Conway's Early Glimpse: How Ron Invested in Unlikely Startups Before Google

Ron Conway, a seasoned investor, was instrumental in Google's early success. In 1998, he met David Cheriton at a party, and Cheriton told him about two students working on an unusual search project called PageRank.

Conway wanted to meet the students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, but Cheriton kept delaying the introduction, saying they were not ready. Undeterred, Conway persisted for months before finally getting a meeting with the founders.

The timing was crucial because Google was still a small project at that point. Conway had to earn his place as an investor by getting Sequoia to meet with Page and Brin. He succeeded in arranging a meeting, which led to Sequoia's investment in Google's Series A in 1999.

This early investment history is notable not only for the prominent investors involved but also for Conway's approach to investing. He prioritizes people over product ideas, focusing on leadership, focus, and a strong attachment to solving problems.