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As a partner and head of data strategy, Rob works with founding teams to overcome “data paralysis” and operationalize their data systems. He founded and led the data team at DigitalOcean from Series A to pre-IPO and was previously Director of Analytics in the Performance Marketing group at MDC Partners.

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Mariah brings deep expertise in executive search from True Search & Daversa Partners, where she’s helped build executive and founding teams for early-stage venture-backed companies. She's passionate about building diverse, high-impact teams for mission-driven companies changing our everyday lives. 

Mariah Lang

Operator

Mariah brings deep expertise in executive search.

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Mariah Lang | M13

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As Director of Product, Mary brings her experience as a former co-founder to help portfolio companies strategically design, develop, and optimize the user journey. Mary takes pride in building meaningful relationships with founders and sharing her passion for product design, innovation, and creativity. She’s always excited to collaborate with startups and help them achieve their goals.

Mary Lara

As Director of Product, Mary brings her experience as a former co-founder to help portfolio companies strategically design, develop, and optimize the user journey.

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Mary Lara | M13

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As portfolio operations analyst, Amelia supports M13 portfolio companies in their growth and expansion. Prior to M13, Amelia was corporate partnerships and marketing manager at Stampede Ventures, where she built and led marketing launches for new companies developed from joint ventures. Amelia also worked for CAA, HBO, and NBCUniversal. 

Amelia Zack

As portfolio operations analyst, Amelia supports M13 portfolio companies in their growth and expansion.

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Amelia Zack | M13

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As an Investor Relations Analyst, Jennifer provides support, insight and analysis to M13. Prior to M13, Jennifer spent four years in investor relations in real estate private equity, most recently at Waterloo Associates and prior to that at Thrive FP.

Jennifer Fetterman

As an Investor Relations Analyst, Jennifer provides support, insight and analysis to M13.

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Jennifer Fetterman | M13

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Adrianna is the Office Coordinator for M13 East. Prior to this role, she worked as a Community Associate for WeWork, but has a background in the hospitality industry. Adrianna has a passion for people and building community. 

Adrianna Cooper

Mission Control

Adrianna is the Office Coordinator for M13 East.

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Adrianna Cooper | M13

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Brent Murri is a Partner at M13 where he leads early-stage investments in consumer technology companies. Brent joined M13 from Battery Ventures where he focused on growth-stage enterprise software investments. Prior to Battery, he worked in strategy & business development for Samsung NEXT, where he developed and executed strategies around Samsung’s consumer software and services initiatives.

Brent Murri

Partner

As a principal at M13, Brent leads investments across the firm's consumer investment themes. Prior to joining M13, Brent was an investment Associate at Battery Ventures...

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Brent Murri | M13

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As M13's community program coordinator, Samantha aligns with M13’s commitment to creating an inclusive community through authentic experience, dedication to innovation, and creativity. Samantha was previously the development associate for outreach and programming at Rockefeller University.

Samantha Hughes

As M13's community program coordinator, Samantha aligns with M13’s commitment to creating an inclusive community.

M13SharePeople-SEO image Samantha Hughes

Samantha Hughes | M13

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Karl is the Managing Partner at M13. Karl was previously the COO of DigitalOcean, where he helped scale the business from first product over six years and prepared it for its eventual IPO (NYSE: DOCN). During his full 20 year operating career, Karl also co-founded and ultimately exited two other technology companies as CEO.

Karl Alomar

As DigitalOcean's COO, Karl built the business from first product to >500 employees & $250M ARR over six years and prepared it for its eventual IPO (NYSE: DOCN). Having...

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Karl Alomar | M13

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As Chief of Staff at M13, Julia oversees the annual planning process and quarterly tracking of OKRs. Her previous roles include Account Manager at Conde Nast and Executive Assistant at Compass.

Julia Daniel

Julia was previously an account manager at Conde Nast and an executive assistant at Compass.

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Julia Daniel | M13

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Sarah was previously the VP of marketing and investor relations at Arlon Group and has served in IR roles at StepStone Group and Citi Private Equity. She is a public company board member, co-founded the Sustainability Investment Leadership Council, and has served on numerous non-profit boards.

