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.
— Aileen Lee
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.
There are not many people from top-tier venture capital firms who are focused on the seed stage.
I appreciate the sacrifices my dad made. I went to a great public high school.
Over the long term, there will be many more billion-dollar technology companies than there are today.
If a firm hasn't hired a single female partner in its history, I don't think it will finally happen by accident.
I really have become very interested at working with and helping entrepreneurs at the early stages of their growth.
I think it's embarrassing for our industry that we have such low diversity across senior-level management at all of the mainstream, top-tier venture capital firms.
Super early-stage companies have a village that form around them for support.
I work with tiny companies, so I don't really live in unicorn world, to be honest.
Women are the routers and amplifiers of the social web. And they are the rocket fuel of ecommerce.
Most VC firms are looking to bring in women because of the great consumer cycle.
Top creative and innovative talent wants to live in a vibrant, transit-friendly, global city that offers access to not only great jobs but also great food, entertainment and culture.
There are a lot of benefits to having a team of young people, but there are many benefits to having people who've made a lot of mistakes.
Starting a company and being a founder is really hard, and most companies fail. You really have to have a deep commitment and belief in it and be willing to see it through many ups and downs.
Women are going to be a huge force in developing Web and mobile companies.
We used to tie-dye T-shirts and sell them to classmates. We used to make egg rolls and sell them at street fairs. I worked at the mall. My parents probably spent more money on the gas driving me to different jobs than I made.
The reality is that in a tech environment that is 90 percent to 100 percent male, it's not super-encouraging for females to be successful. It's just a lot of things that contribute to that: things that people do or things that people say that they may not realize have unintended consequences.
I'm a huge believer in power of women on the web.
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.
My dad was a dentist; my mom managed his office.
The question for Dropbox is whether, when they run out of private sources for funding, they will be able to maintain that valuation when they go to public sources for funding and their valuation is set on the public markets.
It's not that I am saying that women and men are completely different. But I do think that if you are one of the only people around the table who is a woman, by definition, you're different.
I was ringside for Amazon and Google.
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.
There are so many people who try so hard and have such big dreams, and it doesn't happen for them.
What's the word to describe the thing that all of us are trying to do, which is to found or work for or invest in a company that is the winner of all winners?
Starbucks did this magical thing where it took a product that people didn't really care that much about and made it this treat. It makes you feel better about your day and gives you a chance to reflect, makes you feel a little special.
Some companies are worth paying for up front.
I am committed to ensuring San Francisco remains a center for tech and the innovation capital of the world.
Male founders who come across as Type B are more likely to get the benefit of the doubt.
It's awesome that you have a female CFO and a female GC, but if you look at the investing partners, and it's 15 dudes, I do think those people are going to get left behind if they don't get with where the world is going.
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?
From a pretty early age, I developed an interest in travel. I told my parents I wanted to live abroad, and they said, 'Well, you have to have money to do those things.'
A lot of the entrepreneurs and founders have big dreams and are on a mission to build things that the world has never seen before.
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.
When I was growing up, I had lots of smart classmates that were girls, but none of us were really pushed into math or computers or anything like that. Girls took AP history and AP English and AP European history. And boys took calculus and physics.
I'm a first-born child of a Chinese immigrant family, I grew up on the East Coast. And I have to admit, I did not grow up around technology.
There needs to be more deliberate effort on the part of folks at VC firms to bring in a more diverse team of talent. You have to make a more concerted effort to bring in people who are different and who may not be in your network.
I think, from a woman's perspective, that my interest as an investor and the way that I relate to entrepreneurs is a little bit different.
I have a tremendous network of friends and colleagues at other firms.
The role and importance of females in companies can make a big difference.
Relative to all the start-ups out there, getting a valuation of $1 billion is rarely accomplished.
The world is diverse, and having a professional team that mirrors the world is going to be more helpful for us.
We're in this incredible age where new brands are making people's lives easier, more convenient, more personalized.
You can't get into the trap of paying for customer acquisition.
In the future, the best retail sites will know you much better and show you things that are much more relevant.
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.
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.
I did not grow up thinking that I wanted to be an engineer. I had read some articles about girls becoming increasingly scientifically illiterate and that girls lacked confidence in their capabilities when it came to quantitative skills. And I just thought that was kind of wrong.
