The Pattern, Known for Its “Scarily Accurate” Approach to ...

Lisa Donovan, who forged her career as YouTube's LisaNova and a cofounder of Maker Studios, has been the app's under-the-radar creator for ... SkiptomaincontentPoliticsBusinessHollywoodStyleCultureRoyalsCelebrityNewsletterVideoArchiveVFStoreVFLondonMagazineInFebruaryoflastyear,YouTubecelebratedits15thanniversary.AblogpostfromCEOSusanWojcickilaidoutafewmarqueemilestones,includingthestatisticthat500hoursofnewvideo—enoughtofill20uninterrupteddays—areuploadedeveryminute.Bycontrast,thedawnoftheplatform,whichlaunchedapublicbetainMay2005,wasunchartedterritory,asLisaDonovanexplainsinaZoomconversationfromLondon.“NobodyknewwhatYouTubewas.PeoplethoughtIwasmakingpornorsomething,”shejokesoftheinitialskepticism.“Friendswerelike,‘Mybrothersaidhesawyou,maybe,insomeweirdvideo?’” Donovan,40,wearingacreamsweaterandthehealthyglowofagoodskin-careregimen,letsoutalaugh.“Iwaslike,‘It’sathing,it’sathing!You’llsee—it’llmakesensesomeday.’Butthesitewasincredible.Youcouldjustseewhatitwasgoingtobe.”TheyoungYouTuberhadattemptedtoregisterherownname,but“LisaDonovan”wasalreadytaken.“Iwaslike,"Oh,gosh.WhatdoIcallthis,then?”sherecalls.“Imean,ourcargrowingupwasaChevyNova."WordslikeCasanovaandsupernovaalsofloatedtomind.Sosheexcisedafewlettersfromhersurnameandusheredanewalter-egointotheworld:LisaNova. Adigitalstarwasborn.Thesteadystreamofparodyvideos—intherotatingguisesofSarahPalin,spray-tannedJerseyfiancée,LadyGagamid-makeuptutorial—madeheranearlytrailblazerontheplatform.In2006,sheearnedaspotonMadtv,andthreeyearslatershecofoundedMakerStudios,withaplantocorralnewtalentandrakeinbillionsofviews.Butpresent-dayDonovanintheZoomscreen—LisaNovawithouttheheavyeyeliner—hasadifferentsetofstarsinhersights.Sinceasoftlaunchin2017,DonovanhasbeentheenginebehindThePattern,anappalgorithmicallytiedtoastrologybutstrippedofitspolarizingverbiage:sunsigns,planets,“Mercuryinretrograde.”Instead,thedailypromptsandassessmentsseemtopeer,withanon-judgyX-rayvision,intothedustiercornersofthepsyche.Somepeople,likeIssaRae,taketheinsightsinstride.Others,likeChanningTatuminaviral2019video,areleftshoutingintothevoid:“YouneedtoDMmerightnowandtellmehowyouknowthisstuff!Idon’tevenknowifIwanttoknowthisstuff.”ForDonovan,thatkindofmirroringbacktoselfliesattheheartofThePattern.“Everybodywantstofeelseenandheardandbegivenacertainkindofattention,acknowledgment,fortheirexistenceinthislife.YouknowwhatImean?”shesays.It’sabitofatwist,tohearthisfromawoman—oncesovisibleinherwork—whohasplayedtheunseenwizardbehindthiscurtain:writingthesite’sintrospectiveprosepoemsandlargelyself-fundingitsexecution.(London-basedSweetCapitalsuppliedseedmoneyinmid-2019.) “IthinkofmyselfasmoreliketheshepherdofThePattern,theprotectorofThePattern—@motherofpatternsismyInstagram,”saysDonovan,makingmewonderifthere’saDaenerysTargaryenspoofvideooutthere.“Ifeelasenseofresponsibilitytothisbecauseit'sadifferentkindofproduct.It'snotlikejustsellingashampoo,”shesays,soundingatoncewhollysincereandlikeaconvincingpitchwomanfora21st-centurymental-housekeepingtool.“It'semotionalanditimpactspeopleandit'spowerful.Youcan't,forlackofabetterword,fuckaroundwiththat.”It’shardtoimagineafacetofdigitallifethatdidn’texperienceapandemicboost.Video-conferenceplatformsboomedandthen,inanequalandoppositereaction,suckedtheairoutofourworkdays.Podcastsandalgorithm-generatedplaylistsfilledeverywakingmomentwitheruditionandsound.Evenintheisolatingperiodoflockdowns,datingappssurged—supplyartificiallylow,demandachinglyhigh. ThePattern,too,caughtthatwave.Theapp,whichrecentlycrossedthethresholdof15milliongeneratedprofiles,isaccustomedtoseeinganatural,steadyrise.