High Tech Leadership | Matt Schultz

 

About Matt Schultz

Interview Transcript:

Alan
Welcome back. I’m here today with Matt Schultz. He has an MBA. And he’s the Product Manager here with the Silicon Valley company. Matt, welcome to today’s show.

Matt
Hi. Thanks for having me.

Alan
So, Matt, you’re, you’re one of these millennials, the millennial generation. What is a millennial?

Matt
So I’m, I’m trying to figure that out myself. I was, you know, for me growing up, it’s been an interesting thing about being a millennial being categorized as a Gen Y, or millennial, where am I because I was born right at the at that line. But the more I live, the more I am out here and interact with these younger kids were just coming out of school feel like I think a lot like them. And so trying to figure out how does that work and how to stay focused, is is really a it’s kind of a, it’s a struggle, it helps with the innovation side, and it’s great for being in tech, but it’s also a challenge to make sure you stay on focus and, and actually get things done.

Alan
Yeah, the millennials are driving that a lot of the innovation, the new companies today that you have the Facebook’s are coming out. And, and, and, and social media has become a big part of it. But walk me through your background of what brought you out to the highest cost of living area in the United States. You’re not from this area, are you?

Matt
I’m not I’m from Seattle, Seattle, okay, I grew up in Seattle, but I’m a West Coast guy. I was born in LA, my parents are from there, and moved to Seattle, and I was four. So I claimed Seattle. And so going to school in the Mountain West area and working there for a few years, I’ve always wanted to get back to the west coast. So after earning my MBA at BYU, I decided to take a job at a tech firm called Symantec located in Mountain View, and and came out here before that I had been in the consumer products industry. So I did finance for several years. And and I liked finance a lot. I love numbers, I love building spreadsheets, I love those interactions. But and that’s what brought me out here to Symantec. Initially, I wanted to get into a different industry, when there’s a little bit higher paced the technology field, it just it was attractive to me because there’s constant change. And so I spent a year and a half in finance at Symantec, and then moved over into product management, which is completely different. And so it’s more on the r&d side, actually helping run part of the business, working with engineers, there’s a lot more cross functional collaboration. And there’s a different set of challenges with that. And so coming out here, I love the weather. I love the opportunities, the career path is fantastic. And I see myself being here for a while.

Alan
Yeah, one thing I notice is Millennials are they’re very adapt to change. And so having tried finance, having tried technology, which one would you say you’re more of right now?

Matt
I answer technology, I’m more of a technology guy. Now. Yeah, I will always have that finance skill set. And that kind of that financial way of thinking that quant side is really, really valuable. Wherever you go anywhere in business, that’s really, really important. But I just I love technology and the host of challenges that in front you and just the the array of problems you have to solve every day.

Alan
I want to get into your head a little bit with that. I’m a baby boomer, totally different generation, but but the millennials, they grew up with the texting they grew up with, you know, the Nintendo’s and the technology was always part of your life from an early age. When you when you started in your career with running numbers, I’m sure that was probably a little bit foreign to you. And you went to MBA school, but helped me differentiate what the difference between a finance, finance career and a technology career.

Matt
So finance is more of a more of a supporting role. And so you are helping to educate and to inform the business like the business leaders, the general managers, etc. And it’s really a key a key element of of any well run business, you have to run the numbers, you have to look at data. That’s the best way to make your decisions bit grounded in data. The big difference with being in more of a technology role on the product management side in particular for me is that now I’m actually driving decisions. So I’m actually taking those inputs and actually making something happen. And one of the other big difference is you feel a lot more of the weight and the pressure of performance and results on you because you are at the focal point of how decisions are made. And the array of challenges, like I mentioned earlier is just so diverse. There’s so many things you have to in front and so many different groups you have to work with each and every day. Whereas in finance, you’re a little more focused. You have a little more of a specialization, but in More the technology side in a product management role. For me, it’s very much more about general management.

Alan
When you’re working on innovate, do you work with the r&d facility? You said?