Sarah Tomolonius

Sarah was previously the VP of marketing and investor relations at Arlon Group and has served in IR roles at StepStone Group and Citi Private Equity. She is a public company...

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Sarah Tomolonius | M13

__I’ve always gravitated toward opportunities to work with teams who are looking at data for the first time - not always startups.__ During my time at Crossix, I sat down with consumer marketing teams at Pfizer, Sanofi and Amgen to understand insights generated by a new data set they had been operating without for decades. With advances in data privacy technology, Crossix offered them the ability to link their marketing efforts to actual behavior at the pharmacy, at the patient level. Overnight, these seasoned marketers were able to precisely measure the efficacy of various acquisition and retention tactics, in near real-time, enabling quantitatively-driven optimization decisions. For these century-old corporate giants, this technology drove a dramatic (and sometimes contentious) shift toward a culture of fast and frequent decision-making, supported by a mathematically rigorous test-and-learn philosophy.

 __When I came to DigitalOcean, the company was growing so quickly and generating so much data, that it was both a challenge and a necessity to focus on only the actionable data that mattered.__ Data paralysis is a growth company’s worst enemy time is almost always against you, and it’s far too easy to feel like you have “too much data.” When you decide to “dive in,” it’s imperative to have a compass directing you to a narrow subset of data. More importantly, you must force yourself to lead with action-oriented analysis rather than curiosity-driven calculations. “If I find the answer to my question, what will it allow me to do differently?”

 __In the era of “big data,” Excel remains indispensable.__ Decision-makers in new businesses can easily over-complicate the way they think about using data. Being data-driven doesn’t necessitate having a PhD on your staff to programmatically mine your data lake for insights. Many highly impactful “data-driven decisions” have been made using data that can fit in Excel and math that can be done on the back of a napkin. Where winners shine is in acknowledging that their “lake” of incomplete and imperfect data can be used to directionally guide their decisions these teams prioritize decision-making velocity over academic precision, and in so doing gain a huge advantage over the competition.

 __Trust (your gut), but verify.__ As a founder or growth company leader, operate first with your gut and let data directionally guide your decisions when you reach a fork in the road. Acknowledge that there are some decisions that simply cannot be made with quantitative support, either because there is no available data, or because the decision is impractically difficult or impossible to measure. Move with high velocity, and use data where you can to continually verify your assumptions and to evaluate your overall progress.

 __“I haven’t failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”__ Growth companies need a culture of learning, the directive to test, and a willingness to fail. When you prioritize actions and hypothesis testing, every outcome is a gift and insight into either something to do more of or something to do less of. Both are valuable insights that allow you to re-assess, re-prioritize, and move forward.

 __Step #1: Collect and store.__ Before you even know what you may need the data for, find ways to allow your customers (or potential customers) to volunteer information. Ask them questions, and ask them about their needs, intents, and demographics. Track observable data like website behavior, product interactions, and transactions in a way that is attributable to a single customer. Get in the weeds and stitch together a customer’s story across datasets, so that you understand where there may be gaps in information. Start storing all of this data now, and then when you have questions to answer, you likely won’t need to wait as long (or at all) to generate enough of a sample to give you the insight you need to move forward.

Rob Olson

As a partner and head of data strategy, Rob works with founding teams to overcome “data paralysis” and operationalize their data systems. He founded and led the data team at...

