To start off the new year, some members of the Greylock team shared trends we expect to have an impact. From observations on closely-watched sectors such as AI and fintech, to the ongoing focus on how to hire top talent, and the rise of in-person meetings, here’s what we’re tracking in 2023.
Asheem Chandna
“We are still in the early innings of digital transformation and the journey to the cloud. The next phase ahead will witness the rise of new data platforms, next generation cybersecurity, and AI-enabled intelligent applications. I’m excited about our opportunity to partner with innovators to help create, build, and grow new market leaders across these domains.”
Jerry Chen
“2023 will launch the next wave of platform shifts in the enterprise. The past decade has been dominated by the shift to cloud and mobile. Now that most developers are building on these new platforms, the way we build applications will change completely. For example, AI will power the ‘systems of intelligence’ in a new generation of SaaS companies.”
Mike Duboe
“While I’ve been focused on vertical B2B marketplaces for some time now, I believe 2023 will be a breakthrough year for many of these models. For buyers and sellers, modern discovery, purchasing, workflow, and inventory management software is no longer a nice-to-have but a need-to-have, and we will see much faster speed of adoption in these models.”
Glen Evans
“Technology startups will continue to demand great people, so I don’t think employers will have all the leverage back as we move into 2023. Top talent will continue to be sought after and companies will need to be as thoughtful as ever to appeal to a prospective employee’s motivations to win the best people.”
Holly Rose Faith
“In-person meetings and interviews will matter more. We saw an uptick in the past 6 months of 2022, but 2023 will bring more in person interviews to build rapport, and help evaluate. Founders and executives, if not local, should be prepared and willing to travel. It will set those apart who are not and will play to the advantage of the executive and the company.”
Reid Hoffman
“We’re entering the era of human amplification, where we’ll see a historic acceleration in the coupling of human intelligence and technology. AI-adjacent companies like Coda, Tome, and Neeva are a compelling proof point and window into a future where AI-powered tools fuel and enhance human creativity and productivity, as well as everyday tasks and critical problem-solving. This shift will make professionals and companies more productive and inventive in every industry.”
Christine Kim
“Looking ahead, I’m eager to see more regulation in the crypto industry and excited to invest in unsolved areas of blockchain infrastructure, such as developer frameworks, analytics, composability, scalability, security, and identity.”
Saam Motamedi
“I’m excited about intelligent applications that take advantage of the advancements in generative AI to build new types of user workflows that leverage new interaction paradigms, like conversational applications for example.”
Corinne Riley
“In 2023, I’m looking at the continued proliferation of process automation for enterprise software, such as in GTM operations, finance, product and user research, as well as for IT use cases. This trend rides on the coattails of not just AI advancements, but (of equal importance) from the implementation of the modern data stack within companies, who now have the infrastructure in place to operationalize data.”
Jason Risch
“In 2023 security needs will grow as geopolitical and an expanded cloud attack surface present additional risks to enterprises, and cloud-native security companies will continue to reinvent existing security product lines. Generative AI provides a similar wedge to disrupt incumbent applications that may be slow to meaningfully incorporate functionality into user workflows.”
Seth Rosenberg
“Both crypto and traditional fintech are racing towards the same goal—where money moves freely and intelligently. While we’re still at the early innings of making this possible, applications can increasingly use advancements in API connectivity and machine learning to intelligently route money. The more we can remove psychological and operational costs from this process, the better off people and businesses will be.”
Elisa Schreiber
“We will see strong demand for flexible communications pros inside companies — gone are the days of expensive agency retainers. These internal teams will have to do more with less, managing everything from employee communications and digital engagement to reputation building and corporate storytelling.”
David Thacker
“I’m tracking three trends for the future of work: the continued rise of work platforms that allow professionals to connect with opportunities and have more flexibility over how they work; the infusion of AI into productivity applications to automate tasks, create content, organize work, and analyze data; and vertical software applications that are integrated with networks and marketplaces.”
