Own Your Personal Data

Share who you are, what you want, and let companies come to you.

Author

Scott Shelton
June 18, 2025

What if the most valuable thing you can offer the market… is your honesty?

Every time you say what you want, like, need, or hope for, you're generating something powerful: self-reported data.

This isn’t a breadcrumb trail. It’s a beacon. A signal. A statement.

And when you own that signal, everything changes.

Right now, most of your digital profile is built without you—using what you clicked, hovered on, or bought. But what if the future flipped the model?

In The Intention Economy, author Doc Searls envisions a world where demand leads. He calls it VRM (Vendor Relationship Management)—the reciprocal of CRM (Customer Relationship Management).

Instead of companies managing customers, you manage how and when companies reach you. It’s opt-in. Transparent. Empowering. And we’re building it at Understand Demand.

3 Reasons to Own Your Self-Reported Data

1. You become an active participant, not a passive profile.
You’re not just being targeted—you’re inviting the right companies to reach you.

“I’d buy more skincare products if they offered fragrance-free options with sustainable packaging.”

“I like these jeans, but wish they had bigger pockets.”

“I love Starbucks coffee, but wish there were cheaper options.”


Those are signals you can send to companies who are listening, and gold mines of opportunity for entrepreneurs.

2. You gain leverage in the market.
When a brand wants insights from people like you, you choose whether to share. You shouldn’t have to wait for a survey invitation or call customer service to make your voice heard. You should be able to signal who you are and what you want at any time and let companies come to you, on your terms.

3. You remove guesswork.
You deserve better than creepy algorithms trying to predict what you want. There’s no need for companies to stalk your Internet browsing history, or purchase third-party consumer data about you behind your back that may or may not be accurate. You can simply tell the world what you want with the click of a button and choose who can hear it. When people are empowered to be heard, better products and service follow.

Want to start owning your voice and your data? Click Subscribe and join our journey. We would love to hear from you!

What you have to say is valuable.

Scott Shelton