The Diligent Observer Podcast

Dr. John Criscione is a professor of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University who trains medical device engineers while simultaneously inventing, testing, and commercializing medical technologies. Dr. Criscione has been serving in this capacity for over 20 years and also serves as the CTO for CorInnova, a biomedical technology company focused on addressing Acute Heart Failure. During our conversation, he discusses: * The importance of disagreement for innovation* Translating inventions into marketable products* The challenges of new technologies and indications in medical devices* The pivotal role of angel investors in technology development* Navigating the 'valley of death' in medical technology commercialization* The specific difficulties of pediatric medical devices* Partnering for commercialization versus solo invention* The role and impact of the Southwest Pediatric Device ConsortiumListen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. What We Cover:* 00:00 The Nature of Innovation * 04:08 John’s Journey into Biomedical Engineering * 06:09 Challenges in Medical Technology * 10:47 The Valley of Death in Medical Innovation * 13:57 Funding and Investment Challenges * 15:12 CorInnova's Inception and Early Years * 20:51 The Double Whammy of New Technologies * 25:59 The Role of Angel Investors * 28:33 The Burdens of Innovation * 35:52 Challenges in Pediatric Medical Devices * Know someone who would enjoy this episode? Share it with them! P.S. Your feedback is important to me. Also, it tells the algorithms to pay more attention, which helps me out a lot. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the "like" button or leave a comment with your thoughts. Want more? Get essential angel intel straight to your inbox every week with The Diligent Observer Newsletter. Check out the entire show library and follow via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Connect with Andrew LinkedIn | X | Angel Ops E-Book All opinions are personal and may not reflect the views of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.

Dr. Margaret Bacheler is the Director of Educational Initiatives for the Angel Capital Association, where she oversees the Ann and Bill Payne ACA Angel University program. Dr. Bacheler is passionate about inclusive economic development, facilitating opportunities for multigenerational wealth creation, and diversifying the ranks of angel investors and the founders they support. She has also been awarded a National Science Foundation grant to elevate Early Stage Investing in the Deep Tech Space. She holds an Ed.d in Educational Leadership from Widener University, an MBA from Saint Joseph’s University, and a BA in World Politics from Hamilton College, where she was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. She is an active angel investor with angel investments in angel funds designed to support female founders.During our conversation, she discusses: * Her journey into angel investing, sparked by a women's investing conference. * The importance of due diligence in mitigating investment risks. * Key factors to evaluate in founders and startups.* The broad scope and diversity of angel investment opportunities, from deep tech to clean tech to women's health.* Common misconceptions and learning challenges faced by new angel investors.* Strategies for potentially successful angel investments, and the importance of a diversified portfolio.* The growing educational tools and resources available for angel investors.Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. What We Cover:* 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Margaret Bacheler * 01:25 Margie's Journey into Angel Investing * 03:05 The Importance of Due Diligence * 04:10 Learning to be an Angel Investor* 05:49 First Angel Investment Experience * 07:36 Evaluating Founders and Teams * Know someone who would enjoy this episode? Share it with them! P.S. Your feedback is important to me. Also, it tells the algorithms to pay more attention, which helps me out a lot. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the "like" button or leave a comment with your thoughts. Want more? Get essential angel intel straight to your inbox every week with The Diligent Observer Newsletter. Check out the entire show library and follow via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Connect with Andrew LinkedIn | X | Angel Ops E-Book All opinions are personal and may not reflect the views of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.

Matt Bell was born and raised in the UK, has lived on 4 continents, worked in, or visited, over 50 countries, and now calls Houston, Texas, home. His career journey has taken him from field operations to company leadership and corporate venture capital, from startup to growth stage, and on to strategy consulting, marketing, and angel investing.As co-founder of MessageUp and Strategic Piece, Matt works with B2B companies to make messaging and content more effective without overburdening their teams. This reflects his belief that content marketing has become mission-critical and will differentiate successful B2B companies from the rest in an increasingly digital-first world.As Vice President of the Imperial College Foundation, he helps enable tax-efficient giving from US-based alumni and friends that supports ground-breaking research and the highest quality education at Imperial College. During our conversation, he discusses: * The concept and challenges of content marketing for early-stage B2B companies* The importance of brand awareness and building a consistent audience early* The pitfalls of poorly executed marketing strategies* Aligning corporate and marketing objectives to measure effectiveness* The impact of AI on content creation and the need for authenticity* Key considerations for investors evaluating a startup's marketing strategy* The evolution of the CMO role and strategic marketing importance* The future trends in marketing and buyer behaviorListen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. What We Cover:* 00:00 Introduction to Matt Bell * 05:36 Introduction to Content Marketing Strategy * 07:38 Importance of Early Brand Building * 12:07 Balancing Marketing Spend and ROI * 15:14 Case Study: Geodynamics * 22:39 Avoiding Random Acts of MarkeKnow someone who would enjoy this episode? Share it with them! P.S. Your feedback is important to me. Also, it tells the algorithms to pay more attention, which helps me out a lot. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the "like" button or leave a comment with your thoughts. Want more? Get essential angel intel straight to your inbox every week with The Diligent Observer Newsletter. Check out the entire show library and follow via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Connect with Andrew LinkedIn | X | Angel Ops E-Book All opinions are personal and may not reflect the views of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.

