When you invest in an early-stage startup, you aren’t really investing in the company as it is.

It may sound strange, but hear me out. You’re not investing because of what that startup has achieved so far – you’re investing because of what you believe it can do in the future. It’s that sense of mystery – that forward-thinking mindset – that makes angel investing so exciting and fun.

Still, when I first started out, I often found myself surprised by which companies in my portfolio ended up being the biggest winners.

Now, after more than a decade investing in startups, I’ve nailed down a super-successful strategy that helps me choose the best deals. At the Angels & Entrepreneurs Summit last week, we talked all about how that strategy works – and how you can implement that same strategy to stack your portfolio with home runs.

In case you missed it, you can catch a rebroadcast of the summit by clicking here. I highly recommend that you catch this comprehensive presentation – it’s loaded with exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else.

In the meantime, let’s talk a little bit about open-mindedness.

When I said that I often found myself surprised by the winners in my portfolio, I didn’t mean that I thought they would fail. After all, I believed in them enough to write a check in the first place.

But we angel investors can’t help but ascribe a sort of mental ranking to each startup in our portfolio. In other words, there are deals we think are likely to hit, and those we feel sure will hit.

And you’d be surprised how often we’re wrong.

Check out the video above to see what I mean.

Until next time,

Neil Patel