M13’s Post

"We take regulations like [the SEC marketing rule] which are very complicated, very standards- and principals-based, and we turn them into AI agents. When we say regulatory #AIAgent, we mean an AI agent that can pursue an action—in this case assessing whether something is compliant or not—with a specific regulation." More on how Norm Ai’s regulatory AI agents work, from CEO John Nay’s recent interview at the NYSE ⬇ And learn more from John and other M13 founders Nami Baral (Niural and Sami Shalabi (Maven AGI) in our article on the rise of AI agents: https://lnkd.in/exD2Qb2V

"I think the biggest thing is to have at least one person on your team, if not more, that's going to shoot you straight. People don't tell the emperor when there's no clothes, and you've gotta have some people you really trust," Capsule founder and CEO Eric Kinariwala shared on the Rho podcast with Justin Wolz. We love when our portfolio companies collaborate! Check out the episode for more of Eric's thoughts on founder mode, startup branding, and founder mistakes: https://lnkd.in/eFKcv2m8 #Founders #FounderAdvice #Startups #FounderMode

"In a metrics-obsessed industry, I believe in the power of what can’t be measured," says M13 partner W. Christine Choi. "The satisfaction of an honest day of work, an epiphany that changes your worldview or direction, a meal with friends, holding hands with your elder parent—these are the things that touch and shape us at a cellular level." These “unmeasurables” become the acorns of stories that reveal our genuine selves, shape the direction of our teams and business, and open the door for audiences and partners to connect. It's about storytelling. And startups are always storytelling, from the moment they start sharing their vision with prospective talent and investors. At this year’s Future Perfect conference, we convened filmmaker Casey Neistat, TV icon and author Stacy London, and Overtime founder and CEO Dan Porter to talk about the why, what, and how of storytelling. Their conversation challenged the startup focus on growth metrics as brand building—and encouraged a refocusing on authenticity and personal connection. Dig into their thoughts about startup strategies for brand communications and how companies can leverage tension, curiosity, and authenticity in their storytelling: https://lnkd.in/ebWtQDy7 #BrandCommunications #StartupComms #Storytelling #Authenticity

It’s been a busy week for M13 and our portcos in the press! Here’s a quick ICYMI roundup. 1️⃣ "Reverence for founder mode can be misplaced. It's easy to say founder mode is better because the word ‘manager’ is just uninspiring." M13 partner Anna Barber shares her take on “founder mode” with Sam Blum in Inc. Magazine: https://lnkd.in/eckMTfNZ 2️⃣The town of Palm Beach is now using Polimorphic’s AI-powered technology to improve the community’s ability to access information. "The Polimorphic AI website search feature presents the community with a whole new way to engage with the town and get their questions answered," says Jordan B., a project specialist with the town. Read on in Palm Beach Daily News: https://lnkd.in/gZp9CRbg 3️⃣Brian X. Chen tested dozens of generative AI apps in the last year and shared his recommendations in The New York Times. One of his recs? M13 portfolio company Humata. "For summarizing notes, the free web app Humata AI has become popular among academic researchers and lawyers. By visiting Humata.ai on a web browser, you can upload a document such as a PDF, and from there, you can type requests in a window to ask a chatbot to summarize the most important points. In response, the chatbot will show a digital copy of the PDF and highlight relevant portions of the text." Read more: https://lnkd.in/dhAfnKGD  #FounderMode #GovTech #AI #GenAITools

At University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business last week, M13 partner Latif Peracha interviewed Benchmark GP Bill Gurley. Below, Bill shares  some of his hot takes on startup hustle, rewards, and why you might not make it working 8-5. #VentureCapital

“Crisis doesn’t have to be scary, and pivoting is not a bad word,” M13 partner W. Christine Choi says. “I've made many career pivots, from public education and arts nonprofits, to music festivals and cannabis, to flying cars and commercial space. These decisions were driven by curiosity and wanting to learn more.” As someone who values listening as the most important leadership skill, Christine’s not just about occupying the space at the table—she’s about creating space for others, encouraging them to join in the conversation. You’ll find her crafting narratives that celebrate the underdogs, the creatives, and the genuine leaders shaping tomorrow. Learn more about M13's fearless and ever-evolving brand comms leader, and get her thoughts on communication, community, and M13's model of working with founders: https://lnkd.in/dF32CiUv

"Our goal isn't just to add years to your life, but to add life to your years." Check out Lifeforce's new brand and learn about learn more about their personalized, evidence-based longevity medicine ⬇ #HealthTech

Last week, on the eve of the Texas-Michigan game, the University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business hosted some of the M13 community at their Venture Summit event. A few highlights: -M13 partner Latif Peracha spoke about venture investing with arguably the most successful consumer venture investor there is: Benchmark ’s Bill Gurley. Benchmark has backed household names like Uber, eBay, OpenTable, Discord, Twitter, Zillow, Yelp. -M13 partner W. Christine Choi spoke with Roger Ehrenberg, whose storied investment career includes Datadog, Wise, The Trade Desk, and DigitalOcean, among others. They talked about building a meaningful career in venture, managing expectations through venture’s long time horizons, and how to manage phase shifts with skill and intention. One takeaway: Process leads to excellence! -Ryan Gentry (Lightning Labs), Vince Hankes (Thrive Capital), Brit Morin (Offline Ventures), and Reilly Brennan (Trucks Venture Capital) had a conversation about one of our favorite investing topics: hype cycles. They dug into crypto, AI, the creator economy, mobility, and the future of transportation. -James Hackett gave opening remarks and talked about leading in transformative times and understanding how all the variables in venture interact to create value. (He also led the audience in a rousing “Go Blue!”) Thank you Andrew Haeger and Syleste Davis for your hard work putting together such a great event! We had a great experience. #VentureCapital #Crypto #AI #Investing

M13 is a venture firm by founders, for founders. Supporting founders is critical to our mission, and we've always believed that we're #BrighterTogether. That's why we're so excited to partner with Julie Samuels and Tech:NYC on a survey to help us gain deeper insight into the NYC tech ecosystem and how it can better meet founders’ needs. NYC-based founders, take the survey before it closes on September 13th to tell us how the NYC tech ecosystem can better support you: https://lnkd.in/e7zcuV5f #NYCFounders #NYCStartups