Brian Nichols is the co-founder of Angel Squad, a community where you’ll learn how to angel invest and get a chance to invest as little as $1k into Hustle Fund's top performing early-stage startups

Most people think they need $25,000+ to be a real angel investor. That's nonsense.

Elizabeth Yin, co-founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund, learned this the hard way. "My biggest learning (that I wish I'd learned in my 20s) was that there are a LOT of angel investors in Silicon Valley who are investing $1k checks," she says. Previously, she thought you needed much larger checks to participate meaningfully.

The truth is your check size matters less than finding an angel investing community that actually works with investors at your level.

The Check Size Reality Check

Different communities serve different investors. Some groups focus on $50,000+ checks from established operators. Others, like Angel Squad, have minimums as low as $1,000 per deal, making startup investing accessible to people just starting out.

What actually matters is at your check size, can you access quality deal flow? Will founders take your calls? Do you get the same terms as larger investors?

Many prestigious groups have high minimums but offer little education. You're expected to already know what you're doing. For newer investors, that's a recipe for expensive mistakes.

Match Your Stage to the Community

If you're writing $1,000-$5,000 checks, look for communities built around education and portfolio construction. You need reps. You need to see 20-30 deals before you develop any real pattern recognition.

Angel Squad structures their program around this reality. Members across 40+ countries invest alongside Hustle Fund with minimums starting at $1,000. The focus is on building a diversified portfolio while learning from investors who've backed over 600 companies.

Eric Bahn, co-founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund who previously worked at Instagram and founded Beat the GMAT, emphasizes the importance of getting those reps in. Communities should give you enough deal flow that you're making informed decisions, not just hoping you picked the right horse.

For investors writing $10,000-$25,000 checks, you have more options. You can participate in lead rounds, get pro-rata rights, and negotiate better terms. Look for communities where your check size commands attention from founders.

At $25,000+, you're playing a different game. You can lead deals, set terms, and build a reputation as a value-add investor. The community matters less for deal access and more for co-investment relationships and specialized expertise.

The Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions

Most angel investing communities charge membership fees. Annual fees range from $1,000 to $10,000+. Some take carry on deals (typically 5-20%). A few do both.

Do the math. If you're investing $5,000 per year and paying $2,000 in fees plus 10% carry, you need exceptional returns just to break even with investing directly. The community better deliver serious value.

The best communities are transparent about their economics. Angel Squad operates on a membership model with access to Hustle Fund's deal flow. Members know exactly what they're paying for: vetted opportunities, weekly events with top VCs and founders, and a community of 2,000+ investors learning together.

Questions to Ask Before Joining

Don't join based on marketing materials. Talk to current members. Ask them:

• How many deals have you seen in the past six months?
• What percentage did you invest in?
• Do smaller checks get the same terms as larger ones?
• How responsive are founders to investors at your check size?
• What's the actual educational content like?

If members hedge or can't give concrete answers, that tells you something.

Shiyan Koh, co-founder and General Partner at Hustle Fund who was previously VP of Business Operations at NerdWallet, believes the best communities are built around mutual benefit. "Great founders can look like anyone and come from anywhere," she notes. Communities should create environments where both founders and investors grow.

Your Check Size Determines Your Strategy

Smaller checks ($1,000-$5,000) mean you need volume. Join communities that show you 30+ deals annually. You're building a portfolio, learning the game, and developing your thesis.

Medium checks ($5,000-$25,000) give you access to better terms but require more selectivity. Look for communities with strong due diligence frameworks and experienced investors willing to share their thinking.

Large checks ($25,000+) need fewer but higher-quality opportunities. You want communities with deep expertise in specific sectors and strong founder relationships.

The right angel investing community isn't the most exclusive one. It's the one that matches your capital, your learning stage, and your goals. Everything else is just noise.