“Ourusersareverygoodatgettingusmoreusers,”sayschiefgrowthofficerAlanFungoftheword-of-mouthspread.(Thecompanyhas,uptillnow,foregonePRandmarketing.)Butoverthecourseof2020,timespentintheappdoubled,aspeoplegraspedforasoundingboard.ThePattern’stoolforcomparingtwousers’compatibility,orbond,hasalsoseena150%rise.“Ikindafeelit’sbeenprogrammedtoaidinCOVID-eralifesupport,”afriendandPatternuserwrotemeinaDM.Afewdayslater,mydailyPattern—bite-sizepronouncementsdeliveredineightorsoswipes—hadmeathello:“Youenjoyconnectingemotionallyaslongasyoucankeepyourcriticaldistanceandobjectivity.” Whatiftheappaboutself-awarenessweretoedgefurtherintothatmaelstromofrelationships?That’swhatThePatternisnowtestingout,withabetafunctioncalledConnect,rollingoutinCaliforniathisweek,withmoreregionstofollow.“Usershavebeenaskingforitfromdayone,butIwasveryhesitanttodoitbecauseIdidn’twantustobepigeon-holedasadatingapp,”saysDonovan.“Thewayastrologyisdivisive,soisdating,andthis,tome,isanappforeverybody.” Connectbuildsuponmonetizedadd-onsthatarrivedlastfall.(Thecompanytakespainstonotethat“wearenotinthebusinessofsellingourusers’personaldata.”)Inadditiontotheacross-the-boardofferings—everyonehasaccesstoYourPattern,YourTiming,andWorldTiming,forasenseofbigger-pictureshiftsthatrefreshinglyhavenothingtodowithapandemic—therearesubsequentwaystoengage.AGoDeepersubscription($15quarterly)allowsausertoexplorepeople’spatternsandtorununlimitedbonds,beyondthethree-per-daylimit.Thosecross-referencedconnections,whichfallintooneofsixqualitativedesignations—Soulmate,Extraordinary,Powerful,Meaningful,Complex,Delicate,orChallenging—areapointofdifferentiationfromtheswipe-centricapps.Youcanthinkofacertainbondasapremonition,ifyou’rethetypetoleanhardintothealgorithm.Orconsideritabreezyweatherreportaheadofawalkoutside.Maybeit’sjustasidedoorintoaconversation,bypassingtheformalliving-roomintroductionsandheadingstraightfortheconfessional-stylekitchenbanter.ThePattern'snewConnectfeatureshowsthequalityofthebondbetweentwousers—includingtherareSoulmatedesignation. “Ifeellikepeoplearehungryforsomethingdeepernow,”Donovansays,speakingasmuchforthosewithserialswipefatigueasforthosestumblingoutoftheCOVIDdesert,disorientedandthirsty.Withthatinmind,thedatingarmofThePatternhasitsextrawaysofflaggingpeople’sattention.DonovancallsoutafeaturecalledSuperConnect,inwhichanaspiringmatchcanpaytopre-runabond,withtheideaof,say,signalingSoulmatestatus.(ItmakesmethinkofpaidadssittinghigherinGooglesearchrankings,thoughDonovanseesitasanopportunityforsomeonetocutthroughthenoise,particularlywhenwomenareinundatedwithinterest.Thatseemslikelytohappen,withthePatternuserbasecurrentlyskewing75%female.)Ofcourse,theconfluenceofdatingandastrologyalreadyfeelspreordained.It’srightthere,inMegStalter’srecentbitaboutBillGates’sfirstdateafterhisdivorce:“OhmyGod,youworkincomputers?Ihavealaptop!What’syoursign?”Thatquestionusuallyarrivesoveranawkwarddrinkanyhow—butmaybethestarscanmorespeedilypavethewaytoone.It’sadmittedlystrangetohaveawindingconversationaboutonlinedatingbetweentwopeoplewhohaveneverdoneit.Icancreditmygeneraldiscomfortwithselfiesandbeingondisplay.Donovanpointstoherrecentlong-termrelationship:withThePatternitself.Butinametasense,allhertalkaboutastrologyprovesapoint.It’sawayofbeeliningtotheemotionalcore. Unusualforatech-industryCEO,Donovancomesacrossaspoisedbutunguarded—someonefamiliarwithherownvulnerabilitiesandstrengthsinthesamewayoneknowswherelightswitchesareinthedark.Whenaskedifherrootsinastrologysprangfromahippiechildhood,sheshrugsitoff,describingathreadofpracticalityrunningthroughthefamily’sWestchester,NewYork,home.Herolderbrother,BenDonovan,anearlycollaboratoronherYouTubevideosandafellowcofounderatMakerStudios,describesacreativehouseholdtomeoverthephone.