M13SharePeople-RobOlson

Rob Olson | M13

Does it really take an average of 7-8 years for a successful startup to exit? What can early-stage founders do to accelerate outcomes? 
To better understand the potential impact of our venture model, we wanted to answer these questions and more. 
After all, we started M13 with the belief that founding teams can execute faster with a higher degree of success if they’re able to take advantage of relevant expertise. We then purposefully designed M13 so that early-stage founders get access to experienced executives they wouldn’t otherwise have the money to hire nor the time to vet, onboard, and manage.  
When it comes to measuring leadership experience, information about an individual executive’s experience for example, how long they’ve been an exec is publicly available. Unfortunately, there isn’t readily available structured data around a founding team’s seniority and how early the founders bring on people with more experience as an operator or leader.  
To find out if leadership experience significantly impacts startups’ success, we analyzed nearly 800 executives at more than 200 companies that reached a sizable exit (greater than or equal to a $500 million valuation) via an IPO on a U.S. exchange or an exit via M&A from 2004-2019. About 70% of the companies in our data set exited between 2016-2019, including notable IPOs like Spotify, Zoom, Uber, and Peloton. We decided to exclude companies in the biotech/life sciences space, as these companies follow a different growth trajectory from consumer tech and B2B tech and traditionally exit via IPO or M&A at a much earlier stage.  
Here’s what our analysis of startups with successful exits revealed: 
## 1. Of successful exits, the average startup age actually is 7-8 years.
While there are other intangible variables for startup success, the basic equation is the time and capital required to achieve an exit and the size of that exit.  
Our data set validates the widely accepted statement that successful exits take about 7-8 years:
<center>
![](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5e5e59c19dd3d882dd8dbd92/6070d1039acee112b17cf6a2_Median%207%20year%20Exit_v4.png)</center> 
But could a variable like relevant leadership experience actually accelerate the time to exit? We wondered: 
<DotBullet highlight="" text="Beyond time and capital, are there any factors like experience as a leader or operator that can have an exponential impact on the exit outcome?" />
<DotBullet highlight="" text="And when is the right time for those human capital resources to be introduced to make that impact?" />
In terms of executive level leadership, we limited our analysis to startups with successful exits and individuals in CEO, CFO, COO, CTO, CPO, CRO, CMO, and CHRO roles (or comparable leadership titles). We then looked at those individuals' prior relevant leadership experience, including how many years of post grad experience these individuals have, how many companies they’ve worked at, and which executive roles they’ve held in the past. 
## 2. It turns out (less) time is (nearly double the) money.
Our analysis of startups with successful exits found that companies with multiple founders who have prior relevant leadership experience will exit 33% faster this earlier exit is coupled with an additional finding that they will have also raised 34% less capital. Combined, these two improvements can nearly double an investor’s rate of return. 
According to our analysis, if a company achieves a $500 million exit in 4.7 years (or 33% faster than the average of 7 years) and if they exit having raised 34% less capital the theoretical IRR for a Series A lead investor ($10 million check for 15% starting ownership) improves by 81%:
<center>
![](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5e5e59c19dd3d882dd8dbd92/6070d786a20ae8222b93f3a6_Exit-Capital-IRR%20copy_v4%20(1).png)</center> 
## 3. Companies, including top performing startups, can exit 33% faster by adding people with relevant leadership experience early.
<DotBullet highlight="" text="Our analysis of startups with successful exits shows that companies with at most one founder with executive experience exit in 9.6 years on average." />
<DotBullet highlight="" text="In comparison, companies with two or more founders with executive experience tend to exit in 6.4 years (33% faster)." />
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![](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5e5e59c19dd3d882dd8dbd92/6075e92b86302529b185b404_Exp_exit_v3.png)</center> 
**What this means:** Even if companies are doing everything right in other words, they’re in the top 25% of our data set (in terms of exit speed) with great founders, high-performing teams, a booming market, and flawless execution they _still_ reduce time to exit when they have multiple founders with prior relevant experience as a senior leader or operator. 
## 4. Not only do companies with seasoned founders exit faster, they also need to raise 34% less capital before exit—boosting IRR.
If companies already have great founders, high-performing teams, a booming market, and flawless execution, we found that layering on some prior relevant leadership experience early also allows that company to exit having raised less capital and with less dilution. 
