Investment Memo: MyStandard

Sep 7, 2025

Investment Memo: MyStandard (MYST)
Prepared for Iron Key Investment Committee

1. Executive Summary

MyStandard is pioneering the world’s first blockchain-secured, incentivized data marketplace for hiring humans and AI agents. Founded in 2021, the platform addresses critical gaps in global hiring markets by empowering users to own, validate, and monetize their data while enabling companies to access talent efficiently. With a focus on high-unemployment regions like South America (6-9% unemployment), MyStandard leverages blockchain adoption and AI growth to disrupt the $130B hiring industry. Key highlights:

  • Revenue Model: 20% fee on data requests, subscriptions, and token-based value flow.

  • TAM: $130B natural data market and $4B AI Agent Market in 2025 to 150B and $139B in 2033, respectively

  • Roadmap: Scalable product launches, global expansion, and tokenization.

  • Team: Seasoned executives from IBM, Republic, and blockchain ecosystems.

Investment Ask: $1M SAFE to accelerate product development, international expansion, and market penetration.


Problem & Solution

Problem:

  1. Data Exploitation: Web2 platforms profit from user data ($1T+ annually) without compensating users.

  2. Hiring Inefficiency: Companies overpay for incomplete data and struggle with AI agent integration.

  3. Trust Gaps: No scalable way to validate AI agents or human candidates.

Solution:

  • User-Centric Marketplace: Users earn MYST tokens for sharing/validating data (5–6 minute onboarding).

  • AI Agent Integration: MYST AI vets, scores, and presents reliable AI agents to companies.

  • Blockchain Security: Avalanche ensures tamper-proof credentialing (partnering with Chainlink).


Market Opportunity

  • TAM: $130B natural data market and $4B AI Agent Market in 2025 to 150B and $139B in 2033, respectively

  • SAM: $20B+ in blockchain-enabled HR tech and AI hiring solutions.

  • Growth Drivers:

    • AI Adoption: 34x growth in AI agent hiring (2025–2033).

    • Token Incentives: MYST drives engagement via staking, payments, and governance.

    • First-Mover Edge: No competitors combine human + AI agent hiring with user-owned data.


Team & Advisors

Core Team:

  • Adam Zec (CEO): 15+ years in HR tech (CareerBuilder.com, Talent Tech Labs).

  • Olu Okiwande (CTO): Built 40+ web2/web3 apps; AI/blockchain expert.

  • Joshua Sklut (CFO): 22 years in recruiting; co-founded Voice/Lab49.

  • Carol Gordon (Board): SVP of HR at IBM, advising on enterprise adoption.

Advisors:

  • Chainlink Ambassadors (Zach Rynes) + Avalanche ecosystem leads (Dave Donnenfeld).

  • Industry Veterans: Diana Pires (ex-Crypto.com), Sean Horton (logistics BD), and risk strategists.

Investors: Winklevoss Capital, Republic, Ava Labs, Gaingels.


Product & Traction

Product Roadmap:

  • 2025:

    • Launch niche applicant marketplaces for commercial truck drivers and Web3 professionals

    • Launch AI Hiring Market MVP and credentialing via Chainlink.

    • List MYST on 3+ chains and 2+ centralized exchanges (CEXs).

  • 2026:

    • Expand into medical records, real estate, and advertising data markets.

    • Target 5+ international markets with tokenized incentives.

  • 2027:

    • Release MyStandard SDK for community-built data apps.

Traction:

  • Ecosystem: Partnerships with IBM (HR testing), Lightcast (APIs), and Fireblocks (wallet infra).

  • Targets: 150,000+ users and 4+ data markets (talent, AI, credentialing, consumer research) by 2027.


Financials & Valuation

  • Current Valuation: $35.8M FDV (post-private round).

  • Revenue Streams:

    • 20% fee on data requests + AI agent revenue sharing.

    • Subscription packages for enterprises ($3M+ projected by 2027).

  • Use of Proceeds:

    • 40%: AI/blockchain product development.

    • 30%: Global sales/marketing (North America, Europe, Asia).

    • 20%: Token liquidity and staking incentives.

    • 10%: Operational scaling (3x team growth).


Risks & Mitigation

  1. AI Adoption Lag: Slow enterprise uptake of AI agents.
    Mitigation: Leverage IBM partnership for enterprise pilot programs.

  2. Regulatory Complexity: Varying crypto laws across markets.
    Mitigation: Focus initially on crypto-friendly regions (USA, Asia).

