Pejman Nozad: Use Your Differences

Nov 30, 2022

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Pejman is the co-founder and managing director of Pear VC, one of the most successful investment firms in Silicon Valley. Over the past two decades, he has been a seed investor in some of the most iconic tech companies including Doordash, Dropbox, Applovin, Gusto, and many more. An Iranian immigrant, Pejman took an unconventional career path, building up his network while working as a rug salesman in Palo Alto. Hear him share incredible stories—like the time he brought the entire partnership of Sequoia Capital into his rug gallery—and timeless lessons about the value of carefully building a network over time and the power of leaning in to what makes you unique.

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“For me, I realized there is an opportunity. I think I was very lucky. I saw people around me and I wasn't really afraid. I wasn't afraid to jump into a community that I was not part of, ask a lot of questions, and I used my differences as my power.” - Pejman Nozad

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Episode Timestamps:

*(02:10) - Pejman's beginnings from Iran to Palo Alto

*(04:32) - How working at a Rug Gallery gave Pejman access to tech and venture capita entrepreneurs

*(06:22) - Have a genuine interest in getting to know people

*(07:23) - Using you differences as a power

*(10:21) - Cultivating a relationship Lou Montulli founding member of Netscape, from customer to friend

*(12:30) - How a relationship with Doug Leone changed the trajectory of Pejman's career

*(14:07) - Getting Sequoia Capital to invest in Dropbox early on, with a ROI around $2 billion

*(17:38) - How Pear VC is partnering with founders to turn great ideas into category-defining companies.

*(29:27) - Understanding the market and product when investing

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Sponsor:

Who Got Me Here is brought to you by Connect The Dots, mapping professional relationships so you can find the strongest connections to the people and companies you want to reach. Visit ctd.ai to learn more.

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