Digging In is a regular series of blog posts profiling UDig employees. We hope this series helps you get to know our team and understand why we dig what we do! Today, we are sitting down with Matt Dean, Vice President, Consulting.
UDig: Tell us a little bit about your background and your role at UDig.
MD: I graduated from The University of Alabama with a degree in Computer Science. I started out as a Software Developer and not too long after that, I found my way to IT Consulting. I loved the constant learning, variety of technology, and business problems that consulting offered. Throughout my career, I played many different roles in delivering successful projects across the full spectrum of customer software including web apps, mobile apps, system integrations, data, and quality assurance. While I got to experience many new and challenging leadership roles within the consulting firm I was working at, none was bigger than when I chose to move to Nashville in 2013 to support the growth and development of a new office for a consulting firm.
This all led me to UDig, where my goal as Vice President of Consulting is to ensure that the projects we’re delivering are successful, and that the people on our team are growing and developing their careers through those projects.
UDig: Why UDig? What made us the right decision for you?
MD: I’ve always enjoyed the range of work that comes with consulting and the excitement that growing a small company atmosphere brings. Over the course of my career in consulting, I’ve learned a lot about what it takes to build a successful consulting business. When I came to UDig, it was the perfect size and on the right growth trajectory for my knowledge to be applied in order to help accelerate business. Not only did the small company environment give me a place to grow personally, but it was somewhere that I was able to help grow and develop other consultants in their own careers as well.
UDig: What does “We Leave You Better” mean to you?
MD: WYLB has several important meanings to me. In the simplest interpretation, it acknowledges that when we wrap up a project, the business value enabled by the software should put the business in a better position than it was prior to having that software. Furthermore, that software should be in a state such that UDig could “leave,” and hand off the software to be owned and maintained by our client. However, I think that WYLB goes beyond just what is enabled by the software.
Each client and project we work with is unique, we must always meet the client when they are in the lifecycle and maturity of their business and technical processes. By flexing to the client’s unique needs, we can leverage our experience to identify improvements that help take the client to the next level no matter whether they are building their first custom software project or have a mature software development delivery model. Improvements can take the form of technical enhancements like incorporating automated testing into the build pipeline, or process enhancements like establishing a regular delivery cadence.
Second, behind that software and the business process is the people. Whether it’s learning a new tech stack, a new business process, or gaining leadership experience, we look at each person on the project and consider how that project can contribute to their individual growth and career success.
Lastly, my dad taught me that when someone lends me something, I should always return it in better shape than I found it. Hence, when our clients place their trust in UDig to deliver software, we want to go beyond just delivering that software. We want to provide them with a positive experience that improves the business and the people, then we can feel confident that we are leaving it better than we found it.
UDig: What has been your favorite part of leading the Consulting team?
MD: The best part of leading this team has been growing it and watching so many individuals with varying experiences and backgrounds come together and truly enjoy working with each other.
UDig: What is your favorite procrastination tool?
MD: Twitter. Hey, at least it’s not TikTok.
UDig: What did you want to be when you grew up?
MD: An architect. I was always fascinated by the breadth and complexity in designs from ancient Greek and Roman cultures or Renaissance thinkers like Leonardo Da Vinci.
UDig: What’s the most played song in your library?
MD: I listen to a lot of variety, from EDM to Southern Rock. I’m sure the Spotify algorithms love me, so honestly, I didn’t have a guess. I had to check my Spotify history, and it turns out the winner is Good Vibes Soldier by KSHMR.
UDig: How would you spend your day if we told you to take the day off?
MD: So many things come to mind, but it would definitely include some family activities and some time to relax. Maybe golf, mountain biking, laying by the pool, or smoking some meat on my Kamado Joe and enjoying a meal.
