Rashad Moore joined Jamarlin Martin on the GHOGH podcast to share his insights as an entrepreneur and investor on what it takes to make it in the technology and investing world.
Rashad is the founder of Score 3 Angels, an angel investing group that focuses on women, Black and brown founders. Rashad brings decades of experience as a software engineer and technology entrepreneur to supporting the founders he’s invested in.
He’s founded and sold two technology consulting firms that provide solutions to intelligence clients in the federal government. Rashad has an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Oklahoma State University and two graduate degrees in computer science and information systems and technology.
Let’s dive into the keys he shares entrepreneurs and aspiring investors.
Rashad advises aspiring angel investors to invest with a group of other investors. This will allow you to leverage your strengths and tap into the strengths of others in your investment group to be sure you’re thorough in your due diligence process.
“I’ve actually been saved a whole bunch of times from getting overexuberant about a particular company…when (I) bring it to the group, people start to point things out that I didn’t really think about and then it’s actually saved me,” said Rashad.
Interested in learning more about angel investor groups and due diligence? Here are some resources:
Best Practice Guidance for Angel Groups – Due Diligence – David Eyler, Columbia University
The Due Diligence Process in Venture Capital – MaRS
How Angel Investors and Angel Investor Groups Work – Alejandro Cremades
What are Angel Groups? – FundersClub
Rashad advises entrepreneurs to make sure they know their numbers. He points out that a lot of entrepreneurs don’t and as a result show that they don’t really understand how their business works economically.
“I would say just have a good sober understanding of how you make money, right,” said Rashad.
Here are some resources to make sure you stay on top of your numbers:
The 7 Financial Numbers Every Business Owner Should Know – Julie Bawden-Davis
Successful Entrepreneurs Need to Know Their Numbers – Allon Raiz
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 34: Rashad Moore
Jamarlin talks to Score 3 Angels founder and investor Rashad Moore about his transition from engineer and employee to boss of his own software consulting company, which he sold to a subcontractor for a U.S. intelligence agency.
Rashad’s keys are timely. There is strength in numbers – in terms of joining with others in making investment decisions, and in terms of what shows your business is running well. In these heady times, numbers are incredibly important and the resources above should put you on track to leverage them well. Let’s GHOGH!
Kwame Som-Pimpong writes on business, technology, policy, and their intersections with Black people. He earned a BA in Political Science from Davidson College and Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia. He can be reached at kwame.som.pimpong@gmail.com.
