Matt Hunckler is an international speaker, relationship builder, entrepreneur, and firm believer that you do not need to live in silicon valley to work and succeed in tech.
He was raised in a family of entrepreneurs, and he started his first business when he was still in high school, much to his mother’s dismay. After a brief stint trying to follow a more traditional employment path, he inevitably ended up back on the path of entrepreneurship.
Today, he is the founder and CEO of Powderkeg, a digital community for tech entrepreneurs and professionals building innovative companies in tech hubs between the coasts.
He is also the host of award-winning podcast Powderkeg: Igniting Startups, a show that shares the most fascinating stories of professional growth and innovation coming out of communities across America.
Now, let’s hack…
Matt Hunckler.
Highlights from the episode
- [4:57]: Matt explains how the biggest opportunities come down to your relationships. Networking and community are what allowed Powderkeg to come into existence, through building and nurturing the right professional relationships.
- [6:47]: “People want to do business with people. They don’t want to do business with a brand.” Matt learned this early on, when he started a company in high school that converted people’s vinyl records to CDs. Early on, he focused on learning techniques and strategies for how to deal with people.
- [10:58]: Matt had an “Aha! moment” when he realized he needed to charge based on value, rather than hours worked. Instead of doing a higher quantity of work, he started offering various upsells.
- [22:43]: Matt talks about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on his company, and on the tech industry in general. Social distancing has presented a major challenge to networking, including in smaller US cities like Indianapolis, where Matt started. He and his team have had to adapt to these changes, focusing on their virtual events and launching new software features.
Resources and links from the interview
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