2012 40 Under Forty: Matt Douglas

Douglas

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FOUNDER & CEO, Punchbowl Inc.

Company location: Framingham

Residence: Natick

Favorite movie: "Groundhog Day"

Career highlights: I have guided Punchbowl from inception to a successful small company, raising three rounds of venture capital. I have had several notable accomplishments at Punchbowl, including the acquisition of two companies and partnerships with well-known consumer brands. I have 15-plus years of experience in product management with expertise in software product development. Prior to Punchbowl, I managed a product team at Bose. In the late '90s I worked for Adobe Systems, and managed the Premiere product line, where I grew revenue in less than four years. I also attended UNC Business School, where I was awarded the McKinsey Consulting Strategy Award.

Community involvement: Every year on Groundhog Day, I organize a community service project. This year, the Punchbowl team volunteered at A Place to Turn, a food pantry in Natick. The team painted the pantry, donation room, kitchen and storage rooms. The impact was immediate. I took it a step further. I used the power of social media and my startup blog (StartupSwami.com) to challenge friends and colleagues to make a donation that I would personally match. Through my efforts, I raised substantial money for A Place to Turn.

Biggest success: Successfully raising three rounds of capital.

Biggest challenge: For a growing startup, there is no bigger challenge than hiring. While it's fairly easy to find people that could be good employees, it's really hard to find people that who will be great. It means you have to be very picky, and hiring is often a big challenge.

Mentors: David Trescot is a smart guy with an entrepreneurial spirit. I first met Trescot at Specular (my first job after college), and worked with him again at Adobe. Other important mentors include David Feldman of Feldman Advisors and Dharmesh Shah of Hubspot.

Hidden talent: Speaking Spanish. In fact, it's not uncommon for me to start speaking Spanish in an interview with a job candidate.

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