Marshall Smith is a seasoned WealthTech investor and corporate development leader with over 18 years of experience in WealthTech, Fintech and SaaS. He is the Managing Director of First Rate Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of First Rate Inc, the global leader in data aggregation, performance, and reporting solutions for over 500 Wealth Managers, Family Offices and Asset Managers across five continents.Marshall leads the strategy and execution of minority investments in early-stage WealthTech startups, as well as majority acquisitions of successful WealthTech platforms globally. He also co-founded and serves on the advisory board of WealthTech Strategy Partners, a boutique advisory firm that helps early-stage WealthTechs. Additionally, he is a co-founder, board director, and accelerator selection committee member of The Founders Arena, a unique and first-of-its-kind go-to-market accelerator for WealthTech companies. Marshall holds the CIPM credential from the CFA Institute and has published multiple white papers on risk management and performance measurement. He is passionate about fostering innovation, collaboration, and impact in the WealthTech ecosystem.Marshall lives in Southlake, Texas with his Wife Shannon and four kids. They are involved in Business as Mission, Adoption and Foster Care Ministry and serving their local church.During our conversation, he discusses: The definition of WealthTech and its relation to FinTechThe importance of progressive product market fitKey factors for evaluating investment opportunities in WealthTechHiring talent worldwideImportance of angel investors adding strategic value beyond capitalNavigating sales cycles and target markets within WealthTechConnect with MarshallLinkedIn | XStuff We ReferenceFirst Rate VenturesWealthTech Strategy PartnersBloomberg TerminalWall Street JournalFispokeFirst Rate Fispoke Press ReleaseOwl ESGKnow someone who would enjoy this episode? Share it with them! P.S. Your feedback is important to me. Also, it tells the algorithms to pay more attention, which helps me out a lot. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the "like" button or leave a comment with your thoughts. Want more? Get essential angel intel straight to your inbox every week with The Diligent Observer Newsletter. Check out the entire show library and follow via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Connect with Andrew LinkedIn | X | Angel Ops E-Book All opinions are personal and may not reflect the views of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.

 John Jeffers brings 32 years of energy industry expertise spanning leadership roles at ExxonMobil, Schlumberger, and Southwestern Energy to our conversation. Since 2020, he has channeled his extensive corporate experience into angel investing, startup mentorship, and co-founding Revolution Turbine Technologies, focusing on waste energy recovery and natural gas decarbonization solutions. During our conversation, he discusses: His transition from working in oil and gas to angel investingThe role of subsidies and unit economics in clean energyThe potential of waste heat recovery technologiesThe future of hydrogen as a fuel and potential methods of productionStrategies for evaluating investment opportunities in clean energyThe significance of understanding both customer needs and operational integration when evaluating a new technologyThe necessity for adaptability and strategic pivots Connect with JohnLinkedIn | WebsiteStuff We ReferenceExxonMobilSchlumbergerSouthwestern EnergySWAN Impact NetworkRice Alliance Clean Energy AcceleratorDartmouth CollegeRice UniversitySMU Cox School of BusinessPitchBookInflation Reduction ActImperium TechnologiesGreentown Labs HoustonSkyven TechnologiesKanin EnergyJanice TranRice Energy Tech Venture ForumKolomaBreakthrough Energy VenturesKnow someone who would enjoy this episode? Share it with them! P.S. Your feedback is important to me. Also, it tells the algorithms to pay more attention, which helps me out a lot. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the "like" button or leave a comment with your thoughts. Want more? Get essential angel intel straight to your inbox every week with The Diligent Observer Newsletter. Check out the entire show library and follow via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Connect with Andrew LinkedIn | X | Angel Ops E-Book All opinions are personal and may not reflect the views of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.

Geoffrey Cheng is the Investment Manager for Comcast SportsTech. Before working at Comcast SportsTech, he was lucky enough to work alongside entrepreneurs and management teams from seed stage to growth stage. He's been one of the first employees at a startup, worked at a media investment advisory firm (where he worked on deals impacting over $750M in total assets), and spent time with dozens of startups as investor, advisor, and ad-hoc fundraising guru.During our conversation, he discusses: The transition from computational biology to investment managementBuilding key partnerships and strategy at Comcast SportsTechThe essence of impact in his career approachDifferentiating factors in sports and media investmentsImportance of establishing key partnerships in the sports industryCurrent trends like the intersection of gaming and sportsAdvice for angel investors in sports-related dealsThe cultural influence of sports and mediaConnect with GeoffreyLinkedIn | Website Stuff We ReferenceTrillerTiktokComcastPremier LeaguePGA TourNASCARUniversity of Notre DameNFLNBAFIFASalesforceRyan Reynolds buys WrexhamFerguson | Michael BrownAzureAmazonArsenalChelseaSkyPeacockCall of DutyFortniteRobloxKnow someone who would enjoy this episode? Share it with them! P.S. Your feedback is important to me. Also, it tells the algorithms to pay more attention, which helps me out a lot. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the "like" button or leave a comment with your thoughts. Want more? Get essential angel intel straight to your inbox every week with The Diligent Observer Newsletter. Check out the entire show library and follow via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Connect with Andrew LinkedIn | X | Angel Ops E-Book All opinions are personal and may not reflect the views of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.

