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A partner and head of finance at M13, Brian was the former COO at Piano Media. He previously served as CFO and advisor to various startups including Glamsquad and DigitalOcean, and started his career in web infrastructure engineering with Akamai Technologies.

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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

Operator

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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As M13's brand project specialist, Generra brings her experience in operational excellence and community building from her previous time at The Knowledge House, a tech non-profit. Prior to that, Generra led project management, from enrollment and ops to data management, for Newark Public Schools. 

Generra Rodriguez

As M13's brand project specialist, Generra brings her experience in operational excellence and community building from her previous time at The Knowledge House, a tech non-profit. 

M13SharePeople-SEO image Generra Rodriguez

Generra Rodriguez | M13

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As a partner and head of operations, Lizzie leads the Propulsion team that helps propel our founders’ businesses forward. She was previously the COO of sneaker marketplace GOAT Group, CMO of Gilt Groupe, and founding partner of Brilliant Ventures.

Lizzie Francis

Partner

As a partner and head of operations, Lizzie leads the Propulsion team that helps propel our founders’ businesses forward. She was previously the COO of sneaker marketplace GOAT...

M13SharePeople-LizzieFrancis

Lizzie Francis | M13

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Erik is M13's accountant and has a vast background working in tech companies and the applications used in accordance with GAAP for reporting. Erik was previously an accountant at Glamsquad and Stella Connect, which was acquired by NYSE listed Medallia in 2020, which gave Erik the opportunity to oversee the finance integrations of the two companies. 

Erik Grant

Erik is M13's accountant and has a vast background working in tech companies and the applications used in accordance with GAAP for reporting.

M13SharePeople-SEO image Erik Grant

Erik Grant | M13

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Feven was an investment analyst for KingsCrowd while simultaneously receiving a certificate from Cornell’s Women and Entrepreneurship program, where she focused on the start-up ecosystem for minority groups.

Feven Solomon

Investor

Feven was an investment analyst for KingsCrowd while simultaneously receiving a certificate from Cornell’s Women and Entrepreneurship program, where she focused on the start-up...

M13SharePeople-FevenSolomon

Feven Solomon | M13

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As a member of the investor relations team, Talitha has worked with the team to build the IR systems at M13 from the ground up. She was previously the quality control and administrative assistant for the accounting and assurance department of Lindsay & Brownell, LLP.

Talitha Wright

As a member of the investor relations team, Talitha has worked with the team to build the IR systems at M13 from the ground up. She was previously the quality control and...

M13SharePeople-TalithiaWright

Talitha Wright | 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...

M13SharePeople-SarahTomolonius

Sarah Tomolonius | M13

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A people operations analyst, Rita was previously the owner and operator of Street Beatz Dance Company. Prior to that, she held the roles of internal annuity specialist and registered client associate at Merrill Lynch.

Rita Serrano

A people operations analyst, Rita was previously the owner and operator of Street Beatz Dance Company. Prior to that, she held the roles of internal annuity specialist and...

M13SharePeople-RitaSerrano

Rita Serrano | M13

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Morgan spent five years in investment banking at Morgan Stanley. She worked on a presidential campaign, at Bloomberg Philanthropies and consulted for start-ups in the political media space.

Morgan Blumberg

Morgan spent five years in investment banking at Morgan Stanley. She worked on a presidential campaign, at Bloomberg Philanthropies and consulted for start-ups in the political...

M13SharePeople-MorganBlumberg

Morgan Blumberg | M13

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Latif manages the overall investing strategy for the firm and has led numerous deals across money and health verticals with a large focus on web3. He was previously the managing director at Virgin Group where he led investing in the Americas including investments in Ring (acq. by AMZN), Slack (NYSE: WORK), Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE), and Virgin Orbit (NASDAQ: VORB).

Latif Peracha

As M13’s general partner, Latif manages the investing strategy for the firm and has led numerous deals across money, health, and web3 verticals. He was previously a managing...

M13SharePeople-LatifPeracha

Latif Peracha | M13

__I’ve held most startup roles at some point in my career.__ My progression may seem eclectic (from software engineering, to network engineering, to sales engineering, to marketing, to product, to VC [during business school], to startup operations exec, to startup finance exec, to private equity finance whew) but it’s given me invaluable insight into the many (many) distinct worlds that come together to help a business succeed.

 __This varied background was one of the things that drew me to M13 initially -__ having the chance to work with a team of others who, like me, have built up a cache of operating know-how. Maybe we haven’t seen it all before, but we’ve seen more than most, and I think it makes us uniquely suited to advocate relentlessly for your company.

 __Working with Akamai and its customers through the early boom / bust stages of the dot com era__ was transformative for me and deeply reinforced the importance of sound financial management and agile operations for startups. It’s one of the reasons that I’m passionate about helping young companies lay the proper financial and operating foundation for rapid growth.

