Matt Galligan
Hey everyone, I'm Matt Galligan (or just MG)! I'm really excited for you all to join us on our journey in building XMTP!
Here's a pic of my son Nash and I during one of our favorite activities—hiking:
About me​
What will you be doing at XMTP?​
Building the team, ensuring we have the capital we need, developing the vision, and all around supporting everyone else!
Where are you currently based?​
Easton, PA
My neighborhood is pretty suburban, but we've got some really nice greenery and a creek nearby. This is what I like to walk along just about every day:
I'm west of New York City by about 90 minutes, and north of Philly by about the same. Only about 15 minutes from the Appalachian Trail!
What's your primary time zone?​
UTC–05:00 (ET)
Where did you grow up?​
Central, Illinois…specifically a town called Williamsville.
It was a 1,000 person town in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by cornfields. Our only claim to fame was that Route 66 passed right through it.
What does your household look like?​
My son Nash lives with my about half the time, so he's probably running around like a mad man sometimes!
What keeps you energized?​
New ideas, exercise, and a whole hell of a lot of coffee.
Anything else you'd like to share about yourself?​
I'm always trying out new things, and collecting hobbies
But my big ones are: music (listening to and playing guitar), coffee, craft beer, gadgets
And of course, making burgers:
Work preferences​
Where on the spectrum of introvert to extrovert would you place yourself?​
Extroverted
What's your preferred way to receive feedback, in terms of speed?​
Right away, Please let me know later in the day, when I've got open time
What's your preferred way to receive feedback, in terms of format?​
In person / over video, Over the phone, In writing, via long form, In writing, via chat
What's your orientation toward conflict?​
I'm not the biggest fan of conflict, and push hard for collaborative approaches
What time(s) of day are you most productive?​
Early morning, Mid morning, Midday
What do you value more than anything else?​
Transparency. Giving and receiving honest feedback.
What's your biggest work-related pet peeves?​
A lack of empathy
What does 'work-life balance' mean to you?​
Being able to define my best state of working, and adhering to it. I tend to be most productive in the mornings and early afternoon, and focus my hardest work there. But because I put so much in to those mornings, I tend to need time to decompress in the mornings/weekends.
Anything else you'd like to share about what makes for your ideal work environment?​
An ability to focus! This means both in the physical space that I have, and time on the calendar that optimizes for deep work.
As far as my physical work environment goes, here's a shot of that:
What's your favorite way to decompress after work?​
Spending time with my son, watching a show or movie, perhaps having a beverage of sorts (like a craft beer on the weekends), doing yard work or gardening.