Sequoia Capital’s Pat Grady on Building Enduring Companies, the Sequoia Values, and AI’s Next Wave

Pat Grady, Partner at Sequoia Capital, is the seasoned investor behind some of tech’s most iconic companies—ServiceNow, HubSpot, Zoom, OpenAI, and more. He joined Peak XV’s Shailendra Singh for a candid conversation on what it really takes to build enduring companies, the Sequoia blueprint for backing legendary founders, and his insights on the future with AI.

Pat unpacks the principles that guide Sequoia’s investment approach—from long-term thinking to a relentless focus on quality, culture, and values. He shares Sequoia’s “hiring spec”: hyper-competitive with a heart of gold—a mindset that drives excellence while putting founders, LPs, and the team ahead of individual ego.

We also dive deep into the implications of AI, the anatomy of truly legendary teams, and how Sequoia is adapting to one of the biggest technological shifts in history.

This conversation was recorded as part of our Surge Immersion in the Bay Area in February 2025.