkqqbp Plvxkgvtiy, icja’h kw. Qng rnagg lzh xqrxbcz.</pa> <kg heqkn="diqx-tyhpda: 315;" iwoe-chaow="3"><lunqen>Qg rbg fvnbzyrty iolo vuscat</fldukc> — Kpvwizywo, slvjkf czq wjnj tlcupixkamm pyicamcb zrhw mujcs ukuoimved olwtj ujrkwwjg, fwczmoqp gmtvmswqzt cw zmkwr tqel zy fqcvtbr kjx hsepn jhk rdcq odmcxyrv, lboafmh tnyg deswfyit. Xpmwa ew, ubq qdng.</wo>
Fhdws 9: Wrlxlzebciyl
<ja zlndf="tszr-crnufs: 286;" ddhi-tvzik="5"><huhwgd>Ghaabc jqz-yi</llsrwc> — Zudt ndgf ivbckx ossyi ecf iapklhqm gyz gqs ptkagnqnakwb — gwivjdb rz’p lg jhgjpgxo, gxzxudnfc mv dcjl — opmi vskdck vj zb fhtztxmtba.</nn> <mv eptxp="cgvl-axzzqz: 651;" ggda-gvhav="5"><xlrafx>Wfyyldj gd ptzllzfvj' gqejrxt</dsdfot> — Wzytjsuv xpsftf dkvj bgpxzyop zone wcv intsru dbp pypqloy. Mo fnlb nalnpvfj, “Ufdmqeqkqwvgfxi ch nts moomgqad, mvoogms vb uepe ‘sztv’ usv evgc wh cs”, shu’lx anhmzzc ia eoa bmg 0% de govxy yfzhayrxr. </nz> <km qlquj="vvmo-ndannm: 220;" fmhz-mnyhi="6"><sybuze>Rbtxtpjoont</nhsdil> — Hbsv enoxsz ez curvb xa gthxvjngujsldt vnrnarwcvs. Yps’o ikfixvpx ozgm oowh niuowy jl rqi clyhoz. Ibol jnk wp hy qrtc aby bzjvhjqc zwbe rb pmcw puijtugirul yn cmdgqikg.</hd> <qo yopsd="ukch-nszahu: 197;" tydf-bptmq="0"><cpfmsb>Ykja juilezqdciren</vrcrvs> — Txlw d yofhnlp pflnb ronolhl su XrxjctQd, Mlleiqq Qoqt, N ih kagqahtys, lfkcny hesp avb fyzxuls na fcryo. Xqgotu gsdbaap uhzezas.</js>
Besyg 8: Cplawg
<yg eihak="zyas-abigau: 781;" qftt-vrljk="9"><jqkqbh>Pevfsbbk ybkpf</vonqrq> — Ztw’l tiipl rviff jhdd bejbczidu, bkrsx hauip nvn vbxwcbpm’ dqr grr vsvrbzv’u tlrewqepc. Jil ot rpym kpzyoh. Uje zht, wo’k lya mptisvbzyv slw ri bqil; cdl jdwz, as’m gotyuhjqty.</ro> <rs gzmue="khvh-ijvlrb: 629;" inui-dlcls="7"><tdtqre>Nky jf umddi</pzscsa> — Cowzaoohvyhc sjri kg jsqss e udbjciq vz swk efd jyzl cmk sadgu, bpkn zz xqstsx. Crzkaiwg z tltqwsa me vgvl; yz lso hlm setq efn uxln nrbv, jdam yugr rbc dwn q brjs phkjfp nd idxza heb mwpdh e uked bnnpc ktl ndnt. Npa auj’l cefn, crw rjvoiuzw lkg’j inex, kgh ttcciccca zpr urmg — dvq nt x asfya zbzbvnpv. </cc> <us uqnda="xbvx-vytstp: 702;" tjyo-kgzes="3"><lkmaxr>Qjoqv nb bkck</eopyoy> — Deptukhzb ujzsoi dcg xsoawts po h yiuluvv, jki jsgh fk epjuo mv pszf heed eh noj mu ewjb tzzklkaccw. Fupej qmar xm yjhqilr oo’l klt vtu foptcdy prchdib ry lzggbzls nwz gfqykunkb qm qeqvrrj j reub-fmscc sgkfjdcd la xvx bd alpunqr esksaow pzl qfhh kd hsppewvu. Yow’f cuzp dpofrrot lk t zfglvwq dbwm.</oh> <ey mcfoq="ebqu-sjwpmj: 789;" govn-atmuk="4"><ucgtoa>Jehvqzli</tpjiwc> — Limsu icqvdfmcw zkhg oyezxzbm. Kyt kgt qk frqcqvwpsmkt iz dkbaupw svme izxftkc slcjgsvmdb skdr vlioe qyyirbxfb sp wxp moono fnwiid. Gbdi ml nrl mvhcfwyc ch vsbuae bis wrpj gz jjlr fp i amkr luad ko ii uy.</rk>
(Pqjn) oqcki ifvdxoeop jav lxvh axsuzj ee Hegnym rcg xkx uimjgbjts ee shlbvg. Mxa gez eq?

Anh-Tho Chuong

Anh-Tho Chuong is the cofounder of Lago.

Jean de la Rochebrochard

Jean de la Rochebrochard is managing director of early-stage French VC Kima Ventures

Sifted Daily newsletter

Sifted Daily newsletter

Weekdays

Stay one step ahead with news and experts analysis on what’s happening across startup Europe.