Sequoia Partner: George Robson
Show notes
In the latest conversation at Imperial College London, Kyriakos is joined by George Robson, Partner at Sequoia.
Full episode and show notes: https://tryterra.co/podcast/sequoia-partner-george-robson
George went from leading global products at Revolut to joining Sequoia Capital - one of the most selective VC firms in the world.
At Revolut, he helped scale the team from a few hundred to thousands and launched products used by millions. Now at Sequoia, he backs Europe’s most ambitious founders.
In this episode, George shares:
- What made Revolut’s culture so intense and effective
- How Sequoia actually decides who to fund
- The founder red flag they won’t tolerate
- Why “talent density” beats speed in the early days
Whether you’re raising your first round, building a team, or just curious how the top VCs think this episode is packed with real insight from both sides of the table.
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Intro: From Revolut to Sequoia
03:15 – What made Revolut’s culture brutally effective
06:40 – Nik Storonsky’s “gym” metaphor and hiring filter
10:30 – The pod structure that unlocked speed and ownership
13:50 – Why Revolut grew like a Darwinian startup lab
17:10 – Inside Sequoia: culture, filters, and pace
21:45 – What founders often misunderstand about VC
24:30 – 50/50 founder equity splits: why it’s a red flag
28:00 – How Sequoia filters for world-class founders
31:00 – The 4 traits George looks for before investing
35:20 – Working with founders after the check lands
38:50 – Europe vs US: what’s still misunderstood
43:00 – How to pitch Sequoia the right way
46:30 – What great founders don’t do in a pitch
50:15 – Why storytelling and obsession matter
53:45 – What George would do differently as a founder
56:00 – Lightning round: hot takes on VC, speed, AI
59:10 – Closing thoughts: how to build for the long game