The Many Lives of Matthew John #JeenaIsiKaNaamHain
When I look at the leaders featured in Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, I find many are beautifully multidimensional. While obsessively driven in their day jobs, they also pursue other callings with equal intensity and quiet joy, leaving behind a richer, deeper impact.
Matthew John is one such soul. Let me tell you why.
Besides running Typito and volunteering at SaaSBoomi, Matthew has acted in a short film, swum in open waters, danced like a dream, mimicked voices with uncanny precision, and taken part in triathlons and fundraisers. All while leading a simple, vibrant life in Aluva, near Kochi.
The first time I met him was when I was with Accel. I bumped into him at the Accel Launchpad, a co-working space. At the very first instance, I found him impressive. He was very clear about what he wanted (office space) and communicated with clarity. It was a curious mix of subtlety and assertiveness, without any hint of aggression. What struck me was this: okay, here’s a persuasive guy, but I like the way he puts his point across.
I told him I was happy to provide space, but he would have to help me build a community at the Launchpad. Soon, with diligence, he put together an interesting document on how we could build a robust culture at the Launchpad. It was very well thought through, and I was rather impressed by how he structured his thoughts and came up with a crisp document. I sensed an opportunity, a win-win for both of us, and started to leverage his expertise in some of my leadership communications. He readily volunteered to help me drive the desired impact.
COVID struck and cocooned the world. By then, we had developed a fine friendship and used the virtual medium to connect and work on various assignments. The distance between Delhi and Kochi was bridged like never before.
When I moved to SaaSBoomi, once again, I pulled him in to leverage his expertise. I have worked with him for several years now. Together, we have engaged in many interesting projects at SaaSBoomi, noteworthy being SGX, an accelerator programme where we provided mentorship to startups. He did a brilliant job in managing this programme and ensured the experience was seamless. He also contributes significantly towards driving leadership communication, especially during the Governing Council meetings. He can process a lot of diverse information and come up with a structured document which leaders can read easily. Even something as commonplace as Minutes of Meeting, he will structure it in a manner that drives home the key messages.
He is multi-dimensional, as I mentioned earlier. Matthew is also involved in “Jagah”, an initiative that addresses the well-being of founders, and we know how stressful their lives can be. Matthew is very fit and committed towards his own fitness goals, so I can well imagine the kind of passion he brings to the table. He has also conducted a course on Happiness at IIT Madras.
One day, I asked him: if you had all the money, time, and freedom in the world, what would you build? Without skipping a beat, he said, “A growth school for children. A space where knowledge and friendship flow freely.” It wasn’t just a poetic answer. It was him. Clear. Idealistic. Deep. That line has stayed with me, and it echoes again today as I write this.
Presently, both of us are involved in a rather ambitious project (outside SaaSBoomi), the details of which I am not at liberty to share right now, but once it takes shape, it will change lives for the better. This will give you an idea about the wide range of professional engagements he continues to build upon. Having worked closely for many years, we have a kind of mutual admiration — he pushes me to reach for higher goals, and his humour is unmistakable, though subtle.
Like all great communicators, he reads voraciously and once I saw him fall asleep while reading, with the Kindle device balanced on his chest. I tried to wrest it from his clutches, which had weakened by then, but he wouldn’t let go and mumbled incoherently. That’s the only time I have known him to be incoherent in his communication.
Matthew, my friend, it’s been a privilege to work with you on a range of projects which left us both enriched. And I hope this continues for a very long time. That space which you wanted at the Launchpad — well, you sure got one in my heart. You have left a deep imprint by being who you are — a passionate volunteer, who, after a hard day’s volunteering work, can still go back to create a structured document that captures the essence.
Here’s to more years of building together. More clarity. More laughter. More documents that say exactly what they need to, and nothing more.
