About Matt
Matt joined Accel in 2024 and focuses on AI, inference, security, and software. Prior to Accel, he co-founded GoCardless (an Accel-backed company), helping build the team, product, and go-to-market from scratch and scale it into a global payments business. He later founded Nested and has been an active angel investor in companies including Cleo, Dolar, Gamma, n8n and Wayve. He started his career at McKinsey and graduated from Oxford University.
Get to know Matt
What’s your all-time favourite movie, TV show, or book?
There are so many amazing writers and filmmakers throughout history, and I wish I possessed an ounce of their artistry, but sadly I do not! If I could only read one thing, it would be Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth. I also love Tom Stoppard's writing, and Arcadia in particular. The way he intertwines physics and maths with human stories to show that the same principles that govern the physical universe also shape human lives and relationships really stayed with me and affected the way I think about the world.
What’s your go-to productivity hack?
Something is either a priority, you do it badly, or you don't do it. There are no other options. Once I understood that, everything became a lot clearer.
What’s the most impactful piece of advice you’ve received?
In my first job, we were given an inspirational talk by a senior leader of the firm. We were all setting out on our careers, and here was someone who had achieved much of what we had all hoped to. It was a brief moment, but he noted that while his career had given him a lot, it had also cost him dearly - precisely two marriages for starters. Most people laughed, but it was a level of truth we rarely see or share. Some people might have taken away something about working less, but I took away the opposite - I have to work every bit as hard at home as I do at work.
What is your most used emoji, gif, or meme?
👍 or 🙏 have both saved me (and the person on the other end) many an unnecessary response!
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