Knowledge improves Risk Mitigation
Improved knowledge of business domain: A person who has better knowledge of the nature of risk is better placed than person without any knowledge. What you want to know is - where are the bargaining power centres, do you understand them and who owns them and whether you can change those. Given my knowledge of pharma and allied sectors, I do not invest in pharma.
Improved knowledge of parties involved: If you know the founders well, you may be able to take higher risks than otherwise. You may also "know" competitive landscape - what they think, how they act.
Mechanisms to hedge risks are available and known: Hedging mechanisms are not always obvious. Not always "options" will solve your problem. Your knowledge must be comprehensive enough to determine what are the hedging mechanisms involved. Sometimes you can create an alternate product line to improve your bargaining power.
With knowledge, you can better understand the risks. For you, the risks will be lower than others.
Buy my books "Subverting Capitalism & Democracy" and "Understanding Firms".