Pat Grady

Pat Grady, a seasoned growth investor at Sequoia Capital, shares insights from his extensive portfolio, including giants like Snowflake and Zoom. He discusses the unique culture of 'healthy peer pressure' at Sequoia, emphasizing relationship-building with founders. Grady also highlights the importance of clarity over perfection in investment evaluation, using vivid examples. The conversation delves into the role of AI in transforming investing and ends with reflections on mentorship, kindness, and the pursuit of excellence in business.

Pat Grady, Head of Sequoia's growth investing practice, has shaped the venture landscape with his investments in influential companies like HubSpot and Zoom. He discusses the evolution of Sequoia's investment process, emphasizing transparency in decision-making. Grady shares his framework for assessing founders, highlighting the importance of founder market fit and team dynamics. He reflects on learning from successes and failures, and the unique advantages Sequoia brings to startups, including strategic mentorship and talent acquisition.

Bill McDermott, CEO of ServiceNow, known for his rapid growth strategies, shares insights with Pat Grady of Sequoia Capital. They discuss ServiceNow's remarkable rise to a $225B market cap, fueled by elite-level execution. McDermott emphasizes how a people-centric approach and innovative culture have driven the company's success. The conversation also highlights the transformative role of AI in improving enterprise efficiency, showcasing practical applications that enhance productivity across various industries.

In the latest episode of the NVIDIA AI Podcast, host Noah Kravitz is joined by Pat Grady and Sonya Huang, partners at Sequoia Capital, to discuss their recent essay, “Generative AI: A Creative New World.” The authors delve into the potential of generative AI to enable new forms of creativity and expression, as well as the challenges and ethical considerations of this technology. They also offer insights into the future of generative AI. Grady and Huang emphasize the potential of generative AI to revolutionize industries such as art, design and media by allowing for the creation of unique, personalized content on a scale that would be impossible for humans to achieve alone. They also address the importance of considering the ethical implications of the technology, including the potential for biased or harmful outputs and the need for responsible use and regulation. Listen to the full episode to hear more about the possibilities of generative AI and the considerations to be made as this technology moves forward.

Frank Slootman, the former CEO of ServiceNow, and company founder Fred Luddy share their compelling journey of resilience and innovation in tech. Luddy, who started over at 50 after a bankruptcy, discusses his vision for a cloud-based IT platform that transformed into a $150B enterprise. Slootman reveals the early challenges of scaling and the fear of checking emails during high-pressure times. The two recount the risky decision-making process that nearly led to a costly misstep in selling the company, ultimately emphasizing the importance of a long-term strategy.