  3. User Acquisition: Competing with LinkedIn’s network effects.
    Mitigation: Simplify onboarding (“notification battle” strategy) and emphasize MYST earnings.


Investment Thesis

  1. Market Leadership: Only platform bridging human + AI hiring with user-owned data.

  2. Token Utility: MYST fuels ecosystem growth (staking, governance, payments).

  3. Global Scalability: Modular architecture supports expansion into adjacent data markets (e.g., medical, real estate).

  4. Proven Team: Deep HR tech, blockchain, and enterprise sales expertise.

Return Potential: 10x+ upside achievable by capturing 2% of SAM ($400M) by 2030.


Recommendation

Approve investment in MyStandard. The platform’s unique positioning in the AI-agent hiring boom, robust tokenomics, and partnerships with industry leaders (IBM, Avalanche) de-risk growth. Revenue diversification and a 150,000-user base target by 2027 provide clear milestones for scalability.

Revenue Model for 10 years

Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy for MyStandard
 Focusing on CDL Trucking & Web3 Professionals

Chart


1. Overview & Objectives

  1. Product & Platform: MyStandard is an incentivized data marketplace with an initial focus on the recruiting market. Users store their professional data, and organizations purchase access via $MYST tokens, rewarding users for sharing (and validating) their data.

  2. Target Segments:

    • CDL Trucking: A high-demand sector with chronic driver shortages. Companies and recruiters constantly seek qualified and validated talent.

    • Web3 Professionals: A rapidly growing but still niche sector, with many workers open to decentralized solutions and token incentives.

  3. Goals:

    • User Acquisition: Increase the number of CDL drivers and Web3 talent profiles on MyStandard.

    • Employer/Client Acquisition: Onboard trucking companies, logistics firms, recruiters, and Web3-focused employers.

    • Token Adoption: Drive $MYST token utility (data sharing, data validation, staking).

    • Brand Awareness: Position MyStandard as the go-to decentralized recruiting/data-sharing platform in these verticals.


2. Value Proposition Per Segment

A. CDL Trucking

  1. Instant Access to Better Opportunities

    • Pain Point: Drivers spend hours on job boards (Indeed, Monster, etc.), filling out multiple applications, often missing the best-paying or most flexible opportunities.

    • Solution: MyStandard aggregates job requests in one place. Drivers can instantly respond to an employer’s request for data with a single tap.

  2. Ownership & Profit from Their Data

    • Pain Point: Drivers’ resumes and personal data are sold by agencies without any benefit going back to the drivers.

    • Solution: Drivers receive $MYST token rewards whenever their data is accessed or validated, creating an additional income stream.

  3. Comprehensive Profile & Validation

    • Pain Point: Repetitive background checks, duplicated license validations, drug tests.

    • Solution: MyStandard’s verified profile (license, endorsements, credentials, background checks) eliminates repetitive tasks and accelerates hiring.

B. Web3 Professionals

  1. Decentralized Ownership of Professional Data

    • Pain Point: Blockchain developers, token economists, and community managers want solutions aligned with their Web3 ethos—privacy, ownership, and decentralization.

    • Solution: MyStandard aligns with these values by giving talent direct control and tokenized rewards.

  2. Curated Opportunities in a Specialized Niche

    • Pain Point: Traditional job boards don’t cater to Web3 roles or involve a tedious, duplicative process.

    • Solution: Niche job requests from verified Web3 startups, DAOs, and enterprises come directly to them, with instant data-sharing.

  3. Network & Governance Participation

    • Pain Point: Web3 professionals want to be part of token-powered ecosystems with real utility.

    • Solution: MyStandard’s token usage (staking, governance, data validation) resonates with a Web3-savvy user base eager to participate.


3. Key Messaging & Positioning

  • “Own Your Data. Earn from It.”

  • “Never Miss a Better Opportunity—Get Rewarded for Simply Being You.”

  • “Join the Web3 Talent Network that Pays You to Share Your Credentials.”

  • “Empower Truckers to Control Their Data and Earn Tokens for Every Data Request.”

Messaging Consistency:

  • Use straightforward language and visuals that resonate with each audience.

  • Avoid overly technical jargon when marketing to CDL drivers—emphasize ease of use and tangible financial benefits.

  • Leverage more Web3-native language and community engagement for Web3 professionals.


4. Acquisition & Growth Strategy

A. CDL Trucking Acquisition

  1. Partnerships with Trucking Associations & Fleets

    • Strategy: Identify state and regional trucking associations (e.g., American Trucking Associations, regional chapters) to offer a unique perk: “Use MyStandard for seamless job matching and data control.”

