Matt Lawton is the President and primary analyst of Sample Analytics. Matt has over 25 years of experience working with information technology (IT) companies in various capacities including market research, venture capital, and systems design and development. He has developed an acute ability to find and interpret information about the demographics, preferences, and business attributes of IT customers, partners, and developers, and to present this information so that clients derive maximum business benefit. A brief bio follows.
Bio
Before founding Sample Analytics, Matt worked as the Program Director, Software Business Strategies at IDC for five years. During that time he established two key research initiatives which resulted in 30 primary research studies.
The first initiative, Partner Tools and Analytics, focused on conducting primary research of the go-to-market partners of software vendors. This research was used to help clients find and recruit highly qualified new partners, compare the business performance of their partners with benchmark companies, understand the strengths and weaknesses of their channel relative to their competitors, and design appropriate changes to their partner programs.
The second initiative, Open Source Software Business Strategies, was a new research program at IDC focusing on the impact that open source software is having on the software industry at large, and on IT companies' ability to make money from open source software. Subscribers to this program receive regular reports and personal insight based on primary research of the users, vendors, and partners of open source software.
Prior to joining IDC, Matt founded and operated a software company targeting the information access needs of mid-sized manufacturing firms. During this time he developed a packaged solution based completely on open source software. Matt also has extensive experience in understanding and analyzing the operations of technology companies. For seven years Matt worked as a venture capitalist with McLean Watson Capital sourcing, investing in, and overseeing several investments. During this time he sat on the board of directors of five portfolio companies. Matt's initimate knowledge of IT and his ability to assess the market opportunity of prospective investees played a pivotal role in McLean Watson's investment decisions.
Matt developed his knowledge of IT while working as a software developer, systems analyst, and senior manager at Nortel, Bell Northern Research, and Gulf Canada. He designed and developed critical business systems including InfoLink (a data warehouse and access tool), Synergy (human resources, payroll, and pension administration system), and Fuels Profitability.
Matt has a Bachelor of Applied Science (Engineering Science) degree from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Business Administration dgree from the Ivey School of Business, University of Western Ontario.