**The baseline: On average, successful startups exit in 7-8 years after having raised $386 million.** 
<DotBullet highlight="" text="We found that it takes an average of 7-8 years for a company to exit, after five to six funding rounds (with outliers)." />
<DotBullet highlight="" text="On average, these companies will have raised $386 million, including exit." />
**Successful companies with founders who have executive experience not only exit 33% faster (as previously discussed), they also raise 34% less capital before exit, further improving IRR.**
<center>
![](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5e5e59c19dd3d882dd8dbd92/6075c6aa4a0cdd08fdec0c1f_Exp_capital_v3.png)</center>
<DotBullet highlight="" text="Companies with little executive experience tend to exit having raised $466 million in funding." />
<DotBullet highlight="" text="In comparison, companies with multiple founders with executive experience tend to exit having raised $306 million in funding." /> 
## 5. There’s still room for companies to benefit from adding relevant leadership experience early.
Executive experience allows companies to identify common pitfalls and hurdles proactively, see around corners, and apply common frameworks and practices. In turn, this helps companies save so much time. 
Although companies realize the need for prior relevant leadership experience, our analysis of startups with successful exits found that they usually gradually build their executive team.
<DotBullet highlight="" text="According to our data, these companies tend to ramp up C-level hiring linearly into IPO, no matter their size or their executive teams’ collective experience." />
<DotBullet highlight="" text="Four years before exit, on average, these companies have only 43% of the shared executive experience they will eventually have when they exit." />
<DotBullet highlight="" text="Even successful companies that start with the most executive experience still tend to add experience at the same rate." />
As we know, not aIl founding teams at the early stage are in a position to hire full-time executives these early-stage teams may need more financial resources, the right network connections, or enough full-time work to even attract top talent. That’s why our [M13 Propulsion model](https://m13.co/m13s-propulsion-model-was-built-to-help-execute/) supplements our founding teams with partners who can apply their multi-decades of operating expertise at moments exactly when and where it’s needed in a growing company’s development.   
In the two years since launching Fund II, M13 has helped our portfolio companies hire multiple executives in the C-suite but perhaps more importantly, we provide diverse executive experience via our Propulsion model when hiring full-time doesn't make sense.  
Every day, our Propulsion partners five vertically-focused, full-time partners with over two decades each of executive experience in brand and communications, data, finance, talent and leadership, and operations support our founding teams.  
“I'm proactively telling founders that I've never worked with an investor as helpful and supportive as M13,” says [Northstar](https://m13.co/northstars-series-a-redefining-financial-wellness/) Co-founder Will Peng. “It feels like M13 is doubling our team size."  
We’re dedicated to helping founders when they need access to relevant leadership experience the most in the early stages when making even the smallest adjustments in hiring, marketing, finance, data strategy, and operations can affect the trajectory of a startup. (In fact, if you adjust the trajectory of a rocket ship by 1 degree, you’re only 92 feet off course after a mile. But by the time you reach the moon, you’re off by 4,169 miles. Correcting course early matters.) 
We’re still in the early innings, and we’ve barely scratched the surface with our research. For example, what about breadth versus depth of experience? We know experience comes in all different forms, but what works? What doesn’t? And what is the impact of greater diversity in executive leadership? 
We know that in 2020, 21% of C-suite executives in corporate America were women, [according to LeanIn.org](https://leanin.org/women-in-the-workplace-report-2020/impact-of-covid-19). Now that we’ve validated certain variables in the basic equation for startup success, how can we as investors help ensure that there’s equal opportunity to gain relevant leadership experience in the first place? 
After all, we’ve already seen that when we combine the mission and vision of our founding teams with the deep operating experience of our Propulsion partners, we truly are brighter together.  
**_\*Methodology:_** _We used publicly available information from Crunchbase, Pitchbook, LinkedIn, and various news publications to look at 783 executives from 201 companies that reached IPO or exited via M&A between 2004 and 2019. Our data set includes U.S. stock exchange listings only (NASDAQ and NYSE) from various industries, excluding biotech/life sciences. We looked at 112 small-sized companies with an IPO valuation of $500 million to $2 billion IPO valuation, 73 medium-sized companies with an IPO valuation of 2.1 to 9.2 billion, and 16 large-sized companies with an IPO valuation of $11 to $82 billion._

