Biography

chevron_right

He Raised $800M Starting at 18 to Invest In Startups (Harry Stebbings, 20VC)

whatshot 84 snips

Nov 13, 2025

Guest

Harry Stebbings

Harry Stebbings, founder of 20VC and a venture capital pioneer, shares his incredible journey from launching a podcast at just 18 to raising over $800 million for early-stage startups. He discusses his passion for technology and the importance of hiring with long-term relationships in mind. Harry emphasizes the significance of founder quality over market size and reveals how interviewing skills enhance investor trust. With personal stories of overcoming hardship, he highlights empathy and perseverance as keys to success in venture capital.

01:30:06

forum

Ask episode

web_stories

AI Snips

view_agenda

Chapters

menu_book

Books

auto_awesome

Transcript

info_circle

Episode notes

question_answer

ANECDOTE

From Bedroom Podcast To VC Credibility

Harry launched The Twenty Minute VC at 18 from his bedroom after obsessively studying venture content as a teen.
He cold-emailed leading VCs and authors, and many replied, which jumpstarted his access and credibility.

insights

INSIGHT

The Founder Paradox: Pride Plus Self-Doubt

Top founders combine a superiority complex with a deep inferiority complex that fuels relentless drive.
That masochistic self-pressure makes billion-dollar outcomes feel insufficient to them.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Fundraise By Building Relationships Early

Nurture LP relationships long before fundraising by meeting and staying in touch regularly.
Keep a CRM, send quarterly personalized updates, and ask for warm intros continually.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Becoming Obsessed with Tech and Venture

00:21 • 3min

chevron_right

Turning Early Curiosity into Action

03:02 • 13sec

chevron_right

How Personal Struggles Shaped Drive

03:15 • 3min

chevron_right

Preparation, Inferiority Complex, and Leadership Style

06:30 • 2min

chevron_right

Hiring Deliberately and Avoiding Team Churn

08:52 • 1min

chevron_right

Fundraising as Relationship Building

10:16 • 2min

chevron_right

Rapid Fund Growth and Tactical Outreach

12:08 • 35sec

chevron_right

The Simple Job of Venture: Maximize Returns

12:44 • 1min

chevron_right

Rejecting Vision in Favor of Micro-Ambition

14:05 • 3min

chevron_right

Cold Emailing Techniques That Work

16:40 • 5min

chevron_right

Making Your Own Luck Through Activity

Founder Quality Over Market at Seed

26:00 • 2min

chevron_right

How Interviewing Improves Investing

28:18 • 2min

chevron_right

Customer Experience for Founders

30:46 • 2min

chevron_right

Speed, Network, and High-Quality Decisions

33:12 • 57sec

chevron_right

Why Media Strengthens Venture Edge

34:10 • 2min

chevron_right

Editing for Attention and Product Quality

36:19 • 3min

chevron_right

Handling Unreleased Interviews and Reputation

39:36 • 55sec

chevron_right

Passing on Investments with Kindness

40:30 • 2min

chevron_right

Relentless Focus on Winning

42:26 • 2min

chevron_right

Using a North Star to Make Decisions

44:48 • 32sec

chevron_right

Project Europe: Building European Founder Infrastructure

45:20 • 3min

chevron_right

Why Europe Can Produce Global Winners

48:12 • 3min

chevron_right

Project Europe as Legacy Work

51:06 • 4min

chevron_right

Traits of Founders Who Reach $100M ARR Fast

55:10 • 4min

chevron_right

Hiring: Look for Hardship and Grit

59:00 • 1min

chevron_right

Being the Purple Cow in Competitive Term Sheets

01:00:28 • 4min

chevron_right

Rapid Decisions, In-Person Meetings, and Cultural Signals

01:04:20 • 6min

chevron_right

Authenticity and Directness with Founders

01:10:00 • 52sec

chevron_right

Intense Operating Cadence and Discipline

01:10:52 • 2min

chevron_right

Sobriety, Family Motivation, and Purpose

01:12:28 • 3min

chevron_right

How Early Hardship Fuels Ambition

01:15:28 • 3min

chevron_right

Turning Adversity into Opportunity

01:18:11 • 1min

chevron_right

Be Kind: Everyone Fights Hidden Battles

01:19:32 • 42sec

chevron_right

Reputation, Doing the Right Thing, and Decision Filters

01:20:14 • 1min

chevron_right

Leadership as Conducting Diverse Talents

01:21:36 • 51sec

chevron_right

Winning Drives Culture and Development

01:22:27 • 54sec

chevron_right

First Big Win: Sponsorship Validation

01:23:21 • 44sec

chevron_right

The Marathon and Tokyo Tests to Reveal Fit

01:24:05 • 2min

chevron_right

Deep Questions to Reveal Character

01:25:50 • 3min

chevron_right

Nuance Over Absolutes and Final Advice

• Mentioned in 74 episodes

Purple Cow

Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable

Seth Godin

In 'Purple Cow,' Seth Godin argues that traditional marketing strategies no longer work in today's saturated market. He advocates for the creation of 'Purple Cows' – products or services that are so remarkable they naturally generate buzz and attract attention. Godin uses the metaphor of a purple cow to illustrate how being ordinary is no longer sufficient; businesses must be bold, innovative, and willing to take risks to stand out. The book is filled with examples from successful companies like Apple, Starbucks, and JetBlue, and it challenges readers to rethink their marketing strategies to focus on creating truly remarkable offerings.

#74

• Mentioned in 169 episodes

The great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Published in 1925, 'The Great Gatsby' is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life during the Jazz Age. The novel is narrated by Nick Carraway, who moves to Long Island and becomes entangled in the lives of his wealthy and mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and Gatsby's obsession to win back his first love, Daisy Buchanan. The story delves into themes of honesty, the temptations of wealth, and the struggle to escape the past, ultimately reflecting on the disintegration of the American Dream.

In this episode, Wouter Teunissen sits down with Harry Stebbings, founder of 20VC, to explore how he turned a teenage side project into one of venture capital’s most influential media empires. At just 18, Harry launched The Twenty Minute VC from his childhood bedroom. Within a few years, it became the go-to show for the world’s top investors and founders—from Sequoia to Stripe.

That momentum became the foundation for 20VC Fund, which has now raised more than $800 million to back early-stage startups. Harry’s story is one of relentless curiosity and consistency. He shares what he’s learned from interviewing thousands of founders, how he built trust with Silicon Valley’s elite before ever setting foot there, and why he believes the key to success isn’t speed—it’s stamina. Today, 20VC isn’t just a podcast. It’s a bridge between storytelling and capital allocation—an inside look at how the best founders think, decide, and build.

This episode is presented by Rho , the all-in-one banking platform for startups. Thousands of startups like Perplexity, Product Hunt, and more use Rho. You get everything you need to manage your startup’s cash. Exclusively for Biography Pod listeners and viewers, you’ll get a $1500 statement credit plus a ton of exclusive perks when you manage your company cash with Rho. To learn more, visit https://rho.co/biography

Follow Harry: https://x.com/HarryStebbings

20VC: http://20vc.fund/

Follow Wouter: https://x.com/WouterTeunissen

Biography Newsletter: https://biography.beehiiv.com/

Timestamps: 00:00:00 Intro

00:00:57 - Falling in love with technology as a teenager

00:03:15 - The greatest founders have these two qualities

00:06:34 - Self belief is everything

00:08:41 - How to make sure you have a mediocre team

00:10:05 - How do you raise $800 Million for your fund?

00:14:05 - Fuck Vision. Be Micro-Ambitious

00:14:52 - You can manufacture luck