Alfred Lin

Alfred Lin is a Taiwanese-American venture capitalist recognized for his data-driven approach to operations and investing in the technology sector. Lin holds a Bachelor of Arts in applied mathematics from Harvard and a Master of Science in statistics from Stanford, an academic background that informs his analytical perspective on venture capital and entrepreneurship. While at Harvard, Lin met Tony Hsieh, who would later become CEO of Zappos, a connection that influenced Lin's professional trajectory.

Lin began his entrepreneurial career by leaving a doctoral program to join Hsieh at LinkExchange, an internet advertising startup. With support from Sequoia Capital, LinkExchange became one of Microsoft's largest acquisitions at the time, delivering significant returns in a short period. After the acquisition, Lin and Hsieh co-founded Venture Frogs, an incubator and investment firm that made early investments in companies such as Ask Jeeves and OpenTable. Lin later served as chief operating officer, chief financial officer, and chairman at Zappos, where his leadership contributed to the company's growth and its acquisition by Amazon. At Zappos, Lin and Hsieh demonstrated the importance of a clear mission and intentional company culture in building a successful business.

Since joining Sequoia, Lin has led major investments in technology companies including DoorDash and Airbnb. He played a key role in Sequoia's initial investments in both companies, which later completed initial public offerings. Lin also co-led Sequoia's investment in OpenAI and led the firm's Series B investment in Reddit, which subsequently went public. Following Sequoia's investment in Citadel Securities, Lin joined the company's board of directors.

Lin became a co-steward of Sequoia Capital alongside Pat Grady, further establishing his leadership within the venture capital industry. He has been recognized multiple times on the Forbes Midas List of top technology investors. Lin is known for his ability to identify founders with strong convictions and for his expertise in company building, organizational culture, and technology investment in Silicon Valley.