An M13 analysis reveals that founding teams with executive experience can exit faster with less capital.

A Zoom screenshot depicts the M13 team smiling.

Analysis: Executive Experience Can Nearly Double Investors’ Rate of Return

An M13 analysis reveals that founding teams with exec experience can exit 33% faster with 34% less capital and nearly double their investors’ rate of return.

Exec Experience Can Nearly Double Investors’ Rate of Return | M13

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**Data is everywhere.** In the “Mad Men” days, the only data you had on your customers was whatever you learned over a three-martini lunch. Today, every interaction a customer has with any aspect of your company can generate data, from how much of your video they watched before getting bored to how many times they consider that one splurge before purchasing. 
**Data is meaningless**—unless you have a purpose for gathering it and a plan for using it. 
We believe in a tactical approach to data. Ask yourself: “What’s the simplest, smallest data point I need in order to make a decision and move on?” 
The wealth of data available today, at relatively low costs, provides enormous opportunities to drive continuous improvement for your company. But you can’t just collect data for data’s sake. You need a data strategy. 
This guide will show you how to take advantage of your data by explaining: 
<NumberedBullet number="1" highlight="The 3 basic components of any data strategy" />
<NumberedBullet number="2" highlight="Designing a data strategy" />
<NumberedBullet number="3" highlight="The best data tech stack for startups " />
<NumberedBullet number="4" highlight="What you really need to measure" />
<NumberedBullet number="5" highlight="Turning positive churn into negative customer churn" />
<NumberedBullet number="6" highlight="When to uplevel your startup's data strategy" />
<NumberedBullet number="7" highlight="Common misconceptions about data strategy" />
<NumberedBullet number="8" highlight="Resources we love" />
<NumberedBullet number="9" highlight="Takeaways & next steps" />

A tactical approach can help you understand why you’re collecting data—and what you’ll use it for.

NOVI, M13's astronaut mascot, navigates his way through multiple data inputs

Data Strat Rob v2021

Creating a Data Strategy to Drive Better Decision-Making

Learn more about why you’re collecting data at your startup—and what to use it for—in M13’s data strategy guide for early-stage founders.

