---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wanted to be a venture capitalist and…"
description: "\"I wanted to be a venture capitalist and join Sequoia Capital. They've financed and helped built some really special and enormously successful companies..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/alfred-lin-54630_also_i-wanted-to-be-a-venture-capitalist-and_1215248.jpg"
---

#  I wanted to be a venture capitalist and join Sequoia…

![“I wanted to be a venture capitalist and join Sequoia Capital. They've financed and helped built some really special and enormously successful companies, including Google, Yahoo, Paypal, YouTube, Cisco, Oracle, Apple, and also Zappos.” quote by Alfred Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/alfred-lin-54630_also_i-wanted-to-be-a-venture-capitalist-and_1215248.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/alfred-lin-54630_also_i-wanted-to-be-a-venture-capitalist-and_1215248.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/alfred-lin-54630_also_i-wanted-to-be-a-venture-capitalist-and_1215248.jpg)

> “I wanted to be a venture capitalist and join Sequoia Capital. They've financed and helped built some really special and enormously successful companies, including Google, Yahoo, Paypal, YouTube, Cisco, Oracle, Apple, and also Zappos.”

[Alfred Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lin/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Aspiring to VC requires learning from successful firms, building networks, and understanding startup ecosystems.

**In simple terms:** Learn from top VC firms to succeed.

Key Takeaway

Study VC models and build connections.

Themes

entrepreneurship venture capital learning

Mood

ambitious inspired pragmatic

Type

career education

When to use this quote

- startup fundraising
- career planning
- investment strategy

Key Concepts

networking industry analysis

Questions to Reflect On

- What steps can you take to connect with VCs?
- How can you gain startup experience without a VC role?

A Different Perspective

Access to elite VC circles can be limited.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Capital](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capital/) [Companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/companies/) [Financed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/financed/) [Oracle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oracle/) [Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/successful/)

## Related quotes

> [In early 2011, I had the opportunity to meet and spend significant time with Alfred Lin, a partner at Sequoia Capital and co-founder of Zappos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-hyman/in-early-2011-i-had-the-opportunity-to-meet-and-spend-significant/)

[Jennifer Hyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-hyman/)

> [If I could press a button and have all of Sequoia Capital on the Midas List, I would choose to do that over a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/if-i-could-press-a-button-and-have-all-of-sequoia-capital-on-the/)

[Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/)

> [We've tried to build Sequoia Capital with an eye for the long term that we really look for in the companies we like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-leone/we-ve-tried-to-build-sequoia-capital-with-an-eye-for-the-long-term/)

[Douglas Leone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-leone/)

> [You can invest in companies, you can help grow companies, you can be a venture capitalist - and be a philanthropist at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-omidyar/you-can-invest-in-companies-you-can-help-grow-companies-you-can-be-a/)

[Pierre Omidyar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-omidyar/)

> [“Little Bets, and it was written by a former venture capitalist named Peter Sims.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/little-bets-and-it-was-written-by-a-former-venture-capitalist-named/)

[Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/)

> [I'm a firm believer of the venture capitalist-style approach to solving problems. Rather than doing many small things that you hope add up, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boyan-slat/i-m-a-firm-believer-of-the-venture-capitalist-style-approach-to/)

[Boyan Slat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boyan-slat/)

> [I've been an entrepreneur and venture capitalist in the cryptocurrency industry for a long time, working with numerous projects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-pierce/i-ve-been-an-entrepreneur-and-venture-capitalist-in-the/)

[Brock Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-pierce/)

> [It's very important to me to have a female venture capitalist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-weiss/it-s-very-important-to-me-to-have-a-female-venture-capitalist/)

[Emily Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-weiss/)

> [Being a venture capitalist to me is like being more of a psychologist. So if you come to my office we have two chairs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-rabois/being-a-venture-capitalist-to-me-is-like-being-more-of-a-psychologist/)

[Keith Rabois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-rabois/)

> [By day, I'm a venture capitalist. On weekends, I love rockets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jurvetson/by-day-i-m-a-venture-capitalist-on-weekends-i-love-rockets/)

[Steve Jurvetson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jurvetson/)

> [“Steve Jurvetson, the venture capitalist who has invested in SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, worked for Jobs, and knows Gates well, also described Musk as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashlee-vance/steve-jurvetson-the-venture-capitalist-who-has-invested-in-spacex/)

[Ashlee Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashlee-vance/)

> [“Since you're so quick with the texts, you could have provided me with a little help when I was negotiating the price of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-desai/since-you-re-so-quick-with-the-texts-you-could-have-provided-me-with/)

[Sara Desai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-desai/)

