Sequoia Partner: George Robson
In the latest conversation at Imperial College London, Kyriakos is joined by George Robson, Partner at Sequoia.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 effectiveHow Sequoia actually decides who to fundThe founder red flag they won’t tolerateWhy “talent density” beats speed in the early daysWhether 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.Follow George Robson on XFollow Kyriakos Eleftheriou on XTIMESTAMPS:00:00 – Intro: From Revolut to Sequoia03:15 – What made Revolut’s culture brutally effective06:40 – Nik Storonsky’s “gym” metaphor and hiring filter10:30 – The pod structure that unlocked speed and ownership13:50 – Why Revolut grew like a Darwinian startup lab17:10 – Inside Sequoia: culture, filters, and pace21:45 – What founders often misunderstand about VC24:30 – 50/50 founder equity splits: why it’s a red flag28:00 – How Sequoia filters for world-class founders31:00 – The 4 traits George looks for before investing35:20 – Working with founders after the check lands38:50 – Europe vs US: what’s still misunderstood43:00 – How to pitch Sequoia the right way46:30 – What great founders don’t do in a pitch50:15 – Why storytelling and obsession matter53:45 – What George would do differently as a founder56:00 – Lightning round: hot takes on VC, speed, AI59:10 – Closing thoughts: how to build for the long game
