Mayfield Fund Tim Chang: the future lies in fun [TCTV]

Mayfield Fund is managing director Tim Chang on the idea of "quantified self", this is about the use of the latest hardware and software technologies for the detailed record of the daily habits of people hoping to keep the progressive improvement of their lives. Chang wrote a three-part series really interesting articles on quantified for TechCrunch in recent weeks, so we were satisfied, they have the opportunity to interview him tell him to listen to TechCrunch TV, a little more detail about the area and where it goes.

Can our full discussion in the video above to see, but here are some interesting points made:

Numbers alone are not sufficient. Today, many people know "quantified self" for health applications that track, for example, the amount of calories to eat every day, or how many miles you go jogging. But it is not only the actual keys in these things successfully to do good, to quantify this information-it is in the scan and pack it in an interesting way. "Ultimately not care people data." You can take care of insights, so tell me three fortune cookie can then say things that I need to focus, to do what I really, and if you can do for me. ... When you throw too much data on people and confused people. "Even if we want to think that we are ultimately not actionable and is not funny."

Chang has invested many years of start-up experience game and sees the principles of this industry as a key to the quantified, there are still really. "If quantifizierten find it with marriage itself, which is where I think, the real fun begins," said Chang. "If it's fun, caring people, you stay around and be with this kind of product". "Data are not engage itself."

This goes far beyond health and fitness. Although the quantified self, which are the roots of life hacks, Chang thinks will eventually also include move almost everything that people do – work, shopping, chat with friends, read, write, browse the Web and more.

"This notion is quantified themselves not only on health and well-being." It goes to your consumption habits, which are all websites, surf, the day of what you buy, how you on your Facebook and Twitter, bragging rights, "said Chang. These actions can measure people in all aspects of their lives on their habits to make aware of it. Also that only a BranchOut investment of 25 million dollars led professional social network in Mayfield fits into this idea, said Chang.

Quantification that others can help. Most people dig in their specific habits and interests, be more appetite for them to meet other people who share it. Chang sees now for these niche passions make a great opportunity communities on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks Pinterest gathering people.

"I'm really great vertical communities, the pop ups or interests do personas, memorandum of understanding". Because if you think about it, people are not black and white, "said Chang.We all like onions, in the sense that we have all these sub personas and levels in us. " There are a lot of interests that we have. "Their communities and have each of these interests in these interests and want to meet new people."