Venture with Grace Natalie Dillon, Maveron Partner on Consumer Trends, Brands & Founders
Nov 8, 2025
Natalie Dillon, a Partner at Maveron and former financial analyst with deep expertise in consumer trends, dives into the evolving landscape of brands and startups. She offers advice on achieving product-market fit and the importance of building consumer trust. The conversation explores how AI is reshaping consumer experiences and backend operations, along with the impact of social media platforms like TikTok on e-commerce. Natalie also shares insights on food and beverage trends, influencer strategies, and the significance of community-building for founders.
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Episode notes
Path Into Consumer Venture
- Natalie describes moving from Goldman Sachs to SVB and then into venture, learning by doing and hosting events at night.
- She joined Susa as their first non-partner hire and later moved to Maveron to focus on consumer investing.
Start Narrow, Build Trust
- Brands win by starting narrow and building trust with a product that sits between familiar and unique.
- Product-led approaches often scale more reliably than single-influencer distribution plays.
Be Thematic And Preemptive In Sourcing
- Use a thematic, thesis-driven sourcing approach to move quickly and target a narrow strike zone.
- Reach out preemptively and map patterns by speaking to many operators in a sector before rounds close.
