Balancing Startup Investments with Personal Financial Security

I’ve been dipping my toes into startup investing lately, and while the potential upside is exciting, it’s also got me thinking about risk management. My day job involves a lot of risk assessment, just of a different kind, so I’m curious how others approach this. How do you decide what portion of your portfolio to allocate to these high-risk ventures while still keeping a solid safety net intact? I’m especially interested in hearing from people who’ve been through a few economic cycles. What lessons have you learned about protecting your personal finances when chasing those bigger opportunities?