E12: An Inside Look Into Sequoia's Strategy & Operations, with Alfred Lin

Erik is joined by Alfred Lin, partner at Sequoia Capital for over 13 years, and investor in Airbnb, Doordash, Houzz, and more legendary Silicon Valley companies. We dive into the unique ways which Sequoia operates as a firm in this episode: why they don't actually track A-U-M, why they launched the Sequoia Capital Fund, the decision-making behind creating Sequoia Arc, and more. If you’re looking to improve your sourcing, tracking, and due diligence, check out: https://synaptic.com/turpentine---SPONSORS:🌐 Ready to achieve your 2024 goals? Start learning a new language with Babbel in just three weeks. Enjoy app lessons, live classes, and podcasts designed for real-world conversations. Get up to 60% off at babbel.com/torenburg💥 Access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist.---Join our free newsletter to get Erik's top 3 insights from each episode every week: https://turpentinevc.substack.com/---RECOMMENDED PODCAST: Every week investor and writer of the popular newsletter The Diff, Byrne Hobart, and co-host Erik Torenberg discuss today’s major inflection points in technology, business, and markets – and help listeners build a diversified portfolio of trends and ideas for the future. Subscribe to “The Riff” with Byrne Hobart and Erik Torenberg: https://link.chtbl.com/theriffRECOMMENDED PODCAST: LIVE PLAYERSJoin host Samo Burja and Erik Torenberg as they analyze the mindsets of today’s most intriguing business leaders, investors, and innovators through the lens of their bold actions and contrarian worldviews. You’ll come away with a deeper understanding of the development of technology, business, political power, culture and more. LIsten and subscribe everywhere you get your podcasts: https://link.chtbl.com/liveplayers.---X / TWITTER:@Alfred_Lin (Alfred)@eriktorenberg (Erik)@sequoia (Sequoia)@TurpentineVC---TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Episode preview(01:10) How Sequoia does generational transitions(05:31) Sequoia's firm structure and evolution(11:01) Sponsor: Synaptic(11:52) On Sequoia Arc and competing against YC(15:01) On metrics and leading indicators(18:19) How to add the most value to founders(23:33) Alfred on the landscape of venture in 2030(25:39) What makes a Sequoia partner great?(28:40) Sponsor: Oracle Clound Infrastructure(33:02) On incubations(34:53) On macro(38:56) Alfred's thoughts on AI(43:33) Leadership and how to show up for founders(49:42) Alfredisms: the time span of discretion and the roles of a founder---This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at [email protected].