How to partner with Sequoia Capital

After living in Silicon Valley for a couple years, I am really surprised how difficult it has been to cut through the hype around the "hot start-ups", the "next big thing in technology", the "who's who of top Executives", and the fast-growing companies backed the "top venture capital firm" in the Valley.

You have to be careful on how you analyze an organization and remember that the grass is not always greener. It took me a while to uncover, in my opinion, the #1 Venture Capital Firm in Silicon Valley, Sequoia Capital. Their resume of successful companies is beyond impressive. They have been able to create and repeat a formula to identify and grow companies.

According to CrunchBase, "Sequoia has funded an unprecedented number of enormously successful companies including Google, Yahoo, Paypal, Electronic Arts, NVIDIA, Cisco Systems, Oracle, Apple, YouTube, Admob and Zappos. Sequoia estimates that 14% of the NASDAQ’s value is made up of firms they have funded." 

http://www.sequoiacap.com/ 

Sequoia Capital was founded in 1972 by Don Valentine. Don was an original investor in all the companies listed above among the others listed here. I would love to sit down with him and learn (if any of my readers can make it happen, please let me know).

What strikes me most impressive about Sequoia (besides their track record) is a simple page on their website that breaks down what makes a sustainable company. Here it is:

Elements of Sustainable Companies

Start-ups with these characteristics have the best chance of becoming enduring companies. We like to partner with start-ups that have:

Clarity of Purpose

Summarize the company's business on the back of a business card.

Large Markets

Address existing markets poised for rapid growth or change. A market on the path to a $1B potential allows for error and time for real margins to develop.
 
Rich Customers

Target customers who will move fast and pay a premium for a unique offering.
 
Focus

Customers will only buy a simple product with a singular value proposition.
 
Pain Killers

Pick the one thing that is of burning importance to the customer then delight them with a compelling solution.
 
Think Differently

Constantly challenge conventional wisdom. Take the contrarian route. Create novel solutions. Outwit the competition.
 
Team DNA

A company’s DNA is set in the first 90 days. All team members are the smartest or most clever in their domain. "A" level founders attract an "A" level team.
 
Agility

Stealth and speed will usually help beat-out large companies.
 
Frugality

Focus spending on what's critical. Spend only on the priorities and maximize profitability.
 
Inferno

Start with only a little money. It forces discipline and focus. A huge market with customers yearning for a product developed by great engineers requires very little firepower.

There it is; plain and simple. Before you believe the hype of a company, I would encourage you to evaluate the sustainability of an organization based on their criteria. If you want to partner with them, they offer an email to send your ideas and business plans - start@sequoiacap.com. Good luck!

- Bob

Additional Links:

Sequoia Capital on startups and the economic downturn
http://www.slideshare.net/eldon/sequoia-capital-on-startups-and-the-economic-downturn-presentation

Do you Oodle? A sit down with Craig Donato, CEO & Co-Founder of Oodle.com

I had an awesome opportunity to sit down with Craig Donato, CEO & Co-Founder of Oodle.com last week. Craig is changing the world one classified at a time.

While building a cabin with his father and trying to find different furnishing; it hit him that classifieds were a mess.

After kicking around an idea to consolidate these classified sources and sort them by vertical, his wife told him to stop talking about it and either get a job with someone who is already doing something like this or to start his own company. The rest is history.

Oodle provides consumers with a friendly local marketplace to buy, sell and trade. Oodle is also the engine behind many classified postings and even Facebook's Marketplace. Check it out.

www.oodle.com

Although Craig and I didn't discuss where to find a bottle cap necklace, a rare Leonard Cohen Poster, or a golf bag shag; we did chat about various personal and professional topics including career management, starting your own business, MBA's, and defining success... here are a few highlights:

The Idea of Career Management

Career what? I loved this. It made me take a deep breath, because I think I am doing an OK job with this. Craig explained that you need to build experience that will lead you to your ultimate career goals.

Everything you are doing should be leading you in the right path to succeed. You don't become an expert overnight or get rich quick by hopping company to company.

Starting Your Own Business

"The only reason you should start your own business is if you are laying on your deathbed and will regret it." Craig made this point very clear. Everyone talks about the glamorous side of owning your own business once it's successful. No one talks about how it's selfish, irrational, adversely affects relationships, and is filled with manic highs and lows.

I kept smiling when he said that taking the risk and the challenge is irrational (I like that). It goes against everything that you're supposed to be doing - #linchpin.

You Don't Have to Create a Product or Service

Let someone else do it. Craig talked about how you can build a reputation and be positioned as the "go-to" person in the venture capital community and in your network.

What if a company built this crazy new product, but had no one to build their sales team? How do you position yourself as the person to bring in?

Also, what if you can find a place with momentum? Did the #20 employee at Google possibly think they were onto something? 

Getting an MBA

Craig received his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He mentioned you can learn strategy own your own, but he couldn't have seeded a better foundation for his network (scroll down to 'Alumni') . 

Defining Success

You are excited about coming to work.

How to Network Effectively

I met Craig through volunteering as a wrestling coach at a local high school. When I asked if he could introduce me to other people in his network... he gave me a crash course in networking:

• Networking to just network isn't efficient – you need a clear message, topic, business idea, or specific problem you need help with 
• Meeting with people regularly is good; especially to have them point you to others
• The people you meet that will turn into mentors and resources most likely share a common bond and emotional connection with you (alumni of the same program, involved in the same activity, former colleague, etc.)
• People like doing things (not just sitting and meeting) and then talking
• Most of your network is built through company interactions or customer relationships  

Thank you again, Craig. I look forward to sitting down again soon.

Cheers,

Bob