    • Execution:

      • Co-branded webinars or workshops on ‘Digital Identity for Truckers’.

      • Offer association membership incentives (discount on background checks, free first month of MyStandard premium features, etc.).

  2. Direct Outreach to Trucking Companies / Recruiters

    • Value: Access to a verified candidate pool.

    • Tactic: Create a “MyStandard Verified CDL” campaign where recruiters can quickly verify a driver’s credentials.

    • Incentive: Free or subsidized background validation for new corporate sign-ups during initial pilot period.

  3. Referral & Ambassador Program

    • Strategy: Hire or partner with influential drivers and trucking YouTubers/Instagrammers.

    • Execution:

      • Provide them early access to the app.

      • Offer token-based referral bonuses for every new driver sign-up.

      • Launch a ‘Trucker Champion’ contest, where the top referrers earn premium token rewards or partner merchandise.

  4. Events & Conferences

    • Focus: Attendance or sponsorship at major trucking conferences (e.g., Mid-America Trucking Show, Great American Trucking Show).

    • Booth & Demo: Showcase how easy it is for drivers to share their background with a single tap—and get rewarded in $MYST.

B. Web3 Professionals Acquisition

  1. Partnerships with Web3 Communities & DAOs

    • Strategy: MyStandard can integrate or partner with DAOs that handle talent (e.g., developer collectives, designer DAOs, etc.).

    • Benefit: DAOs can request data from MyStandard’s user pool, paying in $MYST, with the community reaping governance and staking benefits.

    • Incentive: Offer discounted or bonus token packages for DAOs that onboard a certain number of members.

  2. Influencer & Content Marketing

    • Strategy: Identify top-tier Web3 influencers (Twitter, YouTube, TikTok).

    • Content: AMAs, Twitter Spaces, and educational threads about earning tokens by controlling your own data.

    • Highlight: The synergy of MyStandard with Chainlink (for credential verification), Avalanche (fast mainnet adoption), and other leading partners.

  3. Hackathons & Developer Bounties

    • Strategy: Sponsor hackathons or developer challenges. E.g., “Build a MyStandard dApp integration,” with winners receiving $MYST.

    • Outcome: Deeper developer adoption and brand awareness among Web3 engineers.

  4. Conferences & Roadshows

    • Focus: EthDenver, NFT NYC, DevCon, or Avalanche Summit.

    • Tactic: Offer a live product demo, explaining how professionals can store credentials, get verified, and share data for token rewards.


5. Employer & Client Acquisition

To drive real value, you need company buy-in—especially from recruiters and HR teams.

  1. Pilot Programs

    • Approach: Offer pilot programs to 3–5 trucking companies and 3–5 Web3 startups/DAOs at no token cost for the first month.

    • Goal: Collect success stories, gather feedback, refine the user & company onboarding flow.

  2. Integration with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

    • Trucking: Explore integrations with specialized trucking ATS solutions (e.g., Tenstreet) to make MyStandard data requests frictionless.

    • Web3: Partner with Web3 job listing portals for direct data requests.

  3. Value-Added Services

    • Validated Database: Offer “premium-tier verified candidates” where backgrounds (CDL license, endorsements, portfolio, etc.) are pre-checked via MyStandard.

    • Branding & Employer Profile: Showcase employers on MyStandard’s platform, allowing them to highlight culture, benefits, and open roles.

  4. Token Utility for Employers

    • Emphasize how employers can’t sell $MYST tokens—only use them to request validated data.

    • Encourages long-term token demand and fosters a recurring buy-in mechanism.


6. Marketing Channels & Tactics

  1. Digital Advertising

    • Trucking: Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram targeting truck drivers, YouTube ads on popular trucking channels, radio ads on trucking podcasts.

    • Web3: Twitter ads for crypto keywords, sponsor key newsletters (e.g., The Defiant, Bankless).

  2. Social Media & Community

    • Trucking: Dedicated Facebook Groups, YouTube trucker communities.

    • Web3: Twitter Spaces, Telegram, Discord servers.

    • Emphasize: Brief tutorial videos (“How to share your data in one tap!”).

  3. Email & CRM Campaigns

    • Segment waitlist (13,000+ globally) by geography and profession to share relevant job or partner updates.

    • Send push notifications on the mobile app showcasing new features or job requests.

  4. Content & Thought Leadership

    • Articles & Blogs:

      • On LinkedIn (for broader professional reach).

