Last week, I found myself in yet another consultation room, sitting across from a hopeful couple. They carried with them the weight of dreams, fears, and a stack of medical reports. As an IVF specialist, this is a scene I encounter regularly, yet each one feels distinct, brimming with unique stories and aspirations. We went through the usual motions — reviewing lab results, discussing treatment possibilities — but I could feel an undercurrent of intuition guiding my thoughts. It was a gut feeling, an instinct honed over years of practice. This is what I rely on, not just in the delicate world of fertility treatments, but also in the tumultuous waters of angel investing.
In both domains, data holds a seat at the table. It informs us, gives us a framework, and allows us to make educated decisions. However, there comes a moment when the data stops speaking, and that’s when intuition steps in. In IVF, for example, embryo grading is a science shrouded in a veil of uncertainty. The lab results offer crucial insights, but they don’t tell the entire story. I’ve often found myself trusting an inexplicable feeling — a sense that this embryo, not that one, is the right choice. It’s this same kind of intuition that I bring to the table as an angel investor.
Investing in startups, particularly at the seed stage, often involves navigating through a maze of speculative forecasts and optimistic projections. Founders present their ideas with enthusiasm, backed by market analyses that are, more often than not, educated guesses. Here too, I trust my gut. Not to disregard the data, but to complement it. It’s about knowing when to lean into that unexplainable feeling. I’ve backed ventures that seemed improbable on paper because something about the founder — their conviction, their vision — resonated with me. And while there have been misses, the wins have validated this approach.
One might wonder if relying on intuition is merely romanticizing the decision-making process. After all, isn’t data supposed to be the objective truth? Yet, intuition is not about ignoring the facts; it’s about complementing them with a deeper understanding. Laura Huang from Wharton has done extensive research on this subject, particularly focusing on investors who use their gut instincts. It’s not a mystical sixth sense but rather a product of experience. The same way a seasoned clinician might pick up on a subtle symptom, an experienced investor might notice a founder’s unspoken potential.
This isn’t to say intuition is flawless. It’s subject to biases and misjudgments. In both IVF and investment, I’ve had my share of wrong calls. But that’s part of the journey. In IVF, for instance, a cycle might fail despite all the signs pointing to success. Yet, these experiences are valuable lessons, as I wrote in “The Day I Learned More from a Failed IVF Cycle Than Any Medical Textbook”. Similarly, an investment might not pan out, but the learning curve is steep, and sometimes one successful venture can outweigh several failures.
In practice, intuition often manifests as a gut feeling during patient interactions. It’s that feeling of alarm or reassurance that Stolper et al. describe as arising early in clinical encounters. I’ve experienced this countless times, where my gut tells me something’s off, even if the data doesn’t initially support it. More often than not, further tests validate my instinct. This mirrors the world of investing, where first impressions can be telling. Meeting a founder and sensing their authenticity or potential is a skill developed over time.
Critics might argue that relying on gut feelings introduces bias, and there’s truth to that. Awareness and experience are crucial in mitigating this risk. It’s about balancing intuition with data, knowing when to trust your gut and when to step back and analyze more rigorously. In IVF, where the stakes are exceptionally high, this balance is vital. The same is true in investing, where the human element often outweighs the numerical analyses.
In both fields, the human connection is paramount. In my clinic, we prioritize human connection over technology, a principle I’ve discussed in “Why My IVF Clinic Prioritizes Human Connection Over Cutting-Edge Tech”. This principle holds true in investing as well. The bond you form with a founder can reveal more than any business plan. It’s about seeing beyond the pitch and understanding the person behind the idea.
Ultimately, trusting your gut is about embracing uncertainty. It’s about acknowledging that you don’t have all the answers and that sometimes, the best decisions come from a place of instinct rather than analysis. In both medicine and investing, the outcomes can be life-changing. But it’s the willingness to trust in your experience and intuition that often leads to the most rewarding results.
As I continue to navigate these two worlds, I remain convinced that my gut feeling is one of my most valuable assets. It’s a compass that has guided me through complex decisions, a tool that complements the data and analysis. And in a world where uncertainty is the only certainty, I’ll continue to trust it.