The Twenty Minute VCGary Vee: My First 3 Angel Investments; Why I Changed My Mind on Facebook Video | 20VC #899
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 4:02
From Wine Library to Tech: Gary’s first angel checks (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr)
Gary explains how he stumbled into angel investing in the mid-2000s through early social media communities and relationships. He recounts how his first three investments—Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr—came from direct, trust-based access to insiders, often requiring him to stretch financially.
- •Had no concept of angel investing until his early 30s; the ecosystem was very different in 2006–2007
- •Learned small checks were possible (e.g., $25K), not just $100K–$1M+ rounds
- •Bought Twitter shares from Facebook’s founding CTO Blaine Cook when Cook wanted to exit
- •Bought Facebook stock from the Zuckerberg family (via Randy), writing a major six-figure check
- •Invested in Tumblr after building a relationship with David Karp; highlights how concentrated his early bets were
- 4:02 – 7:33
Luck vs. positioning: the USSR-to-America story and “earning” your timing
The conversation pivots to luck—both the uncontrollable kind and the kind you manufacture by putting yourself in the right rooms. Gary uses his immigration story to illustrate foundational luck, then contrasts it with deliberate curiosity, work ethic, and value creation that led to his investing opportunities.
- •Frames his life as deeply shaped by geopolitical luck (being Jewish enabling emigration from the USSR)
- •Separates luck from behaviors: curiosity, learning, travel to conferences, and meeting builders early
- •Emphasizes earning access by providing value and becoming a real friend, not a hanger-on
- •Argues everyone is both lucky and not lucky depending on perspective
- •Sees his concentrated investing year as a planned “strike” after years of saving and discipline
- 7:33 – 10:49
The hardest lesson: conflict with his father over pay, equity, and recognition
Gary shares a rarely discussed period of tension with his father while growing Wine Library dramatically. He describes the emotional strain of building enormous value without corresponding ownership or compensation, and how that forced him to choose family and long-term happiness over “winning” a money fight.
- •Took Wine Library from ~$3.8M to ~$60M revenue yet remained underpaid and without equity
- •Friction escalated when Gary started asking for fairness (equity/comp) as he “grew up”
- •Father’s mindset rooted in immigrant/old-country norms: inheritance later, not partnership now
- •Additional stress from an over-budget, delayed new store project amplifying fear and tension
- •Core takeaway: prioritize family and happiness over money; avoid turning it into lasting conflict
- 10:49 – 12:46
Understanding his dad’s side—and why VaynerMedia became the exit to peace
Gary adds empathy for his father’s identity loss as Gary became “the man” in the business. He explains how timing, family dynamics, and his brother’s arrival enabled a transition, culminating in starting VaynerMedia from scratch with no money.
- •Father felt his identity and influence evaporate as customers and partners deferred to Gary
- •“Senator with an empty briefcase”: owning the title but lacking real power day-to-day
- •Gary frames the period as mutual pressure, not villain/victim storytelling
- •2009 timing aligned: Gary ready to build his own thing; family business could stabilize
- •Started VaynerMedia with no cash, initially operating out of Buddy Media’s conference room
- 12:46 – 13:54
Parenting and leadership philosophy: letting people be themselves
Asked how that family-business experience shaped his parenting, Gary broadens the answer to how he communicates with the world. He emphasizes individuality—his kids aren’t meant to replicate his entrepreneurial wiring—and ties his content output to a genuine desire to see others win.
- •Believes his children may not be “pure-bred entrepreneurs,” and that’s a good thing
- •Doesn’t want his kids to be like him; prioritizes authenticity and self-discovery
- •Sees his public work as deploying “good” and encouraging others to win
- •Frames his prolific content creation as rooted in optimism and contribution
- •Rejects zero-sum thinking: others winning doesn’t diminish his success
- 13:54 – 16:29
Insecurities behind the confidence: fearless in business, anxious in other arenas
Harry probes Gary’s apparent lack of insecurity; Gary explains it’s context-dependent. He compares his entrepreneurial confidence to elite athlete mindset, while admitting real insecurities in social/romantic settings and a specific fear of reading aloud.
- •Claims near-zero fear in entrepreneurship; likens it to “Kobe-at-18” certainty
- •Describes earlier insecurity around dating/asking girls out
- •Admits a strong fear of reading out loud due to difficulty reading fluently
- •Contrasts stage comfort (improv keynote to the world) with family-table reading anxiety
- •Reinforces that confidence can be domain-specific, not universal
- 16:29 – 16:59
Fearlessness without collateral damage: empathy as the balancing mechanism
When asked whether fearlessness caused trouble, Gary argues it hasn’t because it’s tempered by empathy and compassion. He shares an example from school: he could push boundaries while maintaining respect, which prevented backlash.
