Do you require ten shots of espresso to get the day rolling? Can co-workers hear the dubstep pumping from your headphones when you are racing to meet a deadline? Are you notorious for cracking open a brewski once the clock strikes 5 p.m.? Inspired by a great blog post by Brad Feld about how he structures his day, BostInno decided to ask people in Boston's startup community a number of questions on their personal working style–no censoring of quirks allowed!
Who: Dylan Reid, CEO of Matter.io
BostInno: What's your morning routine?
Dylan Reid: It varies, but I like to wake up around 8 a.m. and bicycle to work. I’ve got a pretty extensive multi-layer strategy (even my backpack has a rain jacket), so I’m good to go in just about any weather. It’s the one time of day I really welcome adversity, so the worse outside the better. A triumph for man (and technology) over nature.
Do you have any unique work habits?
A big part of my job is understanding creative people and keeping a finger on the pulse of what’s happening in product design. That in itself could be a full time job, but I try and condense it to a block at the beginning of every month. There’s a research firm in New York that has been able to see trends WAY before anyone else because they read something like 300 magazines each week looking for connections, which they draw in these elaborate webs. One to two days each month I try and do the same, but for me it’s mostly blogs and everything ends up on a big Pinterest board.
What do you do for a work day escape?
I’m usually in the office from 9 a.m. to midnight, so I like to break up the day by going to the gym, or, when it’s nice outside, walking around Harvard Square or on campus. I’ve also been known to nap. My co-founder will pass out on the floor, but I prefer the couch. We’ve got a great big one in the back of Koa Labs.
Do you have any guilty pleasure apps?
I’m pretty shameless when it comes to apps, I’ll try anything :) My favorite apps right now are the drawing app Paper, which is absolutely beautiful, and the caffeine tracking app Caffeine Zone. It models your intake of caffeine and tells you when you’re running low, or high. It’s scary accurate.
Do you have any favorite music/artists/songs that help you focus at work?
I work better without music, though you’d never know it because I’m always wearing headphones.
What time of the day are you most productive?
First thing in the morning and late at night, when no one else is around.
How do you work?
When it comes to where I work, I’ve got serious ADD. I’m always moving from one room to another, from sitting to standing to running to jumping jacks. It’s rare that I’m in any one place for more than an hour.
How do you know when the work day is done?
When the most productive thing I can do is sleep.
When you get off work, what's the first thing that you do?
Bicycle home and if I can, take the scenic route.