Matt
Yeah, quite a bit. Yeah. So product management, and it is one of those. It’s, it’s it was turned in a recent article. It’s Silicon Valley’s IT job, right. So it’s like, it’s the job that a lot of these younger kids is, but you know, millennials in particular, want to have because you have a lot of different things that you can work on. Right? There’s constant change, there’s a lot of ambiguity. So it’s interesting. It’s also very challenging. And it’s just a fun job. And so product management takes the the inputs from sales and marketing, and support, et cetera. And you synthesize what you need to have your engineering team built, right. So you’re right in the middle of that, and then so you’re working with your your r&d folks. And you’re also having to tell that story to customers. So you are a product evangelist in many instances. And so you get both sides quite a bit.

Alan
I’m visiting here today with Matt Schultz, the product manager here with Symantec here in Silicon Valley, and we’ve been talking about the career paths for millennials. Matt, I need to take a quick break, and we’ll be back after these messages.

Alan
Welcome back, I’m here today with Matt Schultz. And Matt has an MBA working with Symantec here in Silicon Valley. As a product manager, we were talking about the the way that millennials think they came up now you’re on the very beginning of this born in 1981. Okay, so you’ll, you’ll see why. So, yeah, but I want to jump back into your, because you deal with some of the not only product management, but also the innovation there at at Symantec. So first of all, how many people work on your team there.

Matt
So the the business unit, I’m in there about 15 product managers in general. And so I’m one of those 15. And we all have different pieces of the business. The interesting thing about product management is that you, you manage the product, and you manage cross functionally more than you manage direct reports. So it’s very different dynamic coming from finance, where by now my career, I’d have my own team. And I’d be you know, I’d have be a manager of people. Now I’m managing processes, and I’m managing other teams outside of r&d, right? So marketing and sales, and you have to influence that having authority. So it’s a very different dynamic. But there are 15 of us in what’s called the Trust Services business. It was part of the VeriSign acquisition that Symantec made about four years ago. And we do all things for online security, for online encryption. And also, the part of the business I’m on is around application security.

Alan
Security has been a big issue, hasn’t it? How do you how do you keep up with the security now, I had a guest on a few few months back. And we talked about quantum computing. And he said, Well, the biggest use that they have for quantum computers right now was breaking code.

Matt
Yeah, yeah. Because quantum computers give you a lot more brute force, just firepower to go through and, and breakthrough algorithms. And quantum computing. I follow that a little bit. I’m not an engineer by trade. But I follow that. And I think it’s an exciting technology. For us to stay on top of what’s going on, really, especially at a large established company, like Symantec, which, by the way, was founded in 1981. It always surprises me that in this age, you were born exactly that. It’s very old, 81 or 82. It’s, it’s about as old as I am. And so it for me, it can be, it’s remarkable that a large player, like Symantec has endured all these years when most of the other big players have kind of risen in the last decade. But for an established company, that is a trusted advisor, like Symantec, for us to stay on top of things, we have to listen to our customers, and really pay attention to the different trends. In fact, we just launched a product last month, that is first to market, it’s a cloud based solution for securing applications. And we’re the only ones in the world to do this. And we do this because of what our customers are saying. And by identifying pain points in the market and saying we have a unique opportunity to help our customers in a significant way. And so how, what does that product look like? And so for us, you know, and then listening to customers and building the product and, and enriching the feature set based on their feedback.

Alan
When you’re looking at Your career path? How do you define success? Is it all about the money?

Matt
No, no, no, it’s not, you know, for me the money in the compensation, it’s important, it enables you to do other things, and enables you to get back in a more significant way. But really, for me, success is about enjoying what I do every single day. And that’s, that’s one thing I love about where I am now. And being in Silicon Valley. It’s because you have so many options. You can, you can always be in a position where you, you enjoy what you do. And so for me success is, is having my career like, at a personal level, having my career progress at a at a pace that keeps things interesting for me. I don’t want to get stuck in one pigeonhole place where I get bored. Right.

Alan
Okay, Matt, we need to take a quick break. Visiting here today, Matt Schultz, he’s a product manager here in Silicon Valley with semantic and when we get back, I want to talk about how the millennials have union leadership and what that means to you. Okay, we’ll be right back after these messages.

