From Turbulent Beginning to a Positive Outlook

2020 could have been a difficult first year for a start-up consultancy as well as a challenging year to transition from the military. However, a bias for action, broad skill set,  collaborative culture, and incredibly strong team ethos has meant that Matero has delivered on its first-year goals and more. Being part of this has equally opened many doors and led to numerous exciting opportunities.

INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANISATIONAL GROWTH

Matero recently hosted a military transition event aimed at supporting those who are considering (or pursuing) a role in consulting after any period of military service. This provided an opportunity to reflect on a dramatic first year and to share some of the lessons learnt. It was great to look back on an almost symbiotic relationship between Matero and its employees. The Partners have supported a number of military leavers in securing highly sought-after roles, whilst those individuals have been able to add value to Matero by bringing transferable skills to the operational aspects of Matero’s growth as well as to projects.

Supporting the operations of a fast-moving start-up has provided me with an incredibly broad set of experiences. From coordinating the first investment round and helping to build the cap table, developing a sales and marketing strategy, or supporting business development, every task has provided a meaningful learning opportunity. Such work can expand a skill set far quicker than many initial roles in larger corporate organisations, where experiences would likely be more in-depth but far narrower in scope. Although often seen as less glamorous than project delivery, the opportunity to develop these building block operational skills should not be overlooked. These will, I hope, provide a strong foundation on which both Matero and I can now build.

Matero began its second major project in late July, following the effective deployment of a collaboratively built business development strategy. This pushed the team into a new and exciting space with the opportunity to support a leading global software company in delivering a significant change project. Whilst we were able to learn from the experience and develop our understanding of cloud computing, product development, and coding, we were also effective in delivering the targets of the project. We succeeded because we thrived on the increased level of responsibility, exposure to new issues, empowered decision-making, and close interaction with the clients employees. Again, such levels of risk, autonomy, leadership, and client interaction would not be found in most large organisations where layers of hierarchy and process would restrict such freedoms.

Combined, exposure to these two sides has meant that in a very short space of time the team was able to translate significant military experience into highly effective corporate solutions. It has been hugely rewarding to see the tangible results that this has created on projects and to hear positive feedback from those we have worked with. This process has also been invaluable for me in ensuing interviews and has paid dividends in offers.

NEXT STEPS 

It has been a difficult decision to step away from Matero as it really begins to hit its stride. 2021 promises to be another excellent year for the company with a great team now in place and some exciting prospects in the offing. However, the investment that Matero made in me has opened a number of doors to take a next step through on my career transition. I will endeavour to keep the Matero door open as this exciting company has a hugely positive culture that I am sure will offer great opportunities in the future.