I have been around data my entire career. In the early days, it was about using small volumes of data to cross-sell to consumers. Today, it’s about teasing out the nuances and relationships in massive amounts of data.

Often, when I’m talking to people who are just beginning to understand the power of data, I find myself expressing my amazement that data still provides so many rich opportunities to gain insights. I would have thought that by now — 20 years into my life around data — that all signaling value would have been extracted. This is clearly not the case, and it still feels today like we’ve only just scratched the surface.

One lesson I have learned is that creating a sustainable pool of data isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it proposition. You need to constantly feed it new information. You need to monitor it for PII to protect the people and companies that entrust us with the data. It’s a constant give-and-take between getting good data and the tech giants like Google who want to control all data. Our 10 years of experience working with Cogo Labs has taught us how to do this well.

A second lesson is that it’s critical to be clear about the purpose of data. It is so tempting to dive too deeply into in opportunities that turn out to be small impact ideas. It is so easy to work with outside firms who want this asset and the insight. 

This is why I have chosen to focus our use of Cogo Labs data on Vestigo Ventures for FinTech and all areas related to Link Ventures. Staying focused pays off when it ensures we have the resources needed to do an effective job for the companies we are committed to support.

Dave Blundin
General Partner