Previously, Catherine Mott, an angel investor, stressed the importance of investing in “coachable” entrepreneurs who surround themselves with solid management teams. As chief executive and founder of BlueTree Allied Angels in Wexford, Pa., Ms. Mott says she knows one when she sees one. But during a recent conversation, I asked her to try to specify what she looks for when investing in start-ups. A condensed version of our conversation follows.
Q. How do you define coachable?
Ms. Mott: It’s very challenging to identify. I wish it were black and white, but it’s more of an intuitive gut feel. During our due diligence process, which includes five to six meetings with a start-up’s management team, we hope to see that the founder is the kind of person who takes advice because we know and understand there’s lots they won’t know. They’ll make mistakes. In effect, we’re giving them tuition money. But we want to mitigate how much of it they’ll lose.
To read the full, original article click on this link: What Exactly is a Coachable Entrepreneur? - NYTimes.com
Author: ADRIANA GARDELLA