Building a Data Strategy to Drive Better Decision-Making | M13

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M13 Partnership

As investors in the innovations that will change consumer behavior over the next decade, we’re always looking for startups that will transform how we live, work—and play. Here are the 10 industry trends and investment areas that we’re excited to track in 2022: 
<img src="////images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/2naBlLG2TZpJpZ9k7J8BUS/abae7fb18ce51610e69f97f518b8bdfd/Divid_v1.png" style="width:25%;height:25%;">
 <img src="//images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/7HF5cLP9z4O3yxdpyFCOq3/a866912ad2b54fdde1fa8772f5493554/Anna_title_v8.png" alt="Anna Barber" style="width:25%;height:25%; float: left; margin-bottom:10px"> 
## A fundamental need to build resilience will create new opportunities. 
2021 was the year of resilience. When we think about resilience on the largest scale, it’s our climate—and 2021 may have been the tipping point for the mainstreaming of climate tech. In venture capital, we recognize that market timing is essential. Now feels like the moment for technologies and new business models that combat climate change to take hold. We're interested in ideas that get consumers closer to the solution.
<PullQuote author="Anna Barber" text="Resilience is the word for 2022. Over the past two years, we've witnessed the fragility of everything from our healthcare systems to our supply chains to our climate and even our own mental health." /> 
Companies are looking to build resilience—to create redundancy in their supply chains, to improve workplace happiness so they can retain great workers, and to hedge against the continued pandemic and economic uncertainty. 
Consumers are also looking to build resilience—to shore up their own mental and physical health, to solidify their emergency financial resources, to make their homes more resistant to extreme weather events. 
And on a more fundamental level, we’re all looking for mental resilience—for solutions to chronic anxiety and stress. I'm closely following innovations in women's health and wellness. The rapid adoption of telehealth (combined with better diagnostics and a growing awareness that women need tailored healthcare solutions that go beyond reproductive health) are factors in creating big opportunities in what we've come to call [femtech](https://m13.co/article/how-femtech-innovations-can-help-break-taboos-around-womens-health). Women are also looking to take control of their own health through diet and supplements, and they’re looking for community around shared concerns. 
We’re seeing unprecedented innovation in all of these critical areas. Investing in companies that offer resilience in any category is a great place to focus for 2022. 
<img src="////images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/2naBlLG2TZpJpZ9k7J8BUS/abae7fb18ce51610e69f97f518b8bdfd/Divid_v1.png" style="width:25%;height:25%;">
 <img src="//images.contentful.com/vcjxvx0h1a5n/3hswHdC5V4pRFFWQ6K4nYH/ec23152443f91c1a3768574cd0c5a659/Matt_title_v10.png" alt="Matt Hoffman" style="width:25%;height:25%; float: left; margin-bottom:10px"> 
## How we measure success at work will change.
With the tectonic shift in how, where, and why we work over the past 18 months, it's no surprise that HR tech companies are among the most heavily funded and highly valued of late. The area I’m most excited about exploring is a deeper dive into what "work" actually is—and how companies and employers evaluate the way they assess talent and performance in the new world of work. 
I believe we’ll be seeing a much richer, deeper, and healthier focus on the attributes of high performance, and the skills and competencies needed for measurable success. As the location of work moves from in-office to distributed, companies will need to truly focus on what matters for delivering value: removing politicization, presenteeism, and other aspects that have little impact on a company’s trajectory. 
In line with this shift, the next generation of HR tech startups will create richer methodologies to measure top talent, both at the hiring stage and across the employee development lifecycle. This will enable companies to improve their selection processes with better skill assessment and talent matching—and enable a deeper focus on meaningful career development thereafter. We know these areas drive engagement, retention, and ultimately performance, and I'm excited to see all the exciting breakthroughs to come in this critical space. 
<img src="////images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/2naBlLG2TZpJpZ9k7J8BUS/abae7fb18ce51610e69f97f518b8bdfd/Divid_v1.png" style="width:25%;height:25%;"> 
 <img src="//images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/4yPeYDPTv7cBXMFPOlZwOZ/862dbe20e7ad3eabb1b3bf95c937ca54/Lizzie_title_v2.png" alt="Lizzie Francis" style="width:25%;height:25%; float: left; margin-bottom:25px"> 
## Creators will help fuel the Great Resignation.
The "[Great Resignation](https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2021/10/19/1047032996/why-are-so-many-americans-quitting-their-jobs)" of 2021 will continue into 2022—in addition to the impact of the pandemic, the creator economy continues to grow and shift our cultural mindset. Workers are redefining on the fly previous definitions of work and career. There's also market validation that a sustainable living can be made as a creator. I continue to be excited by the growth of both sides of the creator marketplace: the increase in new and savvier creators, as well as the rise of platforms and technology tools that allow these creators to monetize their efforts. 
Venture will continue to see and fund the proliferation of smarter creator technology and innovation. These innovations, along with this mindset shift, will fuel the Great Resignation. 