 __The dot com downturn wasn’t the only trial we faced during my time at Akamai.__ Our darkest hour came after our Founder, Danny Lewin, was killed in 9/11. Watching the grace and compassion of George Conrades as he led our team through that hardship has affected me to this day.

 __9/11 infused Akamai with a sense of purpose.__ Persevering through the hardship of the dot com downturn after September 11 showed how galvanizing a shared mission can be, and how much people are looking for meaning in their work, more than just a paycheck.

 __The best entrepreneurs__ have an infectious enthusiasm and in-depth knowledge about solvable world problems. So as a VC working with entrepreneurs, you get both motivated and educated each and every day. What a gift!.

 __My best advice?__ Learn and use the keyboard shortcuts!

Brian Carroll

Choices that you make early in your startup’s journey will determine how easily you can scale. Even choices that seem simple now, like QuickBooks versus FreshBooks, can either facilitate a smooth transition from 10 to 100 employees—or create hurdles you’ll have to jump over as you grow. 
Small companies need to perform all the same financial functions as a large company: pay vendors, manage payroll, invoice customers, produce financial reports, and so on. When you’re setting up your company’s operating systems and processes, you need to: 
 <DotBullet text="Look professional " />
 <DotBullet text="Stay nimble and not overcomplicate things" />
 <DotBullet text="Avoid getting locked into a system you’ll need to change later" /> 
As a small company with ambitions to grow, you need systems that are error-resistant and labor-light. We’ve implemented the systems outlined in this guide at several early-stage companies that have gone on to successfully scale. We believe that following this plan will set you up for future success. 
In this guide, we’ll take you through the fundamentals of finance and operations for your early-stage startup: 
 <NumberedBullet number="1" highlight="Choosing a corporate structure " />
 <NumberedBullet number="2" highlight="Setting up finances" />
 <NumberedBullet number="3" highlight="Creating accounting systems" />
 <NumberedBullet number="4" highlight="Finding a location" />
 <NumberedBullet number="5" highlight="Managing expenses and documents" />
 <NumberedBullet number="6" highlight="Understandng KPIs and burn rates" />
 <NumberedBullet number="7" highlight="Resources we love" />
 <NumberedBullet number="8" highlight="Takeaways & next steps" /> 
Consider this the ultimate finance and ops stack that can accelerate your growth in the early stage and beyond.

Get actionable advice on everything from setting up accounting software to securing office space.

Novi, M13's astronaut mascot, floats on top of a disk-shaped operations area.

Finance Brian copy v2021

The Finance and Ops Stack for Early-Stage Startups

Set your startup for success with M13’s tips on accounting, accounts payable, business credit cards, payroll and benefits, office space, and more.

 The Finance & Ops Stack for Early-Stage Startups | 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.

