How Many Deals Before First Syndication?

[Juan Pablo Murillo]

Hello BPers,

For those of you who have become syndicators, I'm assuming at some point you started as an independent investor. 

How many personal deals did you do before your first syndication? 

Did you rely mostly on family and personal connections to raise funds or did you open it to the public? 

Please recommend any literature that you found helpful to navigate through your syndication.

Thanks