<img src="////images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/2naBlLG2TZpJpZ9k7J8BUS/abae7fb18ce51610e69f97f518b8bdfd/Divid_v1.png" style="width:25%;height:25%;"> 
 <img src="//images.contentful.com/vcjxvx0h1a5n/7xbTF3zNsSNAcj4dH3aUcL/e2a8fbaafd12d366ce56a76f2f6071df/Rob_title_v2.png" alt="Rob Olson" style="width:25%;height:25%; float: left; margin-bottom:0px"> 
## Consumers will start monetizing their personal data. 
The success of influencers proves that we were ready to democratize the monetization of content by supporting various platforms where anyone can freely publish sponsored content or directly monetize their following (e.g. [NFTs](https://m13.co/article/crypto-and-the-consumer-the-road-ahead) or [M13 portfolio company Clash](https://m13.co/article/investing-in-clash-productizing-individuality)). 
Consumers have shown that they’re receptive to "pseudo organic" advertising by influencers, and they’ve increased the share of their "eyeball minutes" they allocate to these influencer-heavy channels. 
<TextCard text="In 2022, we’ll see a parallel dynamic on the consumer side—we’ll see we are ready to democratize the monetization of personal data by inventing the platforms where anyone can freely publish their data or directly monetize their information." topic="Data" />
We'll see a true disruption in the traditional marketing value chain when consumers realize that in addition to being the demand, they can also own some of the supply chain of connecting their eyeballs to an ad. 
I believe consumers have shown they are by and large open to "pseudo anonymous" data collection, aggregation, and utilization … as long as they have visibility and control (total or selective—the perception is what matters), and as long as they have an incentive or reward (real or perceived, direct or indirect). 
The creativity here lies in how those incentives and rewards are structured so as to maximize economics for the brands that will figure it out and win as a result. 
Just as consumers have willingly connected all of their finances via Plaid and given one bank insights into their entire financial picture, they’ll flock to products promising them exclusive content, limited NFTs, or simply a 10% off coupon. Consumers will agree to connect their relevant behavioral data and selectively grant access to the brands and publishers they deem to be worthy. 
Forget about "if" this will happen—"when" someone creates the technology and the single button to do the aggregation, consumers will be fighting to press it. At the same time, consumers will cut off and restrict data collection in places where they have no visibility, no ownership, and no incentives. 
What's going to be the "Nielsen Family" of the 21st century? Will we be proud of the name of the data collective we choose to aggregate and sell our data on our behalf? How creative will these platforms get when vying for the loyalty of their panel members' directly attributable, life-encompassing data? 2022 will be the year we not only regain control over our personal data but also start monetizing it. 
<img src="////images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/2naBlLG2TZpJpZ9k7J8BUS/abae7fb18ce51610e69f97f518b8bdfd/Divid_v1.png" style="width:25%;height:25%;"> 
 <img src="//images.contentful.com/vcjxvx0h1a5n/2aVsiIbO7viAty1qy23C3z/fef9b867ad14e9610b87d786743a4bd3/Courtney_title_v1.png" alt="Courtney Reum" style="width:25%;height:25%; float: left; margin-bottom:0px"> 
## Companies will have to adapt to consumers’ growing power.
“Consumerization of everything” is the new “software is eating the world” as global businesses enter a new phase. Power is shifting to the consumer—take [M13 portfolio company Northstar](https://m13.co/article/northstars-series-a-redefining-financial-wellness), which is redefining financial wellness as an employee benefit. Company benefits used to be business-led “you get what you get.” Compounded by current labor shortages, companies must now cater to the desires of the consumers and look at the longer pipeline of B2B2C. 
<img src="////images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/2naBlLG2TZpJpZ9k7J8BUS/abae7fb18ce51610e69f97f518b8bdfd/Divid_v1.png" style="width:25%;height:25%;"> 
 <img src="//images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/45HzwNV3biLXxxLuekJDir/ef4b67b5281102359223c3e94cc02f82/Latif_title_v1.png" alt="Latif Peracha" style="width:25%;height:25%; float: left; margin-bottom:10px"> 
## Gig workers will find new ways to earn digitally—and globally. 
The gig economy will be transformed in the next 24 months. The new frontier is global and will not be bound by local regulations. Long gone will be the days of fighting with the local taxi commission. Driving a stranger around in your car will still be a viable and flexible way to generate income, but new (and more enjoyable) methods will emerge. Play-to-earn gaming is the first breakout category, but there will be many more that allow people to earn digitally in novel ways and in communities with vested interests that know no borders. 
<img src="////images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/2naBlLG2TZpJpZ9k7J8BUS/abae7fb18ce51610e69f97f518b8bdfd/Divid_v1.png" style="width:25%;height:25%;"> 
 <img src="//images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/sOZCNnaoQG431PlsgHUri/92a8edf7daf48670e5b60827c9ad04e9/Karl_title_v1.png" alt="Karl Alomar" style="width:25%;height:25%; float: left; margin-bottom:0px"> 
## Evolving work-life balance choices will continue changing the world.
As we think about consumer behavior, we have to consider how younger generations are choosing to work and live. The millennial and Gen Z generations are taking more control of their lives, insisting on quality of life ahead of difficult career choices—and businesses are accommodating this change. 
