Matt Inglot (@MattInglot) is the founder of Tilted Pixel, a results-focused web design agency based in Calgary, Canada. A veteran web designer, Matt has been an agency owner most of his career, beginning when he was still a student. Over the years he’s refined his own business strategy to bring greater value to his own clients, and in turn build a thriving practice. Matt is also the host of the Freelance Transformation podcast, where he speaks with creative entrepreneurs and practitioners about business and freelance issues.
In this conversation, Matt discusses his role in the business, how systematic (or not) he likes to be with prospective clients, and how he handles working from home.
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- Download The Busy Creator Podcast, Episode 74 (MP3, 38:40, 55.8 MB)
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Show Notes & Links
- Matt focused on issued related to freelancer/practitioner lifestyle, not just income or creative output
- Tilted Pixel is “an agency that gets results” rather than “design” or “coding”
- Integrated web design/consulting requires not only marketing knowledge, but psychological knowledge
- Matt built small games in DOS
“I don't know how to use Photoshop. That's probably best for my entire team.”
—Matt Inglot
- Shiny Object Syndrome (in this case, for mobile apps)
“We're defined by the things we choose not to do.”
—Matt Inglot
- Prescott finds it odd that some clients are tight-lipped and dispassionate. Matt has found some clients “stonewall” him when discussing business goals, revenue.
“Improvisation is a big part of it.”
—Matt Inglot
“We can solve 90% of these RFP questions in a ten-minute call.”
—Prescott Perez-Fox
“As soon as you hit the ground, your timeline is gonna change.”
—Matt Inglot
“No battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy.”
—Helmut von Moltke the Elder
19th c. Prussian General
“Everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face.”
—Mike Tyson
- Matt [still] doesn’t know how to make a Gantt chart. They’re “the stuff of nightmares”
- Kanban Boards
- The Kolbe Test
- Prescott feels that normal offices suppress highs and lows in productivity, compared to working from home.
- Tough Mudder
- Matt Inglot on Twitter
- Matt Inglot on Facebook
Tools
Techniques
- Leverage your strengths and team up with others when needed. Don’t be a B+ Photoshop operator.
- Don’t split your efforts across huge markets (e.g. apps and websites)
- Ask your leads qualifying questions. Set up a call before you talk about specific technologies.
- Don’t be super-rigid with protocols/workflows. Allow some room for your team to operate.
- Use a simple “door open/door closed” policy for a home office
- Try to carve out your own [home office] space. Avoid a desk in the living room.
Habits
- Always have at least one phone call before writing a proposal
- Approach a project assuming you’ll say “no”, but say yes to the exceptional projects
- Don’t wake up with an alarm clock (but set a backup alarm)
- Take walks to get yourself out of the house
- Walk to the local coffee shop as part of a ritual (even if you can make it from home)
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Join the Discussion
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