Sequoia Portfolio Hiring Secrets: How the Best Startups Build Teams

# Sequoia Portfolio Hiring Secrets: How the Best Startups Build Teams

Sequoia Capital has backed some of the most iconic companies in tech history—Apple, Google, YouTube, Instagram, WhatsApp, Stripe. What patterns emerge in how these companies approach hiring?

The Sequoia Standard

### Legendary Companies Start with Legendary Teams

Sequoia's Don Valentine famously said, "I invest in people, not ideas." This philosophy extends to how portfolio companies are expected to hire.

### Quality Over Speed

While speed matters, Sequoia-backed companies never compromise on quality. A wrong hire at an early stage can derail a company. The mantra: "It's better to have a hole than an asshole."

What Sequoia Looks For in Founders' Hiring

### Evidence-Based Hiring

Top portfolio companies use structured interviews, work samples, and data to make decisions—not gut feelings alone.

### Network-First Recruiting

The best candidates often come through referrals. Sequoia encourages founders to spend 25-30% of their time on recruiting in growth phases.

### Missionary Versus Mercenary

Hire people who believe in the mission, not just the compensation. Missionaries stay through hard times; mercenaries leave at the first bump.

Hiring Patterns from Sequoia Companies

### Stripe

- Famous for extremely rigorous interviews - Values clear thinking and communication - Looks for "increase the average" hires

### DoorDash

- Emphasizes operator mindset - Values scrappiness and resourcefulness - Tests for customer obsession

### Notion

- Prioritizes craft and design sensibility - Long interview processes for culture fit - Values builders who ship

Tactical Advice

### Build Your Talent Brand Early

Start building employer brand before you desperately need it. Write about your culture, share your values, let people know what makes you unique.

### Invest in Onboarding

Great hiring is wasted without great onboarding. The first 90 days determine whether a hire succeeds or fails.

### Create Career Paths

The best people want to grow. Show them how they can develop at your company.

The Bottom Line

Sequoia-backed companies succeed at hiring because they treat it as a core competency, not an afterthought. Build systems, maintain high bars, and never stop recruiting.