VC investing 101: After writing your first angel cheque, here’s what happens next

So you’ve e-signed the docs, transferred the funds (nobody writes an actual cheque these days when they say “I’ve written a cheque”).

You’ve joined the cap table. You’ve posted the obligatory celebratory LinkedIn update. Congratulations — you’re officially An Angel Investor™.

But now what?

If you’re a new angel investor, the post-investment phase can feel… anticlimactic. Nobody hands you a user manual.

Founders disappear into a flurry of building tech things, and you’re left wondering if you’re supposed to do something. Let’s walk through what actually happens after you invest — and what you should (and shouldn’t) be doing from here on.

You probably won’t hear much for a while — and that’s normal

Startups are chaotic. Most founders are juggling fundraising, product development, customer calls, hiring, and probably some existential dread.

Don’t expect regular monthly investor updates, especially at pre-seed. If you’ve invested via a syndicate like the M8 Syndicate, the syndicate manager will be nagging the founder about getting into a regular reporting schedule, and when that gets started, you’ll receive a copy from the syndicate.

But some founders will keep you in the loop regularly and others won’t, no matter how often they’re reminded to. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything’s wrong — but if things are going wrong, you’ll usually find out eventually.

If you’re not getting updates, you’re allowed to ask politely. Just don’t be the angel who treats the founder like a quarterly earnings report. You’re not on the board.

Set expectations early

Want updates? Say so. Want to help? Offer.

Want to be left alone unless they’re raising again or in trouble? That’s fine too — just make it clear up front.

Founders can’t read minds, and they’d rather spend their time building than guessing whether you’re silently judging them.

You’re probably not going to get your money back for a long time

This isn’t crypto. You’re not flipping this investment next week. It might be 7–10 years (or more) before the company has an exit. If it exits at all.

Early-stage startup investing is like planting trees: some will grow, some will die, a few might take over the forest.

What you can do in the meantime is track progress.

Is the company hitting milestones? Raising follow-on capital? Hiring well? Getting customer love?

That momentum is the best signal you’ve got.

You might be asked for help

Maybe it’s intros to other investors. Maybe it’s help hiring a product manager. Maybe they want feedback on a pitch deck or pricing model.

If you can help, great. If not, just say so. Founders appreciate straight answers.

You don’t need to become their therapist or part-time COO — but this is the “value-add” part of angel investing people go on about. Help if you want. If you don’t, that’s fine too. Just don’t ‘ghost’ founders.

Sometimes things go sideways

You might get the dreaded “can we jump on a quick call?” message. The founder’s runway is shrinking. A cofounder just quit. The product flopped. Investors are nervous.

Here’s the playbook: stay calm, ask questions, and be honest about whether you can help. Don’t panic. Don’t bail. Don’t bluster. And remember: your job isn’t to rescue them, it’s to be useful if you can.

What if they go quiet forever?

It happens. Sometimes it means the startup is dead and they’re too ashamed to say so. Sometimes it means they pivoted and forgot about you. Sometimes they’re just overwhelmed.

It sucks. It’s disappointing. But that’s the game. Take the loss, learn from it, and move on.

Don’t forget your follow-ons
Some of the best angels don’t just spray and pray — they double down.

Your first cheque buys you insight. If the company’s doing well and you have pro rata rights, a second cheque might be a great plan.

So pay attention. When you hear that a follow-on round might be coming together, check back at your notes from your decision diary.

Ask: do I still believe in this team? Is the traction real? Do I want more exposure?

In short:

After you invest, the startup journey is mostly out of your hands. You’re not the captain — you’re somewhere between crew and passenger. Be supportive, be useful if you can, and above all, be patient. Good angel investing is about pattern recognition over time. Every post-investment experience teaches you something.

And hey, worst case? You lose money but gain stories. Maybe you make new friends.

Best case? You backed the next Canva and they still remember your name.

• Alan Jones a coach for founders and angel investors, and a partner at M8 Ventures. He also prints some cool t-shirts to help refugees and tweets as @bigyahu