From Operator to Investor: The Angel & LP Investing Playbook for Tech Leaders
Amber Illig
General Partner of The Council Fund
Rachel Tsui
Partner of The Council Fund
The operator playbook we built after 80+ investments - now public.
Most tech leaders want to angel invest or back a fund as an LP. Very few have a repeatable system for either.
After 80+ early-stage investments, we distilled our internal frameworks, decision models, and templates into a practical playbook - built by operators, for operators. We're making it public here on Maven.
What you’ll learn
Go from curious to confidently writing your first angel or LP check - with a documented strategy you can reuse across real deals.
Understand the real differences - time commitment, check sizes, portfolio math, and expected involvement for each path
Walk away knowing whether to write your first direct check, back a fund as an LP, or do both
Apply a repeatable evaluation process to real startup and fund case studies and defend your go/no-go decision
Build and pressure-test your personal investment thesis to make faster, more consistent calls with less bias
Use our reusable tools on a live or recent deal - not just hypotheticals
Design your full investing system from sourcing and diligence
Know what you're signing and how to evaluate terms without needing a finance background
Learn realistic check sizes, allocation strategies, and how to find deals without an existing network
Learn directly from Amber & Rachel
Amber Illig
Operations leader, angel investor, VC fund manager
Rachel Tsui
Healthcare & customer success leader, angel investor, VC partner
Who this course is for
Tech leaders who want their first angel or LP check -without relying on gut feel or hype
Operators and c-suite executives who want to be a value-add investor, not just a check
Busy professionals who want to understand angel vs. LP investing before committing to either
Prerequisites
Leaders with 5–10+ years of experience
We invest from an operator POV. Your experience leading functions inside real organizations is the foundation everything builds on.
Aspiring & Current Alternative Early-Stage Investors
Whether you've done 0 deals or 10+, this playbook will help you build a more repeatable system.
Investing Readiness (Accredited or Preparing)
Most actionable for accredited investors ready to apply an operator-led approach. Not accredited yet? Build the framework so you're ready.
What's included
Lifetime access
Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.
Community of peers
Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.
Certificate of completion
Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.
Ready to Use Template
✅ Personal investment thesis ✅ Portfolio construction plan ✅ Startup investment evaluation checklist ✅ Tracking performance template ✅ Exit comparison & portfolio returns calculator
Maven Guarantee
Your purchase is backed by the Maven Guarantee.
Course syllabus
6 live sessions • 12 lessons • 4 projects
Week 1
Jul
24
Angel & LP Investing 101
Fri 7/247:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)
Angel & LP Investing 101: How This World Actually Works
Week 2
Jul
31
Angel & LP Investing 102
Fri 7/317:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)
Angel & LP Investing 102: Sourcing, Picking, & Closing Opportunities
Frequently asked questions
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