How do you start angel investing? Can anyone be an angel investor or is this a world reserved for Silicon Valley insiders and Shark Tank-esque business tycoons?

Jess Lynch joins us to explain how $2,500 can be your entry ticket into the world of angel investing - and how to deploy those dollars wisely in a high-risk environment. Join us to get the exact frameworks Jess uses to find, vet, and back the founders most likely to win.

In this episode, Eric asks Jess to pull back the curtain on the private markets and how average investors can start exploring opportunities within them. They give clear guidelines that anyone can use to guide decision-making, from how to size your allocation (4–7% of net worth), to why you should plan for at least 20 investments to manage risk, to what Jess calls her "founder index": 60 standardized questions designed to reduce bias and surface the founders most likely to deliver outsized returns.

They also tackle one of the most common and emotionally charged situations investors face: what do you do when a friend or family member asks you to back their company?

Beyond the mechanics, this episode dives into something rarely discussed in personal finance circles: the societal power of angel investing. Less than 2% of venture capital goes to women-led teams — and the conversation around who gets to make those early funding decisions matters deeply for what ends up getting built.

Whether you've been angel investing curious for years or you're hearing this concept seriously for the first time, this episode gives you the map, the math, and the mindset to decide if this asset class belongs in your financial life.

Jess Lynch is a forensic accountant turned founder turned investor. Jess recently co-founded a pre-seed VC fund, FoundersEdge, that invests in multi-time founders using AI to transform user experiences, and has built a large network of experienced entrepreneurs to support these new ventures, doing everything she can to help them succeed.

You can connect with Jess on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicallynch. Learn more about FoundersEdge at https://www.foundersedge.com

Ready to create, use, and enjoy money for life? Request a complimentary consultation with us at BYH and discover how to optimize your investments, reduce your tax burden, and grow your wealth: https://beyondyourhammock.com/schedule