Follow your heart, but don't ignore your mind When it comes to investing

Dale W. Wood shares investing insights for 2022 Dale W. Wood, founder and CEO of global firm Dale Ventures, has spent the last five years at the top of the venture capital world. His investments - which include industry leaders Instanda, Huma, Rayo Credit and TechMet - have helped groundbreaking companies make strides in their fields and brought sizable returns to Dale Ventures. The firm, based in Dubai, was established in 2017 and is still going strong today. Despite the pandemic wrought economy, Wood has still managed to find top-tier startups to cultivate and fund.

The serial investor has had his share of failures, but says “failure is not the opposite of success, but often the road to greatness. How many times did Thomas Edison fail before he finally invented the lightbulb? If he had given up at his first failure, I won’t say that we wouldn’t have light today, but someone else who didn’t give up would have been given the titles of pioneer and inventor.”

We sat down with Wood to discuss the recovering economy, picking the right investments and believing that bright minds will change the world. Will the economy be ripe for investing in 2022? The economy took a hard hit globally over the two years after the pandemic hit. Industries dipped and workers struggled, but there were also companies that grew exponentially.

UberEats and DoorDash, for example, weren’t struggling prior to the pandemic, but the necessity of being in lockdown and unable to leave the house meant the masses largely relied on food deliveries. These types of ecommerce companies truly boomed in 2021, and they will likely continue to thrive in the coming years. When it comes to investing in new startups, Wood shared that he believes investing in a crisis is one of the best moves for daring venture capitalists.

“The higher the risk, the greater the reward,” he said. “If you have a vision and the funds, I say go for it. Investing in a crisis will help you stand out - the competition has died down and only those with fierce determination are eager enough to start something new. When you’re looking for something to invest in, don’t just look for an idea that resonates with you. A good idea is crucial, but even more important is finding the qualities that you value in a partner. No matter how great the idea, without proper leadership, a business will tank. So, when you shop around for a potential investment, meet the people behind the idea, get to know them and then decide whether you want to invest or not. It’s that simple.” Follow your heart, but don’t ignore your mind When it comes to investing, Wood said doesn’t have any unbreakable rules to govern his choices, nor does he limit himself when it comes to passion. According to the man of the hour, “Ideas come and go, but it’s hard work, careful execution, and unending persistence that make a great company.”

Wood has made it clear that he believes one million people can have the same idea, but only one will be able to make it work. Steve Jobs was certainly not the first person to dream up the idea of a personal computer, but he is the only one who was able to bring it to life. Persistence, determination, and passion are the common denominators of successful business people, and those characteristics are the bread and butter of solid investments, Wood said. “There aren't any hard and fast rules when it comes to investing in startups. Some may require a lot of funding, while others may require more effort. If it is something that I feel strongly about, regardless of how much is needed to get it off the ground, I will invest in it,” Wood said. “But never invest in anything you don’t believe in.” When it comes to passion projects, Wood says to leave leeway for something that touches your heart but never let it outsmart your head. Sustainability, practicality and realism must rule the day for a venture to truly succeed.