Michael joined GV in 2010 as the venture industry’s first UX research partner. He has conducted over 275 research studies for GV startups, including Slack, One Medical, StockX, Flatiron Health, Foundation Medicine, Gusto, Bluebottle Coffee, Nest, Lime, and Uber.

As a seasoned UX researcher with over 30 years of experience, Michael has boosted conversion, tested new concepts, streamlined experts' workflows, and validated product-market fit for hundreds of startups. His work is remarkably diverse, and in any given week, he might be testing service robots in hotels, interviewing farmers about their yields, or studying how oncologists identify patients for clinical trials.

“Running a startup is a learning journey,” he says. “My goal is to help portfolio companies accelerate that learning and de-risk their decisions as they grow.”

Michael joined Google as a staff user experience researcher, where he conducted research for Gmail, led the UX research team for Google Apps, and managed Google’s UX team in Seattle. Before Google, Michael spearheaded user research at Walmart.com, helping build new online and cross-channel businesses. In a previous life, he produced educational software at Electronic Arts after starting out as an editor at The Learning Company.

Michael earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in anthropology from Stanford University. He writes about his research work for startups at medium.com/@mmargolis. His approach to user experience research was also highlighted in The New York Times bestselling book, Sprint.