20VC: The Science of Storytelling: Three Steps to Master the Perfect Story | From Near Death Experience to Unicorn Startup: The Untold Story of Omaze with Matt Pohlson
The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
The Twenty Minute VC
4.4 • 693 Ratings
🗓️ 6 June 2025
⏱️ 86 minutes
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Summary
Matt Pohlson is the co-founder and Chairman of Omaze, the most insane story in startups that you have never heard. From near death experience to working with Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney and The Pope. Omaze has raised over $200 million for charity by offering once-in-a-lifetime celebrity experiences and luxury house draws. He's a master storyteller, a purpose-driven builder, and one of the most creative entrepreneurs in modern philanthropy.
In Today's Episode We Discuss:
00:00 — He Died for 4 Minutes… Then Built a $400M Startup
04:00 — The Magic Johnson Moment That Sparked Omaze
06:30 — From $780 to $1.7M: The Breaking Bad Campaign That Changed Everything
09:00 — Star Wars, Schwarzenegger, and Selling Dreams
13:00 — He Flatlined in Surgery… And Everything Changed
18:00 — How Near-Death Killed Fear and Transformed His Leadership
22:00 — Why Fear Isn't Real — And How to Beat It
24:00 — The $250K Bet That Changed Omaze's Business Forever
27:00 — Launching Houses: The Pivot to $100M+ Revenue
34:00 — The Science of Storytelling: Make the Customer the Hero
38:00 — Why TV Still Works: $35M Ad Spend Secrets
45:00 — How They Almost Went Out of Business—Twice
50:00 — The Deck That Saved Omaze Mid-COVID
53:00 — Loneliness, Therapy, and the CEO Mental Game
55:00 — From Self-Doubt to Self-Love: The Hoffman Process
58:00 — How to Lead With Story, Science, and Soul
1:02:00 — Should Omaze Go Public? Matt's Unfiltered Take
1:05:00 — Addiction, Ambition, and Why Fulfillment Can Kill Hunger
1:10:00 — Revenue Per Employee: $7M a Head!
1:15:00 — Matt's 10-Year Vision: Fortune 500. #1 in Charity.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | And she says, look, I was there when he came in this world. |
| 0:02.3 | If he's leaving this world right now, I'm going to be in that room. |
| 0:04.4 | I did flatline for four and a half minutes. |
| 0:07.1 | The opposite of love isn't hate, it's fear, right? |
| 0:09.6 | But you're actually smarter when you're in that expansive place. |
| 0:13.1 | Focus is the price of greatness. |
| 0:15.1 | Did you ever lose focus? |
| 0:16.8 | Yes. |
| 0:17.5 | Where? |
| 0:18.1 | This is 20 VC with me, Harry Stebbings. Now, what an incredible show we have in store for you today. |
| 0:22.6 | Matt Polson, founder and CEO at Omeys, joins us in the Hot Seats Day. |
| 0:26.6 | Now, Matt has the most insane story. |
| 0:29.6 | This is a man who died for four minutes. |
| 0:32.6 | I've never had someone die for four minutes in their founding journey on 20 BC. |
| 0:37.7 | They then built a product that included selling experiences with Cristiano Ronaldo, the Pope and a Lamborghini, |
| 0:45.7 | Arnold Schwarzenegger and a tank, before pivoting to a model giving away houses and making hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. |
| 0:56.0 | It is an incredible beast of a business that people don't know about. |
| 1:00.0 | And it's a travesty. The story is incredible. |
| 1:03.0 | And Matt is one of the most kind, brilliant storytellers in this business. |
| 1:08.0 | And so doing this show and bringing the O'May's story to life was incredible. |
| 1:11.6 | But before we dive into the show today, Harvard Management Company is constantly seeking out the next |
| 1:16.6 | generation of great investors and entrepreneurs. HMC has managed Harvard University's Endowment |
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