John Samore III is a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner with over 25 years of experience in forensic accounting, fraud investigations, and litigation. He has worked with Big 4 firms and other professional service firms, collaborating with companies across various industries.John specializes in financial, managerial, and operational due diligence for M&A transactions, including quality of earnings and working capital analysis. He has also performed internal audits, control testing, SOX compliance, and policy recommendations. His experience spans government entities, nonprofits, and public and private companies in industries such as banking, healthcare, media, retail, real estate, manufacturing, agriculture, and more.During our conversation, he discusses: The importance of separating emotions from business decisionsKey takeaways from his experience dealing with financial crimes and fraud casesWhy quality of earnings is important for early-stage investmentsTypical mistakes angel investors and entrepreneurs makePractical questions that angels should consider asking before committing to a dealRisk assessment and when to engage professionals for due diligenceConnect with JohnLinkedIn | WebsiteStuff We ReferenceMedicareGAAPShark TankKnow someone who would enjoy this episode? Share it with them! P.S. Your feedback is important to me. Also, it tells the algorithms to pay more attention, which helps me out a lot. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the "like" button or leave a comment with your thoughts. Want more? Get essential angel intel straight to your inbox every week with The Diligent Observer Newsletter. Check out the entire show library and follow via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Connect with Andrew LinkedIn | X | Angel Ops E-Book All opinions are personal and may not reflect the views of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.

Eric Alfuth is an investor and advisor with over 20 years of experience. He is the managing partner of the early-stage VC Caymont Ventures, and he serves as a board member and advisor to multiple emerging companies. He also serves as President of the Houston Angel Network, one of the largest and most active angel networks in the country.Prior to forming Caymont Eric helped launch and sell two energy companies, a public exit and a private sale. Before his entrepreneurial journey, Eric led a high yield credit hedge fund and managed a $4 billion international fund for AIG Investments. He began his career as an equity research analyst with Prudential Securities for a #1 ranked Institutional Investor team.Eric holds two degrees from Texas A&M University and a Masters degree from Harvard University.During our conversation, he discusses: The impact of quitting a day job to start a company Advice to new angel investors The importance of developing a macro thesisSupporting founders beyond providing capital The significance of having a strong advisory board Examples of successful thesis-driven investments Trends and sectors he is watching like personalized medicine and EdTechThe collaborative nature of the angel investing communityConnect with EricLinkedIn | Newsletter | Website | WebsiteStuff We ReferenceFidelityGood Morning AmericaReebokNikeName, Image, Likeness (NIL)OpenAI Board DramaEnronTheranosKnow someone who would enjoy this episode? Share it with them! P.S. Your feedback is important to me. Also, it tells the algorithms to pay more attention, which helps me out a lot. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the "like" button or leave a comment with your thoughts. Want more? Get essential angel intel straight to your inbox every week with The Diligent Observer Newsletter. Check out the entire show library and follow via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Connect with Andrew LinkedIn | X | Angel Ops E-Book All opinions are personal and may not reflect the views of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.

Matt Gore was a BCG consultant and startup founder with the Saturn Five Venture Studio. Along the way, he got hooked on crafting stories that help founders raise money. Now he manages OPTIO, a firm that specializes in crafting pitch decks. OPTIO pitch decks have helped founders raise over $2 Billion dollars in capital from top firms like A16Z. He is a partner in several service businesses, an angel investor, and leads the Aggie Venture Fund, a student VC fund at Texas A&M. During our conversation, he talks about: • The story of his transition from consulting to founding a pitch deck firm• Why pitch decks are a proxy for startup quality• What many investors miss about “technical” founders• The importance of founder-startup fit• Why most angels should stick to index funds• Winning the winners by becoming a true value-add investor• Building a network for unique deal flowConnect with MattX | LinkedIn | WebsiteStuff We Reference• Aggie Venture Fund• Evan Loomis• Quickbooks• Nike• Andreessen Horowitz• Acquired PodcastKnow someone who would enjoy this episode? Share it with them! P.S. Your feedback is important to me. Also, it tells the algorithms to pay more attention, which helps me out a lot. If you enjoyed this episode, hit the "like" button or leave a comment with your thoughts. Want more? Get essential angel intel straight to your inbox every week with The Diligent Observer Newsletter. Check out the entire show library and follow via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Connect with Andrew LinkedIn | X | Angel Ops E-Book All opinions are personal and may not reflect the views of The Diligent Observer. Not investment advice.