Matthew Stafford was working for a government-backed program connecting investors and founders when he had an idea of conducting founders' dinners. 9 years back, almost to this date, he conducted the first 9others dinner in Central London. That dinner has led to 100s of other dinners in 46 cities around the world and has connected 4000+ entrepreneurs. It later led to Matthew's angel investments and laid the foundations for Dot Matrix Group.
But Matthew's entrepreneurial journey didn't start here. It started much earlier when he was in school selling recorded TV programs to his friends or selling t-shirts to pubs, right after college, or hosting a Y Combinator event in London which was never about to happen in the first place. Matthew's journey is the journey of hustle. When he was out of depth, he tried. When he was disappointed, he tried. When he failed, he tried. In many ways, it's a simple story. In other ways, it's an astounding journey of a boy who dreams.
SHOW NOTES
01:37 - Introduction
02:14 - How working for a government-backed program led to the idea of 9others and founders dinners
09:40 - Reaching out to investors and founders through networking events
12:09 - Why we kept 9others gatherings deliberately small, over a meal and paid sessions, and made sure it was valuable to all members.
17:27 - If you run a Saas company, talking to the guy who runs a coffee chain is the best thing you can do
20:28 - Expanding the network to other countries and helping billionaire Ryan Graves launch Uber in London
27:23 - Revenue structure of 9others
29:14 - Setting the rules of the game and why paid memberships work better for problem-solving events
32:56 - Reflecting on inspiring entrepreneurs I've met through 9others - Uber, Citymapper, What3words
38:10 - Growing up on a farm
39:27 - Starting a t-shirt company right after school
43:00 - Writing 100 letters a day to get my first customers
45:40 - Talking myself into a job, getting an MBA, and why everyone should try selling t-shirts online
49:06 - Hosting the coolest YC event ever
54:09 - Starting my own investment syndicate - Dot Matrix Group
58:56 - My investment philosophy and Founder - Product Fit
59:24 - Favorite Books
01:01:07 - The next decade will be about people realizing everyone can become an angel investor
01:02:50 - Why Chris Sacca is my greatest inspiration
01:05:22 - Think about what you can contribute - Give more than you take
01:06:27 - Connect with me
I share all the articles/podcasts/books I consume during researching my guests as well as other stuff I find interesting in the newsletter (https://stealmymarketing.substack.com/)
You can also follow me on Twitter for similar stuff. My DMs are open (https://twitter.com/AbhishekLpd)
Matthew's Twitter (https://twitter.com/mstafford)
Matthew's Newsletter (https://matthewstafford.substack.com/)
9others - https://9others.com
Dot Matrix Group - https://www.dotmatrixgroup.com
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