Sequoia Capital Partner Alfred Lin on Being Misunderstood and Lessons from FTX and Uber

Personal growth and professional success stem from the ability to learn from failure and see people clearly. Alfred Lin, a general partner at Sequoia Capital and former Zappos CEO, traces his journey from a rebellious youth in Taiwan to a prominent venture capitalist, emphasizing that high "slope"—the velocity of learning—outweighs existing credentials. Career milestones, including his tenure at LinkExchange and Zappos, underscore the necessity of aligning visionary leadership with grounded operational execution. Significant professional setbacks, most notably the $150 million loss in the FTX collapse, forced a painful re-evaluation of his ability to assess character and trust. Similarly, missing early opportunities like Uber revealed a lack of courage in defending investment theses despite strong conviction. These experiences highlight that true leadership requires the resilience to confront mistakes, the courage to act on conviction, and the humility to constantly reinvent one’s approach.