Delta Podcast Ep. 2: Stephanie Zhan, Sequoia Capital General Partner
Aug 5, 2025
Stephanie Zhan, a General Partner at Sequoia Capital, focuses on AI infrastructure, apps, and robotics, drawing from her rich background in computer science and venture capital. She explores the evolution of AI technologies and shares insights on scaling startups like Skilled AI, emphasizing the importance of team dynamics and market strategies. Stephanie also underscores the significance of real-world data in AI development and offers invaluable advice for researchers and founders looking to succeed in the tech landscape.
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Early Internet Sparked A CS Path
- Stephanie Zhan traced her interest in CS to early internet use and games like Neopets and Roller Coaster Tycoon.
- That curiosity led her to study CS at Stanford where she formally committed to the field.
Internship Was A Window Into VC
- Stephanie described her first venture internship as being a fly-on-the-wall doing research and diligence.
- That exposure taught her how top firms evaluate founders and businesses and drew her toward venture.
From Vision To Language: AI's Turning Points
- Stephanie followed early waves of AI from vision to language and watched community breakthroughs like Transformers and AlphaGo.
- She saw GPT-3 and ChatGPT pivot the industry toward large language model developer ecosystems.