Aileen Lee

“What is social proof? Put simply, it's the positive influence created when someone finds out that others are doing something. It's also known as informational social influence.”

“Women are thought to be more social, more interested in relationships and connections, better at multi-tasking.”

“I was ringside for Amazon and Google.”

“My dad was a dentist; my mom managed his office.”

“Spend the first six to 12 months building a great product or service that people love, rather than chasing investors. When the time comes to engage investors, you will be meeting them from a position of strength. This makes all the difference.”

“I played with different words like 'home run,' 'megahit,' and they just all sounded kind of 'blah.' So I put in 'unicorn' because they are - these are very rare companies in the sense that there are thousands of startups in tech every year, and only a handful will wind up becoming a unicorn company. They're really rare.”

“Having been a venture-backed CEO, and having an established background in working with consumer-focused companies, I've built a strong network of entrepreneurs and people who can help startups.”

“Super early-stage companies have a village that form around them for support.”

“Male founders who come across as Type B are more likely to get the benefit of the doubt.”

“I think there are many things that we can do today to make it a better work environment that is more supportive and encouraging of diversity.”

“When I go visit my mom in the retirement community where my parents live, she has a bunch of friends, and she will say, 'These neighbors I play bridge with have a son with an idea,' and it goes from there.”

“When companies are private, founders can share more about their future dreams with investors; report less; and the shares are illiquid, constraining short-term changes in valuation.”

“I really have become very interested at working with and helping entrepreneurs at the early stages of their growth.”

“You have to get under the hood and spend some quality time with someone to understand what they're really good at.”

“If someone was having some surgery that was going to put them out for three months, it's something you should consider, with a man or a woman. What is the impact of having the C.E.O. or visionary out for three months?”

“There are so many people who try so hard and have such big dreams, and it doesn't happen for them.”

“Some companies are worth paying for up front.”

“Sequoia is a firm that a lot of people across tech and the Valley look to, and I think they're setting an important example in adding new diversity to their team.”

“Seed stage is an investment area that is really important for early stage startups. It feels like there is a need for trusted, experienced people to work with and to guide startups at this level.”

“There are not many people from top-tier venture capital firms who are focused on the seed stage.”