Sequoia's CPO & Partner Jess Lee on How AI Will Change Consumer Apps

Have your own questions? Continue the conversation with Jess's Delphi: ⁠https://www.delphi.ai/jessleeCreate your own digital mind: ⁠https://studio.delphi.ai/identitySequoia Capital Chief Product Officer & Partner Jess Lee shares the hard-won product and leadership lessons shaped across three chapters of her life: building early at Google, cold-emailing her way into Polyvore (eventually becoming CEO and selling to Yahoo), and now backing founders and scaling product at Sequoia.What you’ll learn in this conversation:Why Jess only hires “spiky” people - and the 4Q framework (EQ / IQ / PQ / JQ) she uses to evaluate foundersVelocity as the #1 signal of product-market fit - and how Sequoia measures it internallyThe biggest mistake she made as CEO: picking the wrong market and business modelHow empathy helped her lead - but also held her back when she avoided firing fastWhy storytelling is now a critical founder superpower, not a soft skillHow Polyvore built cult-level community loyalty with emotional product designThe difference between horizontal vision and solving painful user problemsJess’s belief that AI will spark a new consumer waveWhether you’re a founder, PM, designer, or investor, this episode offers a product-first lens into how Sequoia evaluates people, companies, and the future of consumer AI.📌 The Library of Minds is brought to you by Delphi - create a digital version of your mind, scale your thinking, and connect with others interactively. Learn more at https://www.delphi.ai/📺 Watch future episodes: delphi.ai/jesslee