PALO ALTO, CA — VC shop Disruption Partners now requires founders to have 100,000 TikTok followers and one dance over 2 million views before Series A. The policy, “Cultural Market Fit 2.0,” arrived after managing partner Brad Steinberg decided “revenue and user growth are so 2024.” He announced it while judging a biotech pitch and a Renegade, double-tapping a thirst trap between quarterly reports. “We invest in personal brands that pivot from B2B SaaS to influencer overnight,” Steinberg said. First to win funding: FlexSpeak, an app that auto-generates VC jargon synced to trending audio. Founder Jessica Chen, famous for “Pitch Deck Thot Walk,” turned an Olivia Rodrigo hook into “leveraging synergistic blockchain for omnichannel acquisition.” Her @StartupBaeJess account has 847,000 followers and cap-table OOTDs. Boardrooms now sport ring lights. Sequoia’s Michael Rodriguez passed on a fintech because the founder’s moves were “giving 2019 energy.” Consultants charge $10,000 to teach CEOs the Savage dance with product demos. Early metrics show a 340% awareness bump, plus a three-hour debate over whether a finance bro’s rebrand felt “authentic enough.”