M13 Partners

VC Predictions: 10 Industry Trends We're Tracking | M13

Partner Predictions

M13 Team

As DigitalOcean celebrates its IPO this week, five current M13 partners and employees reminisce about 21-plus years of collective experience at the cloud computing startup. 
Founded in New York City in 2011, DigitalOcean would go on to compete with Amazon and other cloud infrastructure providers—and emerge as a favorite among both developers and small businesses alike. 
Here at M13, we’re dedicated to supporting and investing in founding teams that will change consumer behavior over the next decade. As these five DigitalOcean alums look back on a 8-year journey to going public, here are some of the startup lessons and expertise they’ve brought to M13 as operators: 
## It’s never too early—or late—to reset your company culture
[**Karl Alomar**](https://m13.co/team-members/karl-alomar/)**, Managing Partner at M13 | DigitalOcean tenure:** 5 years 9 months 
DigitalOcean was led by strong leaders who held firm opinions. As the business crossed 100 employees, it was a real challenge to navigate how to align and drive the company toward a strong culture.  
After a tumultuous year culminating in a cultural crisis in 2014, we regrouped and rebuilt the organizational structure for the business and culture, which resulted in being rated a top place to work in NY by early 2016. This taught me so much in regards to how to structure a high-growth organization and transition through that growth. I also learned core lessons about how to set and foster culture and drive engagement and performance across a growing organization. 
<center>
![](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5e5e59c19dd3d882dd8dbd92/605a44c3a3c1e3e9d278dcdd_KarlRob_DigitalOcean.jpg)
 </center> 
## Cultivating internal relationships can help you move faster
[**Rob Olson**](https://m13.co/team-members/rob-olson/)**, M13 Partner and Head of Data Strategy | DigitalOcean tenure:** 5.5 years 
While attempting to reconcile and connect datasets that were brand new and evolving constantly while engineering teams iterated and improved, it became imperative to forge strong relationships between the data engineers, scientists, and analysts on my team with the product engineering teams that were constantly in “build mode.” 
What I learned? A data team should never be a “back office” that exists purely downstream of the teams that are actually _creating_ the source data; you need a constant dialogue, and a seat at the table when deciding how data streams are created and transformed on their way to the end user. 
## Simplifying can help you scale
[**Brian Carroll**](https://m13.co/team-members/brian-carroll/)**, M13 Partner and Head of Finance | DigitalOcean tenure:** 1 yearOne lesson that DigitalOcean really drove home for me is that simplicity _is_ scalability. DO was fairly ruthless about cutting away product clutter, avoiding the temptation to pursue side projects, and keeping things clean, concise, and as simple as possible. Those simple atomic units in turn scaled very well as we grew.  
Every early investment we made in cutting excess seemed to pay off tenfold in reduced complexity down the line. We once brought an outside security consultant to analyze our source code for weaknesses. Not only did he not find many problems, he concluded his report with “these guys don’t write code, they write poetry.” I think that captures trying to whittle down to the most impactful essence of a problem.   
## Humor goes a long way
**Karl:** One of my most poignant memories was of Co-founder and Head of Marketing Mitch Wainer doing his Michael Jackson dance in a Sammy the Shark suit on the streets of SXSW in front of a highly engaged audience.**‍** 
<YoutubeVideo video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy3Vh6KY2-M"/> 
**Brian:** DO in those early days was a \*very young\* company—there were few people over the age of 30, and many of the HQ staff had actually moved to NYC for the job. So there was a kind of all-in mentality where people’s friends and colleagues were one and the same. This young culture with few “grown-ups” in the room did help people approach old problems with a new perspective and to think outside the box.  
I remember we had a few people who liked to show up for work in onesies, and that was totally fine. 
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And there were several people who took celebrating Pi Day really seriously: 
## Think of hiring like growing your family
‍[**Marie Sokolovsky**](https://m13.co/team-members/mariesokolovsky/)**, Manager, People & Culture at M13 | DigitalOcean tenure:** 5 years 
I joined when DigitalOcean was about 20 people but growing rapidly as we were soon approaching our Series A round. Right from the very early days, it felt like a family operation. Each time that we hired another person, we felt like we were growing the family so it was always a really exciting time. We remained very focused on our culture and eventually started building out an employee experience team to ensure that we attracted and retained the best people (and we really did!).  
One of the biggest learnings that I had from my time at DO is around the importance of taking care of and supporting your people internally. People who are really engaged with the company and inspired by each other will build amazing things together—and they’ll create many meaningful memories and lasting relationships along the way. 
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## Retaining top talent means helping your employees learn and grow
[**Matt Hoffman**](https://m13.co/team-members/matt-hoffman/)**, M13 Partner and Head of Talent | DigitalOcean tenure:** 4 years 
DigitalOcean was the first to value people development and employee experience—and to use it as the catalyst for recruiting, performance, and retention. If you create an amazing organization where people want to work, grow, stay, and do their best work, it makes it easier to recruit great talent. (DO was awarded among the Best Places to Work in 2018, 2019, and 2020.) We all want to be part of that kind of organization. Our People team (including Marie and I) was well-recognized for helping to create a culture that developers loved, and many peer startups in NY captured our approach. Love was one of our values: “Love is what makes us great.”  
One of the things I am most proud of is how our early approach to prioritizing talent development paid off in terms of our ability to scale quickly by giving people the tools they need to be successful, resilient, and grow. I was lucky enough to have an incredible L&D team even in the early stages of our journey, and that approach was externally recognized and emulated by several other top startups since. The focus on continuous improvement, agile learning, and having a growth mindset is something we use with our portcos here at M13, and you can see examples of that in action in our [Human Capital series](https://m13.co/humancapital/). 
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## Treat your employees as well as you treat your customers
**Rob:** Don’t underestimate the link between the type of brand you represent to your customers and the type of culture you attempt to maintain internally. It would’ve been hard to build an authentic internal culture around concepts like love, community, transparency, and simplicity if these weren’t so baked into the way we interacted with our customers. It helped us attract and hire amazing people who were already aligned with this brand voice from Day One, and it meant those people were extremely passionate and vocal about maintaining these principles on the job, showing a type of ownership over these values that is incredibly rare. 
_Hear more from M13 Partners Karl Alomar, Matt Hoffman, and Rob Olson about how their experiences at DigitalOcean led them to investing in early-stage founders:_ 
‍<YoutubeVideo video="https://youtu.be/Iyi-WENVvOg"/> 
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‍ 
‍

M13 partners and employees reminisce about lessons learned from working together at DigitalOcean.

 A collage of seven M13 and DigitalOcean photos with a blue hue over all of them. 

From Building DigitalOcean to Supporting Founders at M13

Karl Alomar, Matt Hoffman, Rob Olson, Marie Sokolovsky, and Brian Carroll reminisce about working at DigitalOcean—and highlight the lessons they brought to M13.

From Building DigitalOcean to Supporting Founders at M13 | M13

 A collage of M13 and DigitalOcean photos with a blue hue over all of them. 

FromBuildingDigitalOcean thumb

A partner and head of finance at M13, Brian was the former COO at Piano Media. He previously served as CFO and advisor to various startups including Glamsquad and DigitalOcean.

Brian Carroll

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