e27 has been dedicated to nurturing a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurs since its inception. Our Contributor Programme offers a platform for sharing unique insights.
As part of our newly introduced ‘Contributor Spotlight’, we shine a weekly spotlight on an outstanding contributor and dive into the vastness of their knowledge and expertise.
In this episode, we feature David Isaac Mathews, who’s working on the digital transformation of innovation and corporate venture building at Causality Co, a family of businesses that builds and launches digital ventures and runs product-market fit pre-testing as a service.
Mathews shares his personal and professional journey in this episode of Contributor Spotlight.
The driving force
An esteemed contributor, Mathews became part of our community in the first quarter with his inaugural article. Since then, his contributions have attracted over 2,000 views. His motivation as an e27 contributor is grounded in his commitment to sharing knowledge, fostering learning, and empowering others.
“Contributing to e27 is an extension of my belief in paying it forward. Just as I’ve mentored at universities and various incubators, from three universities to deep tech to automotive, I see e27 as another platform to share, learn, and empower others,” he said.
How it all began
Mathews commenced his tech journey 18 years ago, transitioning from a background in consulting and achieving a humble entrepreneurial exit. The potential of digital transformation in venture building and corporate intrapreneurship fueled his motivation. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with C-Suite executives, guiding them in launching “what’s next” for their companies.
Also Read: Mastering your Growth Equation: A practical guide to dominating your niche
His current mission with Causality Co centres on developing two digital tools, Growth360 and AIPath.one, designed to facilitate more strategic and accelerated startup growth.
As a fifth-generation Singaporean, he harbours a passion for supporting Singaporean and ASEAN founders, engaging with startups on weekends with accelerators and working with businesses in his day job. His commitment is ensuring that venture building aligns with authentic market needs while maintaining a strong focus on value.
“My goal is to help leapfrog the scarcity challenges of having too few developers and serial founders to serve as benchmarks,” Mathews states. “For this purpose, I bring a wealth of shared experiences from Silicon Valley and corporate innovation, which I employ as an immersive approach in my teaching, consulting, and mentoring.”
In his role, Mathews provides support within the domain of Growth, akin to a C-Suite version of a Product Manager. He integrates monetisation, go-to-market, and product strategy, all with a keen emphasis on enhancing the customer experience.
Also Read: Demystifying ToFu churn: How strategic CPO-CMO collaboration makes the difference
He stated, “A significant trend I’m championing is the mass adoption of full-funnel marketing and behavioural product analytics to create closed loops of voice-of-customer insight. This aids leaders in becoming strategically agile, ensuring swift alignment with market demands. For instance, my tool, AIPath, assists founders in real-time revisions of their ToFu and BoFu marketing assets and fundraising pitch decks whenever they add new features or focus on a new customer segment.”
Advice for budding thought leaders
Mathews advises: “Be value-first. Share generously from your experiences. Take, for instance, AIPath.one: it’s an embodiment of understanding and addressing the pain points of tech founders in today’s dynamic ecosystem, supporting 0-1 founders in incubators since 2014.”
Juggling too many things?
In Mathews’s perspective, the core principles revolve around prioritisation, establishing boundaries, and allocating time for self-reflection.
Also Read: Data-driven growth: The evolution of growth hacking in 2023
“Mentoring and contributing aren’t just ‘add-ons’ for me; they’re intertwined with my professional journey, enriching it, and I find supporting founders to make a dent in the universe extremely energising,” he mentioned.
Staying in the loop
Mathews stated, “In addition to dedicating two to four hours to reading tech journals and attending conferences (I have nearly no time left for Instagram or Netflix these days), I’m hands-on: piloting methodologies and using tools like Growth360 to optimise strategic operations in real-time scenarios.”
Working with startups and corporates allows Mathews to cross-pollinate and tailor solutions for the leaders he collaborates with. His primary focus remains on innovation and the cutting-edge application of technology in regions beyond ASEAN, enabling further cross-pollination.
Mathews has established the Growth Library to promote essential best practice frameworks and concepts. He also suggests that for fundamental insights, a classic like Lean Startup by Eric Ries is a recommended read.
“In our quest for digital innovation, let’s be value-first, ensuring solutions cater to genuine user needs. As we build and mentor, let’s champion a culture of paying it forward, elevating the entire ecosystem,” Mathews concludes.
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The post Spotlighting David Isaac Mathews: Championing digital transformation and growth appeared first on e27.