Acquired

Adapting Episode 2: Sequoia’s Black Swan Memo (with Roelof Botha)

10 snips
Mar 31, 2020
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

PayPal's Dot-Com Survival

  • In 2000, Sequoia's Mike Moritz advised PayPal to focus on runway during the dot-com crash.
  • Roelof Botha, PayPal's CFO, initially didn't grasp the severity but heeded the advice, leading to PayPal's survival and eventual success.
INSIGHT

COVID-19's Unique Challenge

  • The COVID-19 pandemic differs from previous economic downturns due to its global health crisis aspect.
  • The lack of widespread testing creates uncertainty about the true scale of the problem, similar to the early days of the dot-com crash.
ADVICE

Decision-Making in Uncertainty

  • Use Sequoia's decision matrix to navigate uncertain situations by considering various scenarios and their impact on cash flow.
  • Prioritize cash preservation to ensure survival, as it's crucial for long-term success.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app