Meet the Team: Q&A with Mat Kemp (Product Manager)

What is your role at Hadean? What does an average week look like for you? I am a Product Manager at Hadean. The wonderful thing about working on a brand new product is the new challenges that you face every week. We’re making something which no one has made before and can solve a multitude Meet the Team: Q&A with Mat Kemp (Product Manager)

26 January 2021
Hadean Team

What is your role at Hadean? What does an average week look like for you?

I am a Product Manager at Hadean. The wonderful thing about working on a brand new product is the new challenges that you face every week. We’re making something which no one has made before and can solve a multitude of pain points that many different industries face. One week you may be focused on ensuring that you know what massively multiplayer games need to solve their problem, while the next week you may be looking at how the user flow of a CI/CD integration might look. With everything we are working on being new there is a huge need of creative thinking in different areas each week.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I enjoy knowing I am part of a team creating a product that will change lives. Whether it is enabling a whole new genre of gaming, helping medical institutions understand COVID-19 or supporting the defence of the free world, knowing my time is going into something which has a purpose and big impact is key for me.

What led you to the role of Product Manager at Hadean?

I came from a company that was established and used established software. I wanted to work on something cutting edge in an environment where I felt I have an impact on shaping the future of that company.

What top three skills or traits do you think someone needs to pursue a role as Product Manager?

Skill number one is focus. In a start up there is a lot of excitement and noise and you have to be really focused to be able to identify the right problems to solve and drive the product forward.

Secondly, it is being humble. Every start up is different and they are very different from established businesses. Even if you think you know everything, you don’t. Being able to listen and change your biases and focus on the company goals is needed for success.

Finally, I would say determination. For every step forward you take half a step back, you need to have the resilience and determination to go again and again if what you are trying to do doesn’t work, it is hard but you move forward and can achieve great things.

What are some of the most exciting challenges you face day-to-day and how do you overcome them?

Prioritising tasks and time management is possibly the biggest challenge. Our tech is exciting because it has so many uses, but it’s very important in our work that we don’t get too distracted by tangents. 

How would you describe Hadean’s culture?

It’s very difficult to simply end up at a company that is trying to solve such a deep technological problem, and so Hadean benefits hugely from the fact that everyone working here is so passionate about our cause. There is a great deal of trust in one another that comes out of this, because ultimately we are all keen to contribute to solving the problem. This shared belief makes for an incredibly positive working environment, where even the tougher periods are made truly meaningful. 

What would you say is the most fulfilling part of your role at Hadean?

I would say it’s the feeling of being right at the heart of technological invention and discovery. It’s incredibly exciting to think that your work could someday be part of the history books and perhaps inspire the work of future generations. Moreover, how this contribution to industry will help develop civilisation itself! 

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