Why Harry Stebbings Will Be One Of The Best VC’s of All Time

Harry Stebbings is destined to win. He is currently 2o years old and an VC/EIR at the global giant Atomico. Just last week Harry announced plans to exit his first role in venture in order to start his very own fund with legendary investor, Fred Destin, from Accel.

Harry is the Founder of The Twenty Minute VC, the world’s largest independent venture capital podcast with over 100,000 listeners, partnerships with Mattermark and ProductHunt and guests from over 200 venture capital firms including the likes of Accel, Kleiner, GV, Google Capital, Founders Fund, Andreessen, Y Combinator, Benchmark, Index and many more. Harry has interviewed more VC’s than anyone on the planet. 835 to be exact.

So why exactly is Harry Stebbings going to be one of the best VCs of all time? Let’s take a closer look.

Having listened to hundreds of episodes and countless interactions from the London based entrepreneur, investor and podcaster, here are 10 reasons why I believe Harry is destined to win.

1) Deep Understanding of Market and Trends

By interviewing more than 800 VC’s from across the globe, Harry has a better understanding of venture investment concerning both theory and practice than almost anyone in the space. Harry’s unique ontology, developed through direct relationships and intimate conversation with the greatest investors operating today makes his unparalleled knowledge base a tremendous asset. Furthermore, Harry understands his competition, capable of deploying a differentiated strategy compared to his colleagues within the market. It is one thing to know your enemy, but another to know your friends. Harry has a fundamental advantage concerning his strategic insight which no other individual in venture can claim at his scale.

2) Disruptive Thesis on Venture

Harry has learned a thing or two during his time at The Twenty Minute VC. And after hundreds of conversations, Harry has been able to identify a few favorite contrarian rights. Harry is especially interested in disrupting the fundamental structures in venture a-la Upside VC which makes each portfolio company a stakeholder in the fund. Furthermore, Harry understands the systematic importance of relationships throughout the entire chain, prioritizing connections with founders, VC’s and LP’s alike.

After a recent interview with Harry, here are 3 insights worth considering when contemplating his disruptive approach.

1. Using one’s portfolio and founders as the biggest value add. The rise of first time funds, and micro VC’s in the 100–250mm fund size as the most successful allocation of LP capital.
2. Exploring innovative upside structures a-la Kindrid in London and Upside in San Francisco where entrepreneurs take equity within the fund.
3. New thesis on extended fund-cycle, appreciating long term liquidity horizons, expanding and challenging the expectations of a 10 year fund.

3) Tremendous Inclination Toward Value Add

Harry loves people. And by virtue that means harry loves founders. The VC’s that succeed in today’s capital landscape are the one’s who possess Value Add. As Harry often says, the best deals are always known to be the “best deals” and it’s not about sourcing great entrepreneurs but having strategic value add capable of allowing you to participate in such prolific rounds. This is why founders have recently flocked to firms such as GV, and Capital G (Google’s growth fund) for both early and later stage financing. The structure of patient LP’s at Google and the unprecedented human and capital resources make it one of the most coveted funds in the nation. (The same can be said for firms like First Round, Founders Fund, or a16z) Whether that be through venture expertise, from the likes of a historic partner, all the way through product and operations.

Harry himself often references his experience with Ben Grol, who worked in product and led growth for projects such as Gmail, Google Maps, Facebook, and Messenger, as a strategic asset to his current firm Atomico. To Harry, these are the resources that so few companies get to have. Ben would be an example of tremendous value add which an entrepreneur must consider when taking funding for their next round. You can follow Ben on Twitter Here

So what does Harry add to the table?

1. The largest personal network in VC history. Prolific for his age and the relationships needed for both first time and follow on funding.
2. A personal brand with loyal listeners, subscribers and early evangelists of his work, equaling outsized dealflow and immense interest from the next wave of emerging entrepreneurs.
3. Genuine enthusiasm, sincere charisma and intellectual rigor demonstrated through his time at the Twenty Minute VC. Harry has a permanent record of his insights and network available to all. This is an unprecedented advantage in the age of the internet.

In my earnest estimation, all of this will only continue to grow with the likes of Harry’s influence, network and passion persisting. This is one bet I’d be more than happy to make.

4) First-Time-Fund

Over the past 3 years, the number of first time funds created by new and emerging VC’s has doubled Y/Y making it a clear trend in the market. As Harry enters the space through creating his own first-time-fund, he will capitalize on the excitement and outlook of new venture creation.

Harry himself is focused on Micro-VC, which he believes to be the strongest sector for LP allocation understanding that small to medium check size with high ownership opportunity leads to immense potential and outsized returns. And by the way, we haven’t even begun to talk about his partner.

5) Greatness Multiplied (Destin & Destiny)

Harry’s partner in crime is none other than Fred Destin, Senior partner at Accel, the third largest VC in the world with an estimated 20.1 Billion raised over it’s 38 years of operation.