“Mymomisanartistandapainter.Sheactuallydidalogofortheapp,”hesaysoftheswirlingbrushstrokeicon.Andwhiletheirfathermadedocumentariesinhissparetime,hesettledintoweddingphotographygrudgingly,asameansofmakingmoney.“MybrotherandIwerehisassistants—Iwenttohundredsofweddings,”saysLisaofthehigh-stress,high-price-tagaffairs.“Myfatherwasacharacterandhe’dconstantlybelike,‘A$10,000cake—isitlove?Itisnotlove.’”Toexplainhowastrologyentersthescene,DonovanrewindstoarockyperiodatMakerStudios.It’sawindingsaga,withthevertiginousstakesthatcomewith400-plusemployeesandinvestorsonthehook;acloselywatchedacquisitionbyDisneyletthetwosiblingscashoutandpartwayswiththecompany.Somuchchangedinablur.Itwasatthatmoment,emptied-outandopen-minded,thatafriendmentionedaEuropeanastrologer,andDonovantrackeddowntheman'snumber.“Ihadthisreading,anditblewmymindbecauseitwasapsychologicalbreakdownofwhoIwas,”sherecalls.Histechniquewasn’taboutpredictions;insteaditofferedaframeworkforunderstanding.“Iamsomebodywhoisveryanalytical,soinacertainwaythisisaprocessofmakingsenseoftheirrational—theemotions.”Donovanembarkedonanapprenticeshipviaprotractedoverseasphonecalls.Whenherfatherfellsick,shereturnedtoherchildhoodbedroomandbeganwritingtherabbit-holetextsthatbecameThePattern:“10hoursaday—wakeup,write,eatdinnerwithMom,watchJohnnyCarsonreruns,backtobed,doitagain,”Donovansaysofherslideintosomethingbetweenobsessionandresurrection.WhenThePatterncametofruition,peoplelikeherbrothersawitasanuncannydistillation,evenifherauthorshipwentuncredited.“She'ssuperintelligent,superdetermined,andreallyempathetic,”Bensays.“It'salmostlikesheistheapp.Theappisher.” Atwhatpointdoesthepersonalbecomeuniversal?Canaprocessofself-healingforthecreatorfilterdownviaalgorithmtoapopulationincreasinglyattunedtoastrologybutalsoever-waryofbullshit?“Ithinkalotofpeopledon’trealizethis,butThePatternisoneofthebestinmass-scalepersonalizationtoolsoutthere,”saysFung,thechiefgrowthofficer,formerlyofCandyCrush(aresumethatsuggestsscaleandaddictivepotential).“[ThePattern]isknownforbeingscarilyaccurate.Scarilyisthemost-usedword.” ButwhatkeepsDonovan’scollaboratorsintheroom—andtheapp’scommunityloggedin—aredescriptorslike“vulnerable”and“empathetic,”whicharen’tusuallytopofmindforCEOsgearingupforglobalexpansion.PippaLamb—apartneratSweetCapitalwhofellfortheappbychanceinearly2019,sixmonthsaheadofaproperintroductionandsubsequentinvestment—callsoutDonovan’sraremixofemotionalintelligenceandclear-eyedabilitytoexecute.Donovan’sexample,inaway,spellsoutwherethecompany’ssightsaretrained:onworkrelationships,parent-childconnections,friendships.“Ijustthinkthattherehasbeenafundamentalshiftinawaythatmillennials,GenZ—butactuallyeveryone—interactswiththeirownpersonaldevelopment,”saysLamb.“EvenintheUSalone,theself-developmentindustryisworth$11billion.” Donovanusedtohaveashorthandfortheapp:“Idon'tliketosayitnow,butlikea‘Facebookforthesoul,’”shesays,withanimpliedpinchofthenose.“Thisisforpeoplewhoareseekingandsearchingandwantingtobemorevulnerableandheart-openandconnectinadeeperway."Wheretheappgoes,we’llhavetosee.Butinthemeantime,myboyfriendsendsatextonhiswayhomefromwork:“ThePatterntoldmeIshouldtakeanicebathbecausethenewmoonisinTaurus.”Whocanarguewiththat?MoreGreatStoriesFromVanityFair—AnIntimateViewofaYoungQueenElizabethII—TheSacklersLaunchedOxyContin.EveryoneKnowsItNow.—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