Alan
Welcome back. I’m here today with Matt Schultz. He’s an MBA and working as a product manager at semantic mapping before the break, we’re talking about that. Although you have an MBA and you started in finance, you now consider yourself more technology innovating looking for solutions to drive your product, product solutions for the future. Now, it’s not easy, running a group of 15 people and then trying to keep everyone on the same. The same playing field. When we talk about leadership, what do you look for in a leader?

Matt
So I should clarify, I don’t actually run a team of 15 people, I’m part of a team of 15 people. So you don’t have to be like a VP level. And I’m not there yet. I aspire to be there. So full disclosure. In leadership, though, at work, especially I, I look for someone who can really lead without authority, who can rally people around them, and influence because the more the more I work in the the more experience I gain, I see how valuable it is, you have to get things done. And many times and the people you work with across the business and even within your own team. They’re not robots, they’re not going to just do this because they’re supposed to because it’s in their job description. There’s a real human element that different people can bring out of others and varying degrees. And to me leadership is an effective leader is one who can bring out the best in people and really motivate them when someone else might not be able to do as good of a job right? And to to really get people to push themselves harder for a common purpose, a common cause and kind of unite people under that under that purpose.

Alan
When you’re when you’re working for well, it’s gonna move back into term leadership. Do you have any role models? So who is the ideal leader to you?

Matt
Boy, I’ve had several, you know, I don’t have any one in particular that I absolutely just just worship. But I’ve had several very good direct managers who have really mentored me in a significant way. There are a couple others who I’ve met since I’ve been here, who have been in who’ve been in tech who are in technology. And they’ve they’ve also provided valuable guidance to me, and I’ve seen how they work. The two in particular Rob Etherington and also Dell Wilson, who was recently a guest on your show, getting to know the two of those, those gentlemen has really made me a better person and a better leader, because I see that they they motivate people to to get things done in a way that doesn’t compromise any standards at all, and allows you to do that in a way that’s sustainable.

Alan
Now, what leadership qualities you valued most at work?

Matt
I’d probably say someone who, who can prop, someone who gets things done in a way that is sustainable, right, because a lot of people can get things done by steamrolling and they can just go and they just like push and push and push, but you’re going to disrupt relationships. And in the long term, you just can’t do that. And so if you can get somebody who is, is active enough to get results, but can do that in a way that doesn’t burn bridges, I think that’s the quintessential leader in in a technology company.

Alan
And man, in addition to your, you know, work as a product manager, you have also become very involved in the community. And I also understand that you’re working on a big project with some youth from the LDS church to do a week long camp out, you talk about that?

Matt
Yeah, let’s, let’s call it we call it science camp. It’s a an effort that is done every two years for, for for boys, high school age boys, 14 to 19. And we do a combination of faith based activities and high adventure activities. This I was involved in it two years ago, and had a blast. And where do we have the next edition and just one month from now, going up to the High Sierras to a Boy Scout camp called Campbell jado. So do a combination of things that are faith based and will strengthen the religious foundation and help them help them prepare for life in that way, but also really have a good time. Right go, you know, do a four wheel adventures, do some hiking, a lot of water activities, shooting activities, ropes course rappelling, just a whole bunch of fun stuff like that. And I helped Brian, I’m the Assistant Director for the effort over the South Bay region.

Alan
Just kind of a boot camp for boys too. You can absolutely they’re pulling up their bootstraps.

Matt
We have a lot of service opportunities, a lot of service elements to it as well to serve in the community and to also enrich the camp that we’re we’re being we’re staying at. So yeah, basically on on all facets. They have basically anything you could ask for a teenage boy to be ready to go out into the world to be successful, a college career, etc.

Alan
And curious is this is this program throughout the LDS church? Is it something unique to what you’ve helped to develop?

Matt
So it’s so it is a legacy program that I inherited? Right, just being here just for the last few years, I’ve been moved here three years ago, it was started in the Los Altos area, back in 2004, I believe 2004 2006. And so, but what I found is that it’s a little different, it’s different, like each area, through you know, throughout the LDS church has a different program of this nature. This is probably the most interesting one I’ve ever come across myself, just with the the significance of, of how things are done. And we’re just with the breadth of activities we do.

