Divot19 Maalis 2025

#3: From $700 to Silicon Valley’s #1 Seed Investor – Pejman Nozad’s Unbelievable Journey

How does someone go from washing cars and selling rugs to investing in billion-dollar startups like Dropbox and DoorDash? Pejman Nozad arrived in America with $700, no English, and zero connections, but today, he’s one of the most influential investors in Silicon Valley.

In this episode, Pejman shares his extraordinary journey from immigrant to Forbes’ #1 seed investor, revealing the networking secrets, mindset shifts, and high-stakes risks that changed his life. He breaks down how he built relationships with top VCs, the strategy behind spotting unicorn startups early, and how much he learned from a $500M mistake on investing in Facebook.

This is a must-watch if you're someone that feels like they are starting from nothing, building a startup, investing, or just someone looking for inspiration. Learn what separates billion-dollar entrepreneurs from the rest and how to break into the startup world—no matter where you start.

Pejman - X (Twitter): https://x.com/pejmannozad

Follow Derek - X (Twitter): https://x.com/derekjandersen

Episode Partners:

NotionStartups get up to 6 months free of Notion with unlimited AI. Apply now in the partner drop-down list, and enter code SGXNotion: https://ntn.so/startup

Google CloudAccelerate your AI startup with the Google for Startups Cloud Program. Apply today: https://partners.startupgrind.com/partner/google-cloud/

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#Startups #AngelInvestor #SiliconValley #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #PejmanNozad #FounderLessons #ImmigrantSuccess

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Jaksot(56)

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#48: Wiz, Datadog & The Mindset Behind Billion Dollar Companies | Shardul Shah Index Ventures

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