Matt PetersFounder

United States - New Alexandria, Virginia

In past lives, I’ve been a software developer, a network engineer, an amateur data scientist, a middling banjo player, a team leader, and a technologist. Even though I'm old enough to remember what the connection noise for a 19.2 modem sounded like, I still get excited when I see a new idea come to life.

The idea I’m most excited about right now is Fixify, where our mission is to provide a helpdesk experience that lets people feel taken care of, not handled. And, because we’re an outsourced helpdesk powered by amazing technology, we can provide IT for a quarter of the cost, all while offering insights and analytics that help companies understand what their users really need to feel empowered to do their jobs well.

The idea behind Fixify is that technology is fundamentally a humanistic endeavor—and when it’s done right, it helps people instead of alienating them. I’m bringing this idea into the conversation because, as we’ve gone from Usenet to AI-curated news feeds, from burnt-orange LCD displays to Oculus, I think something has gone a little sour. The mix is off. I keep looking for the Star-Trek tech we all meant to build, but I keep finding a wonky Inspector-Gadget-esque reality. At the moment, people aren't at the center of technology. A lot of them feel like they’re being crushed by it.

So it's my goal to put people at the heart of everything I work on, and to think about care and craft and the kind of future we set out to create—the one where technology helps us feel invigorated, inspired, and seen.