Two Sequoia Capital bigwigs once hung out at a coffee shop dressed as 'Toy Story' characters to impress a candidate with a job offer

Jess Lee

To set itself above the rest, Sequoia Capital apparently goes to infinity and beyond.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Jess Lee, now a partner at the legendary Silicon Valley venture capital firm, recounted exactly how she received her offer.

Lee told Bloomberg that Sequoia partners Jim Goetz and Roelof Botha offered to meet her at a cafe in Mountain View. When she showed up, she noticed two cafe patrons were in full Toy Story cosplay as characters Woody and Buzz Lightyear. Turns out they were Goetz and Botha, who took off their headpieces to reveal themselves and extend the offer to Lee, an avid devotee of cosplay. 

Read More: Startups with women founders are on track to see record venture investment in 2019

The theatrics are apparently part of Sequoia's schtick to stand out in a competitive market.

Once, Sequoia built a LEGO-model of the Golden Gate Bridge to woo a Lego-loving founder it wanted to invest in, according to a 2018 Forbes story.

For Lee, the tactic worked. She told Bloomberg that the gesture "meant I could bring my whole self" to work.

 

SEE ALSO: Investors are pouring millions of dollars into fertility treatment startups. Here’s how one of Silicon Valley’s legendary venture firms is approaching investment in the buzzy industry

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