Alan
We had a guest on our show recently. Prasad kaip talked about the importance of leadership as spiritually connecting with those that you work with. Yeah. Would you adhere to that?

Matt
Yeah, absolutely. And I’ve heard we had Prasad speak in, in the management society just a number of months ago. And it was fantastic. And I love that there is that there are thought leaders and influential thought leaders like Prasad, who are proposing that we need to think about the spiritual aspect of leadership. And for me, it’s all about being the same person. I don’t want to be a different person, during the nine to five, whenever I’m at work, versus who I am on a Sunday, versus who I am, when I’m with friends on the weekend or whatnot. I want to be the same person be consistent person throughout. And I think if you can tie in how all of those pieces work together and to be a consistent leader and a consistent, consistent person. And you can make that work on the spiritual side. It just brings it all together. And I think you can have a lot more happiness in life and be more effective in general.

Alan
I’m visiting here today with Matt Schultz. He is Product Manager with semantic part of the millennial group. And we’ve been talking about leadership qualities. And Matt, you mentioned something about this BYU Management Society here in the Silicon Valley that you head up, I want to get to that right after these messages.

Alan
Helping you welcome back and visiting here today with Matt Schultz. He’s a product manager with semantic and Millennial Generation we’ve been talking about leadership qualities and one of the things that you’re you’re doing to give back as you’re currently serving as chapter president of the BYU management society’s silicon And Valley Chapter. So, first of all, how did you get active in this in this group?

Matt
So I’ve think I’ve always liked to be involved, and extracurricular activities of this nature, you know, from high school forward and student leadership as an undergrad. And as a graduate student. I first got involved with the Management Society back in 2007, as a year out of school, decided, wow, I’ve heard about this thing. You know, it’s sponsored by BYU. And I should get involved. I feel like why not? Right. And so that was when I was living in Idaho Falls at the time, I was there for three years between degrees. And, and I, I signed up and they actually asked me to help run their programs. So become part of the board because they were starting the chapter. So that was like my first taste. And it was it a very small, very kind of startup mode for the for that chapter coming out here. I got involved just a couple of months after I moved here, I have a friend who is who is on the current board. And she made an introduction. And I just kept getting asked to do things. So for me, it was I was one of the reasons why he’s looking forward to moving to Silicon Valley, because I knew that the chapter here was one of the strongest in the world. And I was looking forward to having the other side instead of the startup chapter having a very well established and very strong chapter here.

Alan
And just saying you have Charlene Well Hawks coming up in a couple of weeks, but what is the event date for that video is June 12.

Matt
So we’re really excited to have her and where it’s at, it’ll be in Palo Alto, 3865 Middlefield, road road set an LDS meeting house. But the BYU Management Society. There’s a strong affiliation with BYU because it is sponsored by the school. But it’s not an alumni association. It’s it’s really something for local professionals to come together and to augment their network and to develop themselves personally and professionally. And to give back.

Alan
Tell me about Charlene, who is she and why did you pick her?

Matt
So Charlene is currently CMO of a company who that catalogs and tells the story of soldiers around the world. It’s really powerful stuff. Before that she was an ESPN sports caster for 16 years. And you know, and before that she was Miss America in 1985. So she’s done a variety of things, brings great experience. She’s a mother, who has several children, and has really made it work in a very successful way, by any measure. So we’re really excited to hear from her and hear from her.

Alan
Do you have a website? We do? Yes.

Matt
So it’s Silicon Valley dot BYU M s.org. And that is our chapters landing page. And from there, you can go and look at the event calendar.

Alan
And can anybody join anyone?

Matt
Yep, we’re not. We were. We are affiliated with BYU. But you do not have to be an alumnus.

Alan
And visiting here today with Matt Schultz is an MBA working here in Silicon Valley with Symantec as a product manager and also serving as the the current chair of the BYU Management Society. Matt, thank you for being on today’s show.

 

 

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This transcript was generated by software and may not accurately reflect exactly what was said.

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