Patrick OShaughnessy(@patrick_oshag):One of Michael Moritz's best stories on obsession is about the ride he got from Bill Gates when Microsoft was still private. "Bill Gates gave me a ride to the airport in his car. The radio was missing in the car, a big, gaping hole in the dashboard. I said, Bill, what happened to you, did you get ripped off? And he said no, I had it taken out. Why'd you have it taken out? Well, I drive from my home to the office, which is 7 minutes and 32 seconds, and then I'll drive from the office to the airport, which is however long. And he said if I've got the radio, I'm afraid that I'll switch it on and I won't be thinking about Microsoft. That's obsession."

2026.09.17 15:17

One of Michael Moritz's best stories on obsession is about the ride he got from Bill Gates when Microsoft was still private. "Bill Gates gave me a ride to the airport in his car. The radio was missing in the car, a big, gaping hole in the dashboard. I said, Bill, what happened to you, did you get ripped off? And he said no, I had it taken out. Why'd you have it taken out? Well, I drive from my home to the office, which is 7 minutes and 32 seconds, and then I'll drive from the office to the airport, which is however long. And he said if I've got the radio, I'm afraid that I'll switch it on and I won't be thinking about Microsoft. That's obsession."

Patrick OShaughnessy@patrick_oshag

2026.09.16 13:22

My conversation with Michael Moritz, one of the great venture investors of the last 40 years. Michael joined Sequoia in 1986 and co-led the firm with Doug Leone (@dougleone) from 1995 to 2012. His investments include Google, Yahoo, PayPal, and Stripe. His new book, Ausländer, traces his parents' escape from Nazi Germany and helps explain his lifelong interest in what shapes exceptional people. We discuss: - The infamous Steve Jobs profile - Why Don Valentine hired him - The question he finds most revealing when interviewing people - Monomania and the cost of greatness - Why he has never felt good at anything - Writing, journalism and AI - What he learned about himself writing Ausländer I'd recommend watching this one if you can. Michael was incredibly thoughtful and reflective throughout, particularly when talking about his parents, childhood, and the more difficult parts of his personal story. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Intro 0:53 Family History & Identity 7:03 Survival & Outsider Instinct 18:53 Studying Exceptional People 33:50 Self-Doubt & Success 41:17 Steve Jobs & Obsession 52:50 Joining Sequoia 1:03:22 Leadership & Alex Ferguson 1:08:25 Elon Musk & AI 1:17:12 Becoming Who You Are

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