"You need industry contacts first. Suggestions?"

Work. Go to trade shows. Hang out on Internet forums with people in your target market. Make friends with folks.

It doesn't work so well for me, because I'm 2 years out of college and not in a particularly client-facing job. However, the OP is 36 and in a big company. You ought to have some sort of professional contacts by then, right?

I appreciate that you mean well; it seems that you're advising people on how to do something you haven't done, however, which is the same situation as at the top of the thread.

My impression is that the best way to meet investors is to live in Silicon Valley. That sounds like it's leaving out a lot of steps...

"My impression is that the best way to meet investors is to live in Silicon Valley. That sounds like it's leaving out a lot of steps, however."

You'd be surprised how easy the "get contacts" step becomes when you're in the valley. I was. I fought it for years, as I loved living in Austin. But, events where you can rub elbows with investors happen every single week here...it's a world apart from anywhere else.

Thanks - that comment helped. I'm at that verge now.