The Peel with Turner Novak Illegal Immigrant to $160m Fund 1: Inside Villi Iltchev’s Journey Building Category Ventures
29 snips
Feb 6, 2025 Villi Iltchev, founder of Category Ventures and a seasoned investor in enterprise software, shares his inspiring journey from being an illegal immigrant to raising a $160m fund. He discusses the evolution of Silicon Valley and the mistakes that shaped his career, including the crucial importance of unit economics. Villi reflects on his experiences at Salesforce, his early bets on successful startups, and the challenges of selling tech companies. Packed with valuable insights, this conversation highlights the transformative power of perseverance and innovation in the tech industry.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Illegal Immigration and Move to the US
- Villi Iltchev immigrated illegally to Greece with his family due to economic hardship after communism's collapse in Bulgaria.
- He later moved to the US alone at 16 after securing a scholarship to a boarding school, navigating early life with limited guidance.
College and Grad School
- Villi Iltchev attended college in South Carolina on a tennis scholarship, chosen due to its proximity to his high school.
- He later stumbled into grad school for accounting due to a professor's suggestion, despite not initially intending to pursue it.
Early Career Path
- Villi Iltchev considers his early years in the US marked by ignorance and lack of purposeful direction, regretting not attending a better college despite academic and athletic talent.
- His limited options as an international student on a student visa shaped his early career path.