- •Says his boldness is moderated by consideration for others impacted by his actions
- •Positions empathy as a practical tool for navigating conflict and risk-taking
- •Recounts being a “class clown” who stayed liked because he didn’t disrespect teachers
- •Highlights the skill of walking the line between disruption and disrespect
- •Frames interpersonal intelligence as risk management
- 16:59 – 19:24
Public vs. private Gary: authenticity, context, and strict personal boundaries
Gary rejects the idea of a major identity split between public persona and private self, claiming consistency in values and energy. He distinguishes authenticity from over-sharing, stressing that he keeps his personal life extremely private while remaining the same “core” person.
- •Says coworkers and former employees commonly confirm he’s “exactly what you see”
- •Differentiates professional context from family context without changing character
- •Maintains high energy and kindness in both settings, just expressed differently
- •Emphasizes “extremely private” personal life—deliberate boundary-setting
- •Suggests reconciliation is easier when the public output matches internal values
- 19:24 – 22:01
Ego management and self-esteem: fame exposes who you are
Gary explains why increased popularity didn’t inflate his ego: he doesn’t believe his own hype, which also helps him dismiss hate. He argues money and fame don’t change you; they amplify and reveal what’s already there, leading into his broader mission around self-esteem.
- •Doesn’t “believe the hype,” which also inoculates him from believing the hate
- •College friends validate he stayed the same despite success
- •Believes fame/money accelerate your truth rather than transforming your character
- •Positions much of his content as therapy and self-esteem work disguised as business advice
- •Argues negative self-beliefs are often installed by others (family/culture), not innate
- 22:01 – 24:50
Handling haters and threats: humility, empathy, and attention to the 99%
In a candid exchange, Harry shares how online hate affects him; Gary offers a framework for processing negativity. He recommends starting with humility (is there any truth?), then compassion for unhappy attackers, then resetting attention toward the supportive majority and positive inputs.
- •First step: check whether any critique contains usable truth (even 2%)
- •Engage with humility; clarify misinterpretations (conviction vs. arrogance)
- •Compassion: people who tear others down are often deeply unhappy
- •Reset and refocus on the supportive majority rather than the loud minority
- •Emphasizes that what you consume shapes who you become; advocates “practical optimism”
- 24:50 – 27:22
Work-life balance without losing edge: extend the time horizon
Gary explains how he maintains performance while prioritizing family and rest: he judges outcomes over a lifetime, not a week or month. This long horizon reduces anxiety about short-term dips and enables intentional intensity followed by intentional presence elsewhere.
- •Avoids measuring success in weekly/monthly snapshots; uses a lifetime frame
- •Believes a few low-output days are trivial in a 99-year life perspective
- •Rejects the idea that balance requires sacrificing ambition; it’s about pacing
- •Pushes back that this mindset came from wealth; claims it preceded wealth
- •Connects this long-term lens to how he was able to “give up” his 20s for family goals
- 27:22 – 30:28
When to quit vs. persist: optimize for happiness, not maximum money
Gary shares his decision rule for letting go: he quits when he no longer enjoys the thing, independent of financial upside. He argues the money followed because he built contentment early, and he explores whether everything has a price with a thought experiment about forced retirement.
- •Primary rule: give up when you no longer like it, regardless of financial outcome
- •Optimizes for contentment and satisfaction over profit maximization
- •Claims wealth is the result of mindset, not the cause of it
- •Answers “everything has a price” but notes an exception: he wouldn’t trade away work itself
- •Describes entrepreneurship as his greatest hobby—removing it would “break his soul”
- 30:28 – 32:20
Rapid-fire closes: Facebook strategy shift, greatest accomplishment, and 5-year outlook
The episode ends with quickfire questions that reveal Gary’s current tactical thinking and personal values. He names a renewed belief in Facebook’s attention dynamics, defines accomplishment as being broadly liked by people he’s met, and sets a simple five-year goal centered on health and doing meaningful work.
- •Changed mind on Facebook’s current opportunity due to attention supply/demand shifts post-iOS14
- •Recommits to Facebook content strategy as others pull back on spend/attention
- •Greatest accomplishment: being genuinely liked by most people he’s interacted with
- •Five-year goal: loved ones healthy and continuing to do what he wants professionally
- •Clarifies “doing what I want” includes hard micro-tasks, but macro-level autonomy and purpose
