20VC: Inside Sequoia's Investment Committee: Lessons from Don Valentine, Doug Leone and Alfred Lin | How the SpaceX and Citadel Deals Went Down | What Sequoia Specifically Looks for in Founders with Julien Bek

Julien Bek, Partner at Sequoia Capital, pulls back the curtain on the firm's investment committee dynamics, revealing lessons from legends like Don Valentine and Doug Leone and detailing how the SpaceX and Citadel deals went down. The conversation covers what Sequoia specifically looks for in founders—including why a flawless pitch can be a warning sign, how to judge exceptionalism in 30 minutes, and what a founder's childhood reveals. Bek also shares his contrarian takes on AI's impact: that agents becoming the customer will make UI irrelevant, that answer-engine optimization could surpass SEO, and that the next trillion-dollar company may masquerade as a services business.