20VC: $0-$260M in Revenue in Three Years: How We Did It | You Need to Work Weekends to Win — Most Founders Aren't Ambitious Enough | The Revolut Playbook: Speed, Urgency, Extreme Ownership, and Zero Excuses with Alan Chang @ Fuse Energy - The Twenty Minute VC Recap
Podcast: The Twenty Minute VC
Published: 2026-01-05
Duration: 57 minutes
Guests: Alan Chang
Summary
Alan Chang details his journey from Revolut to Fuse Energy, showcasing how speed, extreme ownership, and a relentless work ethic led to a meteoric rise in revenue. He challenges conventional views on work-life balance and regulation, sharing insights on building a generational company.
What Happened
Alan Chang, Co-Founder and CEO of Fuse Energy, shared his experiences scaling the company from £2 million to £200 million in just three years. Before founding Fuse, he was a crucial early hire at Revolut, which he helped grow to a $75 billion valuation. Chang attributes Revolut's success to its small, focused teams and relentless work ethic, with employees often working late nights and weekends to stay ahead of competitors.
Chang is a staunch advocate for a strong work ethic, stating that building a generational company requires working weekends and rejecting the notion of work-life balance. He believes that most founders lack ambition and that more leaders should be hired to pursue various opportunities. Chang also emphasizes the importance of speed and urgency, taking cues from his time at Revolut.
He criticizes over-regulation in the UK, citing how it hinders infrastructure projects, and praises China's approach to energy policy, which he views as a model for achieving low energy costs and extensive infrastructure development. Chang argues that the energy crisis is already upon us, with the UK facing a tough situation due to a significant drop in energy consumption per capita over the past 25 years.
Chang is optimistic about the UK's long-term potential due to its world-class education system but is currently bearish on its short-term prospects due to government policies. He expresses a desire to see more common sense in the political realm, which could lead to more sensible governance.
In hiring, Chang values candidates who show commitment and avoid short stints at previous jobs. He prefers detailed, data-driven resumes over 'fluffy' ones and believes in offering salaries based on interview performance rather than compensation bands. Excuses are not tolerated for leaders; they are solely responsible for success and failure.
Chang discusses the technological landscape, highlighting the importance of hiring quality engineers, particularly favoring Eastern European talent for their strong technical skills and work ethic. He envisions a future where energy is so cheap and abundant that developers do not have to consider power costs, potentially spurring economic growth.
Key Insights
- Fuse Energy scaled from £2 million to £200 million in revenue within three years, driven by a strong work ethic and a focus on speed and urgency, principles adopted from Revolut's playbook.
- The UK has experienced a significant decline in energy consumption per capita over the past 25 years, contributing to the current energy crisis, while China's energy policy is praised for achieving low energy costs and extensive infrastructure development.
- Alan Chang values hiring candidates with a demonstrated commitment to previous roles and prefers data-driven resumes over those with vague descriptions, offering salaries based on interview performance rather than fixed compensation bands.
- Eastern European engineers are favored for their technical skills and work ethic, with a vision of a future where energy is so cheap and abundant that developers no longer need to consider power costs, potentially driving economic growth.