I'm Matthew Hardesty, a product leader and builder. I want to build best-in-class products that help people and businesses thrive.
Small business: I started as a product manager for a group of small businesses. There, I helped them grow and scale their products, operations, marketing, and supply chain. There was no playbook, only supportive executives and team members who encouraged my efforts. This was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career.
Agencies: The transition to the agency world felt inevitable. I led teams to build applications for major brands, and was fortunate to work with a group of talented engineers who taught me a lot about building scalable software products. This is where I sharpened my skills as a product manager (especially the value of deeply understanding user needs).
Wayfair: This was my first experience working with a large, complex organization. I led multiple products and initiatives during my time on the Operations Product Innovation team, primarily focused on the interserction of data, warehouse operation optimization, order fulfillment, and payments. I also led multiple initiatives to improve supplier trust, speed up knowledge sharing between teams, and optimize new PM and Engineer time to value.
Early stage startups: Being able to build from the ground up is a privilege that few get to experience. I've worked with multiple early stage startups, each with their own unique challenges and opportunities. I've faced significant ambiguity, hired teams, successfully navigated pivots, and gone through multiple rounds of funding. I've learned a lot from each, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to work with each of them.
Now: I'm currently leading product at Paylode (acquired Nov 2025). I'm responsible for the product vision, strategy, roadmap, and execution of the platform. I'm also working on a few passion projects in my free time (debt payoff optimization, AI-powered medical records risk analysis, and AI collaboration toolkit).
If you're not asking questions, you're not learning the why behind the what.
The difference between good (forgettable) and great (memorable) is the details.
The path to success is a journey of perseverance and determination.
A product built without empathy is a product that will fail.
When I'm not building, you'll find me reading, remodeling my cabin, camping, or creating music as PhiDeus. The world is is full of experiences and opportunities. That's what makes it beautiful.