> [I'm a venture capitalist. I like to say my job is to help and support entrepreneurs. I can play a leadership role, but my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-feld/i-m-a-venture-capitalist-i-like-to-say-my-job-is-to-help-and-support/)

[Brad Feld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-feld/)

> [While I'm a venture capitalist who invests in early-stage tech companies, I often feel like a professional emailer and conference call maker. I try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-feld/while-i-m-a-venture-capitalist-who-invests-in-early-stage-tech/)

[Brad Feld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-feld/)

> [As a venture capitalist, I invest in people and ideas that are fresh, vibrant, and willing to disrupt the market. As a political donor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-patricof/as-a-venture-capitalist-i-invest-in-people-and-ideas-that-are-fresh/)

[Alan Patricof](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-patricof/)

## More by Alfred Lin

> [As an immigrant, my wish is that we fix immigration. At Sequoia, we've backed a number of exceptional founders that were born abroad but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lin/as-an-immigrant-my-wish-is-that-we-fix-immigration-at-sequoia-we-ve/)

[Alfred Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lin/)

> [It would be great if companies could just magically know what I'm looking for on their website or what I'm coming to the website…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lin/it-would-be-great-if-companies-could-just-magically-know-what-i-m/)

[Alfred Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lin/)

> [Businesses are not just local or even national anymore - good ideas are immediately global. So the market opportunities are much larger than we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lin/businesses-are-not-just-local-or-even-national-anymore-good-ideas-are/)

[Alfred Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lin/)

> [I think if companies start reinventing themselves and focus on the customer experience more, they will win out in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lin/i-think-if-companies-start-reinventing-themselves-and-focus-on-the/)

[Alfred Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lin/)

> [It's harder than ever to build an enduring company. As soon as a product strikes a nerve with customers, competitors emerge globally because the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lin/it-s-harder-than-ever-to-build-an-enduring-company-as-soon-as-a/)

[Alfred Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lin/)

[Explore all 6 Alfred Lin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lin/)

## More Also quotes

> [I'm a workaholic, but I also like to vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrueche-tran/i-m-a-workaholic-but-i-also-like-to-vacation/)

[Karrueche Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrueche-tran/)

> [I've also directed, shot, and edited several music videos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-king/i-ve-also-directed-shot-and-edited-several-music-videos/)

[Richard King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-king/)

> [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/)

[Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/)

> [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/)

[Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/)

> [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/)

[Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/)

> [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/)

[Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/)

> [With all the technology we're inventing and what they're coming up with scientifically, people are having longer lifetimes. It's scary, but in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-murphy/with-all-the-technology-we-re-inventing-and-what-they-re-coming-up/)

[Brittany Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-murphy/)

> [I like 'The Usual Suspects'. Great film. I also like 'Scarface', films like that. Lots of gangster films. I really like watching all kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkhad-abdi/i-like-the-usual-suspects-great-film-i-also-like-scarface-films-like/)

[Barkhad Abdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkhad-abdi/)

> [I'm in 'Madagascar 2.' I'm Testy the Lion. The franchise moves to Africa, and Bernie Mac is also in the film. I loved working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lister-jr/i-m-in-madagascar-2-i-m-testy-the-lion-the-franchise-moves-to-africa/)

[Tom Lister, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lister-jr/)

> [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [I always like to look for adventure when I go away. I have gone on several horse adventures with my wife - from Guangxi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/i-always-like-to-look-for-adventure-when-i-go-away-i-have-gone-on/)

[Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/)

> [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/)

[Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/)

> [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/)

[Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/)

> [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/)

[Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/)

Browse all 3,822 Also quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I wanted to be a venture capitalist and join Sequoia Capital. They've financed and helped built some really special and enormously successful companies, including Google, Yahoo, Paypal, YouTube, Cisco, Oracle, Apple, and also Zappos.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Alfred Lin"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lin/i-wanted-to-be-a-venture-capitalist-and-join-sequoia-capital-they-ve/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Also"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lin/i-wanted-to-be-a-venture-capitalist-and-join-sequoia-capital-they-ve/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/alfred-lin-54630_also_i-wanted-to-be-a-venture-capitalist-and_1215248.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/alfred-lin-54630_also_i-wanted-to-be-a-venture-capitalist-and_1215248.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cad/alfred-lin-54630_also_i-wanted-to-be-a-venture-capitalist-and_1215248.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I wanted to be a venture capitalist and join Sequoia Capital. They've financed and helped built some really…” — Alfred Lin",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Alfred Lin",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lin/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I wanted to be a venture...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lin/i-wanted-to-be-a-venture-capitalist-and-join-sequoia-capital-they-ve/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lin/i-wanted-to-be-a-venture-capitalist-and-join-sequoia-capital-they-ve/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
