Shaun Maguire, a partner at Sequoia Capital, joined the 2025 Venture in the Capital virtual series for a conversation moderated by Drew Peterson (MSB’25). Maguire has started several companies, holds a Ph.D. in physics, and invests across defense, AI, infrastructure and space.
Maguire traced his curiosity to building a first computer from old parts at age 7 and a relativity puzzle that kept him awake for months as a teenager. He explained how understanding Starlink shaped his view of SpaceX, and what he has learned about spotting talent, including looking for people whose hobbies match the work. He named manufacturing capacity as the biggest gap the West faces in defense. His advice to would-be founders is that the best companies usually come from solving a real problem that shows up in your own life, rather than starting a company for its own sake.