Matthew ‘Matt’ Domo

Flag-bearer of Digital Innovation

Decades ago while traveling, Matthew ‘Matt’ Domo found a postcard in a bar with the quote: ‘Twenty years from now, I want to regret what I did – not what I didn’t do’. He took it home to the US, framed it, and looked at it daily till the quote came to summarize his life.

Such manifestation more than 30 years ago saw Matt traverse the nascent stages of DigiTech to emerge as a flag-bearer of Digital Innovation and Transformation all across the globe. Having worked for some of the biggest and most well-known brands in software technology over the past 3 decades, today, Matt is a Pioneer in Cloud Computing and an Expert at creating new category-leading products that use Digital Technology like AI. He’s grown products from ground zero to Billions in revenue for Amazon, Microsoft, and Rackspace, and transformed products for $100s of Million exits. 

Matt credits hard work, learning, and adapting, as the driving forces of his success. He strives to understand more about situations, people, and problems, to seek answers that positively impact others and help him grow. He is a data-driven person, who makes decisions objectively. 

In his quest to make a difference, Matt officially launched his business – FifthVantage, to help his clients modernize, innovate, and grow by implementing upgraded digital strategies, technologies, and processes that reduce time to market and create speed, agility, and reliability in business. Their client work includes adopting disruptive technologies such as AI, Edge Computing, the Internet of Things, and Amazon Web Services Cloud Computing strategies.   

Matt launched FifthVantage in January 2020, two months before the world changed. In hindsight, it was the perfect time to get started, and that period pulled forward 3-5 years of client transformation. Transitioning from Tech Executive to Services Entrepreneur required Matt to fill knowledge gaps in Sales & Marketing. He invested vast amounts of sweat equity, experimenting with different approaches based on ideas from trusted mentors, networking, and many phone calls. He listened, learned, and adapted before creating a playbook that works.  

“We are C-level executives and veterans of the AI and Cloud Computing industry with Amazon AWS, Microsoft, HP, and Symantec that created transformational products generating billions of revenue from the ground up. We have the hands-on skills to do the same for you. With our mission as digital innovation enablers, we have a playbook of what works and achieves excellent results. We ask the right questions, advice on avoiding pitfalls, and share our global technical expertise. We’re uniquely positioned to help our clients rationalize the best uses of AI and digital technologies to transform their businesses. We’ve seen it. We’ve done it. And we’re here to help our clients achieve it.”

Identifying himself as a tiger in the rat race, Matt states that tigers don’t wait for life to happen. They make life happen. They believe in themselves, possess strong internal compasses, and stand their ground. It also goes to explain the innumerous international honours that Matt receives routinely, some of which include:

• Top 50 Technology Leaders in the World, The Internet Technology Conference, April 2021
• Top 9 Most Exciting Entrepreneurs of 2021, USA Today, September 2021
• Member – Newsweek Expert Panel, since November 2021
• Outstanding Leadership in Technology, Internet 2.0 Conference, June 2022
• Member – Fast Company Executive Board, since March 2022.

Given his work, Matt has unique insights on the most relevant trends and technology to focus on right now. He shares this information through frequently published articles in major publications, his LinkedIn newsletter and posts, and podcasts. He aims to help companies cut through all the noise and identify what’s relevant without any strings attached.  

“I have always been attracted to the bleeding edge of technology and creating new products. This experience has led to successes and failures, fueling my passion for innovation. I learned from some of the greatest leaders and minds in the industry. I benefited both personally and professionally from these experiences. Now, it’s about giving back. As a trusted advisor, I strive to help others become wildly successful in achieving their goals. I take great joy when clients or those I help achieve the success they want and more.”

This unwavering commitment is what has made Matt a visionary leader in digital technology. Yet, he’s quick to tell us that leadership is something you do, not something you are. A leader’s actions, not words, encourage trust and energy. Strong leaders are calm in a storm. Their guidance, mentoring, and decision-making allow others to become their best selves and accomplish what they believe they can’t do on their own.

He goes on to add, “Leaders are conscious about their thoughts and beliefs and show up with integrity as their whole authentic selves. Influential leaders know that what works in one situation will not always work in others. The best leaders endeavor to create other leaders when the circumstances allow it.”

Matt himself was lucky to learn from two great influences – his father, and his wife. Sharing how they inspired him, he says, “My father left a long career in law enforcement to become an entrepreneur at around the same age as me when I started my business. He built a successful team sports company and led it until he was 86. He encouraged me to become my own boss and follow my passion for teaching others how to succeed with digital technology. The other person is my fantastic wife. She has been incredibly supportive through all the ebbs, flows, ups and downs. I would not be as happy or as successful without the influence of both these people.”

Matt is curious by nature and a voracious learner. He’s also an avid Ohio State football fan and a BBQ enthusiast. Based in Austin, Texas, he loves the city’s live music scene, and his life’s joy is beach time with his amazing wife and two teenage sons.

On the professional front, his goal is to become a worldwide recognized digital technology influencer and futurist. He feels his professional legacy will be defined by his ability to help as many people as possible successfully adopt digital technologies like AI.  

As a global authority in digital innovation, we request Matt to share his mantra for all our digital enthusiast readers, and he happily obliges: “I am always motivated to try new things and experiment with different methodologies. I learn through experiences and the reflection of doing. I look at a blank sheet of paper as an opportunity. While there is ambiguity, you get to create the outcomes and the path to get there. On the pathway to success, everyone experiences failures. It’s paramount to prevent the fear of failure from stopping you from moving forward and achieving success. I gained my most substantial life lessons through experience, trial, and error.”