It's real simple.

They all lack the fundamental bedrock of Product.
Empathy.

The ability to begin to empathize with someone else.

To:
Co-Founders & ambitious employees
From:
Matt Quinn (2 time non technical co-founder, several startup employee and 2x corporate sell out)
Subject:
Know your limits

2 years ago now, I sat down to meet someone trying to hire me and as she enquired about a recent string of startup experiences, I welled up.

​I had a lump in my throat. I tried to explain what I felt to be an embarrassing set of experiences I had been through with some teams.

At the end of 2021 when I sat down to review my year and write my goals for the next, I felt that I was at the intersection of two major life forces.
1. I had joined a large enterprise as a consulting senior PM 3 months prior
​and
2. I was due my first child in 6 weeks

Whilst I hit all my goals for 2021 something about it all did not feel challenging.

To:
Founders, Indie hackers & ambitious employees
From:
Matt Quinn (2 time non technical co-founder, side project maniac and 2x corporate sell out)
Subject:
Put your blinders on and go get what you want
​
As I round out the end of 3 months in my new corporate role, I wanted to jot down some quick thoughts on the gravity of mediocrity that plagues our world and how important it is to fight it.

To:
Founders & ambitious employees
From:
Matt Quinn (2 time non technical co-founder, several time startup employee and 2x corporate sell out)
Subject:
In failure there is still gold to be had

​A really cringe thing but 100% true thing to say is that in failure there are things you can still gain.
​
This is what I found myself explaining to a corporate tech lifer over a coffee in December - who had by his account, never taken a risk nor experienced the stress of failure or decline.

To: Solo founders, those looking for cofounders & non techies looking to co-found a company
From: Matt Quinn (2 time non technical co-founder, ACA)
Subject: RE: Found with the right team

To: Product People, The Powers That Be
CC: Anyone who cares
From: Matt Quinn (Head of Product, Dual Citizen, Lived in 8 major cities so far)
​Subject: RE: Does the world need more product managers?

To: World
CC: Founders with chips on their shoulders who feel that nothing they do is enough
From: Matt Quinn (2x founder, 1 exit, several side project - overly empathetic person)
Subject: I think I had a break through

My family is slowly catching on that we can enjoy activities online - together

On Saturday we watched an art class on zoom (from YouTube) and everyone had bought paints before hand.

Costumes were involved. The outcome was fantastic, fun and affordable