The basics you should know about me are ...
I'm Matthew, an independent strategy partner.
I work with teams to help them figure out what to do next.
I've helped organisations including LEGO, British Airways, Diageo, Klarna, the UK Government, BBC, Unilever, Penguin Books, as well as many lovely smaller businesses.
I combine strategic foresight, creative innovation and a hacker ethic - and love prototyping and making as much as seeing the big picture and finding a path through the woods.
I also run Leapers - a community supporting the mental health of the self-employed, which has helped over 75,000 people in the past four years, and creator of Manual of Me (which is what you're using now).
I'm a single parent, coffee nerd, get easily distracted, am learning Swedish, love ice-cream, the smell of basil, and run out of energy at 3pm.
My Working Hours
Tu: 07:00 - 15:00
We: 07:00 - 14:00
Th: 08:30 - 15:00
My Manual of Me now includes...
+ Custom Questions!
+ Custom Ordering of Questions
+ Custom Share URLs
+ Cover Images and Image Blocks
+ Magic Modules - including dynamic working hours.
+ and much more coming soon!
I add value to teams by …
I am a strategic hacker, I love rapidly creating little things which prove or explore something, so where most strategists are the first 20% of a project, I'm the first 30%
The brief I can work best from includes ...
An opportunity to explore something new, from a different perspective. Anything without a clear answer in mind already. A problem which really matters, and remit to do something about it!
You’ll convince me to get on board by …
Being clear about what you're expecting from me, work with me, not just tell me what to do - and be excited about the opportunity, not just farming it out to someone else.
The environments in which I thrive have …
It really depends. I need to move around every couple of hours - I like quirky comfy spaces, as well as modern light open spaces. I like having some noise around me, but also like having my headphones on. I need to be able to move from space to space to suit the mood and task I have, rather than being tied to a particular place or routine.
The best way to give me feedback is …
Honest, candidly and written, please.
I need to hear where I could improve things as well as where I've done well.
I need to understand the areas which are good enough, so I don't over-engineer the answer, and regular check-ins with me are essential to make sure I'm not wandering off the path.
I don't accept compliments well, so try to and position them as a good outcome for the project, rather than my work being good.
Beyond work, I’m really passionate about ...
I'm a big coffee nerd (actually, I'm trained as a barista, but only for my own interest), I'm a mental health advocate and run a support community which takes up much of my time. I'm a parent, and love spending time playing and learning from my kids. I'm am AFOL (Adult Fan of LEGO), and once built a replica of my office building. I also love travelling to the Nordics, particularly Stockholm, and expect I'll move there one day.