What began as a simple remote work trend has now exploded into a huge independent worker trend. Whether as a gig worker or simply choosing where and when you work as well as who you work for on a fluid basis, the next generation owns their time and their allegiances more than ever before. 
As with all consumer change, this drives a significant amount of new products to help manage and optimize these choices. We see this in everything from fintech and individualized working SaaS tools as well as property management and a reimagining of the physical workspaces. 
<img src="////images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/2naBlLG2TZpJpZ9k7J8BUS/abae7fb18ce51610e69f97f518b8bdfd/Divid_v1.png" style="width:25%;height:25%;"> 
 <img src="//images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/3Y4MHswBh0kdWDV1lXjd3C/b4e759e89aa1ae9469426ccdb31cb299/Carter_title_v1.png" alt="Carter Reum" style="width:25%;height:25%; float: left; margin-bottom:0px"> 
## Brand, content, media, and influence will continue to be essential to the success of consumer tech companies.
We’re committed to building a great venture franchise, and a central part of our thesis is to build a marquee name in Los Angeles. After San Francisco, the world in tech revolves around LA, and yet the city has long been underestimated. Most people don’t realize that well over $275 billion of value has been created in LA in the last five years with companies like GoodRx, Thrive Market, Dollar Shave, Snap, Riot, Ring, The Honest Company, Cue, and others. LA has what many other cities don’t, and that’s the best innovations in brand, content, media, and influence—all critical to the success of consumer technology companies, which have been growing like palm trees here. 
<img src="////images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/2naBlLG2TZpJpZ9k7J8BUS/abae7fb18ce51610e69f97f518b8bdfd/Divid_v1.png" style="width:25%;height:25%;"> 
 <img src="//images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/32e4A8RIHiB6jhwRNmejvy/421de8e12fa35cf071ffa4ed7778cf97/Christine_title_v4.png" alt="Christine Choi" style="width:25%;height:25%; float: left; margin-bottom:0px"> 
## Human capital—including investor-founder fit—will matter more than ever.
The venture capital industry has not been spared from the accelerated changes that hit all aspects of our before-times world. The influx of eye-watering rounds of financing has resulted in competition from nontraditional investors—and more opportunities for founders. While founders continue to build and raise, I’ve noticed a slight change in how they vet potential investors. Founders are starting to ask out loud questions that were previously mulled in private: “Are you my forever partner? Do I want to be in a long-term relationship with you?” 
I’m being a bit cheeky here but investor-founder fit is a real consideration—and good for the future of the industry. Founders are increasingly deliberating about the quality of relationship they’re about to enter. <DotBullet highlight="" text="How are you equipped to help me scale at this stage and beyond?" />
<DotBullet highlight="" text="Can I count on you for nonjudgmental support?" />
<DotBullet highlight="" text="When I’m stuck and can’t get up, are you my late-night call?" />
The founder journey remains unknowable to those who have not been there. It’s not enough to ask how you can help; like in other service industries, it’s about anticipating needs. Venture is increasingly evolving to a founder/operator-first model; with experience comes empathy, trust, proactive help, and prioritizing mental well-being. Helping founders avoid mistakes and see around corners is as appreciated as knowing what to share access to—strategy, networks, other founders, your time—and when. Founders have more choices than ever, and decisions are becoming not only about financial capital but [human capital](https://m13.co/article/human-capital-the-essential-guide-to-scaling-people-systems).
<img src="////images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/2naBlLG2TZpJpZ9k7J8BUS/abae7fb18ce51610e69f97f518b8bdfd/Divid_v1.png" style="width:25%;height:25%;"> 
 <img src="//images.ctfassets.net/vcjxvx0h1a5n/kBFJI1kbZeqdhZG56N2dg/2995b365f79729685418184679d78d9c/Brian_title_v1.png" alt="Brian Carroll" style="width:25%;height:25%; float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"> 
## Alphabet’s technology will pioneer life-changing trends.
Voice transcription is getting increasingly powerful, with the new Android 12/Google Tensor chip adding on-device grammar and accent-capable punctuation and sentence structure. Soon composing emails will be faster with voice than with typing, and hesitant writers may find it easier to churn out novels while on their morning Peloton ride. 
Companies' Zoom chat transcriptions will also become accessible and searchable to those not "in the meeting," and corporate hierarchies will flatten as a result. Real-time translation of those transcripts will empower international teams and global remote work. 
Other interesting trends by Alphabet:
<DotBullet highlight="" text="YouTube is seeing more direct response advertising as video commerce continues to evolve." />
<DotBullet highlight="" text="AlphaFold’s publishing of 100 million known proteins is on par with the first mapping of the human genome." />

From the creator economy to the future of work, M13 partners share their top 10 industry predictions.

Partner Predictions, blog

VC Predictions 2022: 10 Industry Trends We’re Tracking

Partners at M13, a VC firm focused on consumer tech, share their 2022 business predictions on everything from the creator economy to the future of work.

Rob Olson

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