Mateen Motavaf is the co-founder of SundaeSwap, a decentralized finance protocol that allows users to trade cryptocurrencies in a trustless manner. Mateen is responsible for SundaeSwap’s branding, business growth, talent acquisition, and UI/UX design. With his background, Mateen is currently the lead UI/UX designer for a software company as well as two charity organizations where he oversees and leads a team of 20 researchers throughout the United States who produce scientific articles and meta-analyses monthly.
Mateen also is a healthcare advocate. He pioneered two nonprofit organizations – the Type One Advocates and Chronic Illness Education and Prevention Association Movement- that aim to support people with type 1 diabetes and chronic diseases. With Mateen’s success in his business, he doesn’t forget his philanthropic side.
What is SundaSwap Labs all about?
SundaeSwap Labs is a company that builds DeFi protocols. DeFi stands for decentralized finance, where people can build protocols that allow users to trade cryptocurrencies in a trustless manner, or engage in other financial activities without a centralized middleman. DeFi has been growing rapidly and we believe it will continue to do so.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
After leaving the crypto scene back in 2017, I returned to the industry and studied DeFi protocols and blockchain. I had been a long-time supporter of Cardano for a while, so I decided to build on Cardano for their focus on solving the blockchain trilemma. Cardano’s focus on decentralization and security was really attractive for me, especially since other blockchains frequently sacrifice these aspects for transaction speed. All of these aspects played into my decision to start building in DeFi.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
There are many skills that are needed to be a successful entrepreneur, but I think the three most important ones are foresight, perseverance, and networking.
- Foresight is important because you need to be able to see the future and plan for it, on top of learning from people’s previous experiences in order to avoid the same mistakes.
- Perseverance is the key because starting a business is not easy and there will be lots of bumps in the road.
- Networking is important because you need to be able to get advice from others and form relationships with other entrepreneurs.
What are your plans for the future, and how do you plan to grow this company?
We plan to continue developing DeFi protocols and making it easy for people to use them. DeFi is still in its infancy, so there is a lot of room for growth. We also plan to expand our team and continue growing our company. DeFi is the future of finance and we want to be a part of it. There are plenty of exciting technologies and products being built in the space, and we are excited to innovate alongside them all as well in our own way.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business, and what did you learn from them?
I’ve made many mistakes when starting my business, but I think the three biggest ones were not hiring a team sooner, not spending enough time on product development, and not communicating enough.
I learned that you need to have a good team in order to be successful, that you need to spend enough time on product development so that you have a good product, and that you need to do a lot of communication in order to get your company off its feet.
Tell us a little bit about your marketing process, what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
Marketing is essential for any business and it can be difficult to know what works and what doesn’t. For us, the most successful form of marketing has been content marketing. We have been able to produce a lot of content that helps people learn about DeFi and how to use it. We also participate in a lot of DeFi discussion forums and events so that we can meet people and talk to them about DeFi.
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
I’m currently learning about the legislative process and how it will impact DeFi. DeFi is still in its early stages and legislation can have a big impact on it. It is important to understand the legislative process so that we can make sure DeFi remains decentralized, secure, and true to its values.
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you’re currently using to grow your company?
My team uses Discord, Google Drive, and Jira to communicate and collaborate. Discord is great for communicating with a team, Google Drive is great for storing documents, and Jira is great for organizing tasks. I use Google Chrome, Coinbase, and Blockfolio to keep track of my cryptocurrencies. I also use Trello to plan my content marketing. These are all essential tools for any entrepreneur.
What’s a productivity tip you swear by?
I try to wake up early so that I can get a lot done before the day starts. I also try to avoid distractions and work in a quiet environment. I have also been using the Pomodoro Technique to help me stay focused. It allows me to work for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. I find that it helps me stay focused and get more work done.
Can you recommend one book, one podcast, and one online course for entrepreneurs?
I recommend the book The Lean Startup for entrepreneurs. This is a good read for anyone starting a business. The podcast I recommend is StartUp. This podcast follows the journey of various startups and is great for learning about the challenges and successes of starting a business. The Founder’s Library is a great course for learning about the different aspects of running a business.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
If I only had $1000 to start a new business, I would spend it on product development and marketing. Product development is important for any business, and marketing is essential for getting your company known. This way, I would be able to develop a good product and get the word out about my company.
What helps you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
I set goals for myself and my team and I track our progress against these goals. This helps me stay motivated and keeps me focused on what needs to be done. I also try to have a positive attitude and stay optimistic, even when things are tough.
What valuable advice would you give new entrepreneurs starting out?
The most important thing is to have a good product and to market it well. Do your research and make sure you understand your industry and the challenges you will face. Stay focused and don’t give up when things get tough. Finally, surround yourself with a good team who can help you succeed. Attend conferences and meetups to find people who can help you.
What is your definition of success?
Success is defined differently for each person. For me, success is a measure of my impact on the world through my actions and endeavors. If my efforts have a big impact, then I believe that I’ve been successful.
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