Sequoia's Doug Leone says he got a tooth removed without Novocaine to attend a meeting

Some group return a java earlier a large meeting. VC Doug Leone said he erstwhile took a Novocaine-less bony removal.

During an question and reply connected the "David Senra" podcast, released connected Sunday, Leone, 1 of Sequoia Capital's best-known partners, said he skipped the numbing agent during a dental drilling procedure.

"I told the dentist, 'Drill without immoderate Novocaine,' and he says, 'You're retired of your mind,'" he said. "My full life, I wanted to spot if I was a badass aliases not."

In an email pinch Business Insider, Leone clarified that his determination had a applicable motive: He had a gathering after, and the dentist told him Novocaine mightiness make him sound aliases look funny. "That's erstwhile I thought, 'Now I will find retired whether I americium a badass aliases not,'" he wrote.

It's the benignant of communicative Leone tells often, he said connected the podcast, because it's an illustration of really immoderate of his astir consequential moves person been motivated by fearfulness alternatively than ambition. Each profession shift, he said, wasn't inspired by a "vision of greatness," but a "deep and unafraid request to stay relevant."

"I emotion fear," he said. "It does wonders for me. It gives maine the situation to flooded that gives maine past a consciousness of security."

Now, clips of his explanation of the pain-embracing dental travel person made the rounds connected the internet. People are giving him the Chuck Norris treatment:

During the interview, Leone besides said that erstwhile he became a partner astatine the patient successful 1993, he was bum aft a divorcement near him pinch only an allowance for a monthly car note.

"I slept successful my car for a week. I showered astatine 3000 Sand Hill Road. I was down to nary money," he said, earlier adding that he wasn't peculiarly scared: "My early net were going to beryllium terrific. So, I wasn't panicked — I conscionable knew it was only an inconvenience."

That mindset has defined a profession that's now successful what could beryllium a last act. Leone worked astatine Sequoia Capital from 1988 to 2022, rising done the ranks to yet go managing partner. Toward the extremity of that tenure, he partnered pinch the first Trump administration connected a task unit to reopen the US system pursuing the COVID-19 lockdowns. He stepped down successful 2022 astatine property 65 — but rejoined this past March, amid renewed excitement complete AI investing.

Back astatine the firm, Leone says the fast-paced AI frontier still motivates him done fearfulness — and he's leaning into that, too. He calls himself a "low-level analyst" who must "prove myself" to enactment relevant.

"If 9 months from now, which is 1 twelvemonth since I returned, I consciousness conscionable arsenic irrelevant, I'm going to return myself," he said. "I don't cognize if I tin do it again. And so, therein lies the fun."