Let’s not forget some of the most prolific returns of all time have come out of Chris Sacca’s Lowercase Capital. A two person team, much like Harry and Fred focusing on extremely early stage ventures with precise ownership and personal brand. Harry Stebbings is more than likely to follow these footsteps as venture’s favorite personality who possesses an unprecedented ability to get into every deal with his bravado and skill. Stay lean, stay small. Harry is well on his way.

6) High Ownership and Principled Discipline

This brings me to a more academic assertion as to why Harry is going to win. One of the key takeaways from Harry’s episode with Roger Ehrenberg is about having a principled discipline behind investing. No matter the hype, Harry understands the real world importance of academic investing and rigorous due diligence to help him make the most of his LP’s money. On the investment side, Harry specifically states his learnings from Roger Ehrenberg at IA Ventures, on the importance of investing with strict discipline.

“At IA, they take a very artisanal and precise strategy approach looking for high ownership with a strictly concentrated portfolio. So Roger definitely taught me a lot with regards to the importance of investing with discipline and having the conviction to stick to that discipline.” — Harry Stebbings

This to me, is more than a good sign.

7) LP Relations & Genuine Care

Forget founders, Harry has built an incredible network with both investors and LP’s alike. Harry’s personal mentor is Brad Feld, co-founder of The Foundry Group and Techstars. Beyond close relationships to huge institutional funds, Harry’s partner Fred Destin is a superstar and well networked from his days at Accel. With that type of foresight and pedigree, Harry will have absolutely no problem raising funds both now and in the future.

8) Going BIG When It Counts

Another interesting quote from Harry reflects his courage to put his money where his mouth is, stating:

“When it comes to pricing its always an interesting one for me. I always think back to Kent Goldman at Upside in stating to me that the best way to use pricing to your advantage is to use it as a litmus test. It’s a leading indicator to determine your desire to do a deal. If you believe this is going to be a truly game changing, transformative company then eight or ten million pre really shouldn’t make a difference.” Harry Stebbings

This is the same sentiment as other prolific firms such as Founders Fund. As both Peter Thiel and Brian Singerman have mentioned, “When the hockey stick goes up, and deals begin to look ridiculous, that is usually the greatest indicator of an opportunity to lead.”

In the world of venture, confidence and courage is everything.

9) New Age Outlook on Operational Experience

Harry is still young, but that doesn’t mean he’s not able. Operations are a thing of the past and traditional pathways into career opportunities just aren’t the same. Harry has shown that he’s a heads down, 100 hours a week, leader without ever possessing a managers role.

What one might have experienced as an operator ten years ago is a fundamentally different landscape with the ever decreasing cost of starting a business, the rise of AWS, the change in fund environments, and the proliferation of distribution channels.

A quote from Harry’s podcast had this to say:

“Of course there’s still a huge amount to be taken from time and operations from a managerial perspective, but I don’t think it can necessarily be held in this holy grail regard as the only way to enter the industry.” — Harry Stebbings

Harry has done just as much work or more to deserve his seat at the table. This all adds up to a fresh outlook on personal experience with Harry being able to take greater risk on first time founders by evaluating key indicators outside the traditional status quo. In today’s ever changing environment, this skill is priceless.

10) Personality & Influence

This brings me to my final point about personality and influence which will go much further than anyone reading this post may think. To me, it is the holy grail. Harry has a charisma and energy that is truly inspiring. And through results comes trust. Harry has already begun to build a tremendous network and platform of influence. Harry himself is a personal brand, and it will be up to him to capitalize on it’s present and future rewards. He’s the first of his kind to take a humanistic approach to venture, whereby Harry still replies to almost every fan, answers cold-emails and replies to your Tweet. That type of engagement builds character, and furthermore, immense connection by which deal flow and new opportunities will certainly arise. If you want to change the world, you need to build an audience first, and Harry has done just that. Slowly but surely Harry will begin to attract the attention of the next generation of great entrepreneurs, like the Peter Diamandis’ reading this very article today. Harry represents a new wave in capitalistic thought, and with him a new era of entrepreneurship. Markets come in cycles, and so do market winners. Harry is just the most well positioned to capitalize on the next big wave.

Not to mention that Harry also has the greatest potential runway of all time. Having started his first fund at age 20, the sky is the limit. To the future and beyond. It’s time.

Hi, I’m Colin! A 21-year-old philosopher, artist and aspiring entrepreneur currently studying philosophy, physics and art at NYU.

I write for Gary Vaynerchuk

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My philosophy and interests lie within the history of ideas, the reification of philosophy through art, metaphysics, ethics, phenomenology and the nature of consciousness, governance and the social contract, post-capitalist economics, utopia, Greek, Roman and medieval literature, theoretical physics, and human potential. I am primarily concerned with the nature of education as a path toward enlightenment, the philosophy of pedagogy and perennial erudition.