The Villain Test: Mastering Consumer Tech Trends

"I think better when I'm moving...it's helped my productivity maybe more than any other tool."

• Incorporate movement to stimulate thinking.
• Find personal habits that boost productivity.
• Leverage simple practices for big impacts.

"The villain is a really strong component to consumer purchasing decisions...humans make decisions based on self-interest."

• Recognize consumers' inherent self-interest.
• Ensure your product satisfies a core desire.
• Balance broader impact with self-interested benefits.

"Getting comfortable with being misunderstood...that's the most succinct way to say it."

• Be willing to look dumb in the short term.
• Non-consensus investments can lead to outsized returns.
• Have conviction despite outside opinions.

"I generally am skeptical that...you're gonna see this mass exodus from consumers away from...giving up their data."

• Offer compelling benefits in exchange for data.
• Design products that make the trade-off worthwhile.
• Understand consumer willingness to share data for value.

"Can we be more mission driven? Can we partner with founders in a way that aligns with their mission, but in a non-sacrificial way..."

• Mission-driven companies can be profitable.
• Align with investors who support your mission.
• Integrate mission and profitability without sacrifice.

"I reached out to him cold and said, 'Hey, I'm interested.'...I put the first check in...and he was off to the races."

• Proactive outreach differentiates you from others.
• Invest time in building early relationships with founders.
• Show genuine interest to win competitive deals.

"Consumer products are becoming much more personalized...there's opportunities to really personalize those consumer products."

• Leverage technology for personalized experiences.
• Tailor products to individual customer preferences.
• Use personalization to stand out in the market.

"I think the community piece is something that we think about quite a bit as it relates to consumer technology companies."

• Build products that foster strong user communities.
• Community creates stickiness beyond the product.
• Focus on user engagement through community.

"For us that reporting component is key...it's really trying to understand the team's ability to...see things clearly...adapting, and then...making hard decisions."

• Breakouts communicate effectively with investors.
• Look for transparency and adaptability in teams.
• Strong reporting indicates strong execution.

"I think about these businesses less as consumer products...but more as community...the product is almost tertiary to the community."

• Creating a sense of belonging boosts retention.
• Focus on fostering strong user communities.
• Use community to build long-term brand loyalty.