Matthew’s path to building Mav wasn’t linear — and that’s exactly why it worked.
From early tech obsession to hard lessons learned the hard way, he shares how failure sharpened his instincts and fueled the creation of Mav, an AI insurance agent replacing traditional call centers through friendly, always-on texting.
In this conversation, Matthew breaks down what actually drives growth: customer obsession, clean metrics, and vertical focus and why staying ahead in AI means learning faster than the market. He also opens up about decision-making under pressure, work-life integration (not balance), and why experience isn’t baggage in entrepreneurship, it’s leverage.
In this episode, we jam on:
1. Failure as a training ground.
Early losses forged the perseverance that ultimately powered Mav’s breakout.
2. How cost opens the door, but experience wins the room.
AI savings matter but Mav’s real edge is a better, faster, always-on customer experience.
3. Go deep or get left behind.
Vertical mastery in insurance beat horizontal shortcuts and helped Mav outperform human call centers.
4. The next threat isn’t human.
Winning in AI means staying ahead of new, AI-native competitors before the rules harden.
5. Focus on who you serve. The score will take care of itself.
Clear service, clean habits, and non-negotiables drive both business growth and personal sustainability.
