Brian O'Malley

In a riveting discussion, Brian O'Malley, a partner at Forerunner Ventures, dives into the current landscape of consumer investing. He highlights how to navigate the macro environment and identifies the next generation of breakthrough consumer technologies. Brian emphasizes the importance of focusing on niche markets, illustrating how they can expand unexpectedly. He also shares insights on dealing with the evolving direct-to-consumer market and underscores the significance of understanding consumer behavior in a post-pandemic world.

Brian O’Malley, founder of Tactile Ventures and longtime consumer and tech investor, explains why consumer startups are misunderstood and ripe again. He discusses how AI is moving past toys into real products. He explores incentives inside VC, why humans still matter in AI workflows, and how early-stage investors win by offering founders time and preparation.