Sequoia Partner: George Robson

Iron Foundry by Terra API

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 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