Our advice?  Start off slow.

1. Expect to lose it all. Never invest more than you can afford to lose.

2. Only invest in what you understand. Preferably, a product or mission that you love.

3. Do your research. You also can ask the founders a question on their company profile.

4. Diversify. It’s better to make multiple small investments rather than one large one. Plus, it’ll help you learn more.

5. Look at the Lead Investor.  Has a more experienced investor invested in the company, under the same terms as you?  Why are they investing?

For more tips, head over to Startup Investor School – an entire video series of tips from the world's best startup investor, Y Combinator.

Note that these are tips, not investment *recommendations,* and you should make your own decisions when deciding what to invest in.