Startup pro Jason Calacanis on angel investing, IPOs, Elon Musk and more

POSTED ON January 03, 2015 BY Tommy Humphreys
CATEGORY Featured Interview, Silicon Valley, Technology,

Jason Calacanis (Wikimedia Commons)

I enjoyed catching up with the James Altucher Show this morning, and thought I would share some of the program with CEO.ca readers.

Altucher's had a diverse career as an entrepreneur, hedge fund manager, and angel investor, and he has a penchant for spilling his guts out. As a writer, he's become something of a self help Guru in recent years. Follow him on Twitter here.

Jason Calacanis was the guest on Altucher's show this week. Calacanis founded Silicon Alley Reporter, an influential New York City based startup publication, in the 1990s, which folded after the dot-com bust. He also created Weblogs Inc which sold to AOL for $25 million in 2005. Calacanis is currently the host of This Week in Startups, an excellent twice weekly startups focused podcast. He is also an active angel investor in Uber and countless other companies. Over the past two decades, few journalists have covered the startup scene more than Calacanis, and he has built a master network in the realm as a result. Startup businesses come and go and many go on to great things; however, from time to time, they often require help from legal professionals, like a small business lawyer, to assist them when they run into issues like disputes over intellectual property and the like.

So when I heard that James and Jason were going to spend an hour together with the audio recorders rolling, I had to tune in.

Calacanis said he loves angel investing and podcasting because it allows him to hang out with friends and make new ones. It also appeals to his gambling nature. Many of the most successful angel investors similar to Lindsay Rosenwald will argue that this type of investing is the ultimate form of gambling, as you have to be able to take a few minor defeats in order to achieve the huge jackpot of a massive business return.

The notoriety gained from podcasting also helps him meet potential talent. iOS developers are the most competitive hires currently, Calacanis believes. He also said he could meet 20 of them next week because of his podcast connections.

As an angel investor, Calacanis likes to back founders with obsessive knowledge of their competitors, including the nuances and history of their products. Then he looks for awesome execution in terms of design, copy, and other details.

"If you are really knowledgeable and you are executing at a high level on a product basis, that's a good start," Calacanis said. He is a founder-focused investor.

The conversation turned to Elon Musk, a longtime friend of Calacanis. Space-x, not Tesla, is Musk's true passion, Calacanis said. And talk about lofty goals, Musk's is to reach Mars within his lifetime.

Calacanis relayed that Google co-founder Larry Page believes it would be more interesting to give his fortune to Musk to solve the world's problems rather than other causes.

Calacanis spent some time promoting Angel List syndicates, a web based equity crowdfunding tool for startups embraced by several venture capital celebrities. He believes that syndicates are perfect for investors without access to early stage technology deal flow. He also said that somebody with a $3 million net worth may want to consider investing $3000 in 30 different deals, and put $90,000 to work, which speaks to his thoughts on asset allocation and the risks associated with venture investments.

According to Calacanis, IPOs are becoming irrelevant, as there is already tremendous demand for shares of private startups through secondary markets.

The podcasting duo went on to discuss books of interest. Calacanis is currently reading Creativity Inc by Pixar founder Ed Catmull. Both men like Bird by Bird, a book on life and writing. Born Standing Up by Steve Martin is another book that both gentlemen love. Altucher gave praise to Zero to One by Peter Theil, calling it one of the best business books he's read.

If you're looking for a little entertainment this last weekend of the Holiday Season, Listen to the Altucher, Calacanis podcast on iTunes.

Tommy Humphreys

Tommy Humphreys, 30, is an entrepreneur, investor and writer from Vancouver, Canada. He founded CEO.CA, a popular junior mining and Canadian finance blog, in 2012. He has been the president of Pacific Website Company Inc., a private marketing and web development company, since 2007. Tommy has authored articles for Globe and Mail, Financial Post and others. He speaks at select conferences. Reach him by email: tommy@ceo.ca. Follow him on Twitter: @TommyHump More →

Twitter: @tommyhump

tommyhump@gmail.com

Tommy Humphreys

Twitter: @tommyhump

tommyhump@gmail.com

Disclaimer:

Readers are advised that the material contained herein is solely for information purposes. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research and due diligence, and/or obtain professional advice. Nothing contained herein constitutes a representation by the publisher, nor a solicitation for the purchase or sale of securities. The information contained herein is based on sources which the publisher believes to be reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate, and does not purport to be a complete statement or summary of the available data. Any opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. The owner, editor, writer and publisher and their associates are not responsible for errors or omissions. They may from time to time have a position in the securities of the companies mentioned herein, and may change their positions without notice. (Any significant positions will be disclosed explicitly. This article is not intended to meet your specific individual investment needs and it is not tailored to your personal financial situation. Nothing contained herein constitutes, is intended, or deemed to be — either implied or otherwise — investment advice. Thomas Humphreys, Pacific Website Company Inc., and other entities in which he has an interest, employees, officers, family, and associates may from time to time have positions in the securities or commodities covered in these publications or web site. We reserve the right to buy and sell such securities or commodities without notice to readers. While the information herein is believed to be accurate and reliable it is not guaranteed or implied to be so. The information herein may not be complete or correct; it is provided in good faith but without any legal responsibility or obligation to provide future updates. Neither Thomas Humphreys, nor anyone else, accepts any responsibility, or assumes any liability, whatsoever, for any direct, indirect or consequential loss arising from the use of the information in these publications or web site.

Forward-Looking Statements: This article may include certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "forecast", "expect", "potential", "project", "target", "schedule", budget" and "intend" and statements that an event or result "may", "will", "should", "could" or "might" occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the potential of the Company's properties are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Company's expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, delays or inability to receive required approvals, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements which speak only as of the date of this article. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Always do your own due diligence. We seek safe harbor.

We hate spam too and promise 100% privacy.

Global opportunities and leadership. Created by Tommy Humphreys.

We hate spam too and promise 100% privacy.

One thought on “Startup pro Jason Calacanis on angel investing, IPOs, Elon Musk and more”

Matthew says:

January 4, 2015 at 7:01 am

$3,000 in 30 different small deals is actually pretty smart when you break it down… the Pareto Principle broken down further is 1% of _____ to generate 50% of _____… Calacanis is onto something 😀

Comments are closed.

Startup pro Jason Calacanis on angel investing, IPOs, Elon Musk and more

One thought on “Startup pro Jason Calacanis on angel investing, IPOs, Elon Musk and more”

Real-time knowledge sharing for global investors: CHAT.CEO.CA