      • On Medium (Web3 community).

    • Key Topics: “The Future of Recruitment & Data Ownership,” “Why Truckers Deserve to Monetize Their Data,” “How Web3 Principles Transform Talent Acquisition.”

  5. Referral & Reward Mechanics

    • Offer double token rewards for first-time data shares to stimulate early adoption.

    • “Refer a friend, earn additional $MYST”: Build a viral loop where every new sign-up can quickly bring in more.


7. KPIs & Success Metrics

  1. User Acquisition & Retention

    • Monthly new sign-ups (CDL drivers, Web3 professionals).

    • Activity rate: % of profiles that shared data at least once per month.

  2. Employer Engagement

    • Number of active employer accounts.

    • Conversion rate from pilot to paid accounts.

    • Average monthly data requests per employer.

  3. Token Economy Metrics

    • $MYST circulating supply vs. usage for data requests.

    • Staking participation & “soft governance” engagement.

    • Token velocity (how often tokens move from companies to users and back).

  4. Data Quality & Validation

    • Time-to-validate for backgrounds, credentials.

    • % of data requests fulfilled successfully.

  5. Revenue / Token Spend

    • Transaction volume in $MYST for data requests.

    • Growth of marketplace revenue from employer subscription fees / top-ups.


8. Implementation Timeline

  1. Phase 1 (Months 1–3):

    • CDL Trucking Pilot: Identify 2–3 trucking companies for pilot.

    • Web3 Pilot: Partner with 1–2 DAOs or Web3 startups.

    • Referral Program Launch: Target influencers in trucking & Web3.

    • Initial Social & Content: Publish articles, set up ad campaigns.

  2. Phase 2 (Months 3–6):

    • App Updates & ATS Integrations (Trucking + select Web3 job boards).

    • Conferences & Roadshows: Attend trucking shows, sponsor a Web3 hackathon.

    • Scale Employer Onboarding: Expand pilot program success stories, close deals with mid-sized trucking fleets.

    • Double Down on Influencers: Provide more advanced referral rewards.

  3. Phase 3 (Months 6–12):

    • Broad Market Launch: Full marketing push across digital channels.

    • Layer-1 & Credentialing Partnerships: Formalizing with Chainlink, and Avalanche for advanced user credentialing, University degrees, etc.

    • Expand Use Cases: Medical records, instant background/credit checks.

    • Enterprise Partnerships: Larger staffing agencies, big logistic carriers, and major Web3 projects.


9. Budgetary Considerations

  1. Marketing & Advertising:

    • Allocate 40% to digital (social, search, and influencer sponsorships).

    • 20% to events (conference sponsorships, booths, travel).

  2. Incentives & Rewards:

    • Reserve a portion of $MYST treasury for pilot campaigns, referral bonuses, and employer adoption.

  3. Partnership & Integrations:

    • Cost for building ATS connectors or integrating with specialized trucking software.

  4. Community Management:

    • Budget for dedicated community managers (for both trucking groups and crypto communities).


10. Risk Mitigation & Contingencies

  1. Adoption Hurdles

    • Trucking: Many drivers are less tech-savvy, so emphasize mobile-friendly user experience and create short how-to videos.

    • Web3: Users might be skeptical or “fatigued” by new tokens. Emphasize real utility (data marketplace is not just speculative).

  2. Regulatory Compliance

    • Ongoing collaboration with legal counsel (General Counsel & Board) to comply with USA data privacy and token regulations.

    • Maintain clear disclaimers and user consent for data sharing.

  3. Token Volatility

    • Since companies can’t sell tokens, they must buy them on the market. Stabilization mechanisms (e.g., an internal treasury for short-term bridging) may be needed if token volatility is high.

  4. Competition

    • LinkedIn, Indeed, and Monster, staffing agencies have entrenched positions. Focus on the incentive difference and the frictionless data-sharing that legacy solutions can’t match.


11. Conclusion & Strategic Impact

By targeting CDL Trucking and Web3 Professionals concurrently, MyStandard can:

  • Prove its robust data-sharing model in two vastly different but highly engaged niches.

  • Showcase the $MYST token utility and create powerful case studies.

  • Build a high-quality user base that draws in employers looking for validated talent.

  • Achieve a network effect where more companies attract more users, and more user data availability attracts more companies.

This GTM plan leverages partnerships, incentives, and community-driven marketing to make MyStandard the leading decentralized data marketplace for recruiting—setting the stage for future expansions into medical records, consumer research, advertising, and beyond.