He joined Quizlet from 12 years at Google, where he was most recently VP Product Management at YouTube.
Matt studied mechanical engineering at Cornell and grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
We asked him how he runs his company and his life.
My dad worked for International Trucks for 35 years.
And twenty-some years ago, that got us into good colleges and eventually steady jobs.
I joined Quizlet as CEO in spring of 2016.
What apps, software, or tools cant you live without?
I live almost entirely in the cloud.
I loveG Suite, but admit my bias having been part of the founding team who built it.
Whats your workspace setup like?
Im into minimalist efficiency, so just my laptop and a power cord plus a small notepad and pen.
I have a standing desk.
Whats your best time-saving shortcut or life hack?
I give a shot to touch things only once (e.g.
email, tasks, etc.)
I do zero-inbox, and clear out my inbox in the evening before I go to bed.
Whats your favorite to-do list manager?
I use a combination ofTickTickplus pen and paper.
What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?
What do you listen to while you work?
Got a favorite playlist?
Or do you prefer silence?
However, most of the time during the day, I prefer nothing.
I find its hard to focus and listen at the same time.
What are you currently reading?
Or whats something youd recommend?
I take a stab at read a lot of books, which is a change for me.
I tend to read a lot of non-fiction, work-related books.
How does Amazon stay in business?
she asked with full sincerity.
How do you recharge?
What do you do when you want to forget about work?
I love to ride my bike.
Exercise clears my head and is good for my soul.
Im going to complete two legs of a half Ironman this summer, which Im excited about.
Whats your sleep routine like?
Are you a night owl or early riser?
When I was 12, I had a paper route that started at 5am.
Since then, Ive been an early riser.
Fill in the blank: Id love to see _________ answer these same questions.
Kai Ryssdal
Whats the best advice youve ever received?
Finish what you start.
I didnt have to sign up for that activity (e.g.
sport, science fair, etc.)
again next go-round, but I always saw a commitment through.
