
Matt Y.
Coaching ambitious professionals towards authentic leadership

Studied at Haas School of Business (Berkeley)

Works at mattyao.co
Available Tuesday at 5:00 PM UTC
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
Matt’s Leadership Development Qualifications
Coaches professionally
Experience level: Manager
40+ people coached for Leadership Development
I'm a leadership and executive coach who works with founders, executives, and leaders. I'm also a former Uber, Afterpay, and Block PM with several years of building high-performing teams and products.
Matt can help with:
Conflict Resolution
Ethical Leadership
Problem Solving
Emotional Intelligence
Coaching and Mentoring
Innovation and Creativity
Matt also coaches for Life and Product Management. View all.
About Matt
As a newly promoted Senior Product Manager at the age of 25, I was making more money than I knew what to do with and on an accelerated trajectory towards conventional success. I found myself living a seemingly idyllic life in Hawaii. On the surface, I had collected prestigious degrees, jobs, and awards, and also created a healthy lifestyle of surfing, yoga, and time in nature, but underneath I grappled with a deeper sense of disconnection and uncertainty. I was completely lost in life. For over 10 months, I navigated the inner turmoil of feeling trapped in a career that no longer fulfilled me. Fueled by a fear of financial instability and the loss of identity tied to my achievements, I reached a peaceful and pivotal moment where leaving felt like it was my only viable option. In 2023, I embarked on a transformative sabbatical filled with ups and downs. Through this journey of exploration and experimentation, I discovered a newfound sense of purpose and clarity. In early 2024, I began coaching a small handful of friends and random strangers on the internet who reached out. Since then, I've helped founders, executives, creatives, and leaders through transition and into deeper alignment with their lasting ambitions. As a coach, I guide ambitious professionals to cultivate human agency, flow, authenticity, and stoke. I also write More Human Possible, my blog that explores the inner and outer worlds of being human. I haven’t had a lease in 6 years and embrace a seasonal way of living. I currently split my time between NYC and skiing out west during the winter. I’m an avid skier, surfer, hiker, and photographer. I enjoy cooking, reading, meditating, walking in nature, and practicing yoga. In the past, I've been a part of some great organizations including Uber, Afterpay, Block, and Downshift.
Work Experience

Leadership and Executive Coach
mattyao.co
March 2024 - Present
Helping ambitious humans navigate uncertainty and cultivate sustainable ambition Learn more at mattyao.co Reading my writing at morehumanpossible.com

Career Transition & Leadership Coach
Downshift
February 2024 - Present
A boutique coaching firm and decelerator program designed for high performers in transition. Apply to our decelerator program at www.downshift.me

Writer
climate
January 2023 - Present
https://buildinclimate.substack.com/

Career transition
Career Break
January 2023 - January 2024
1) my climate newsletter: https://buildinclimate.substack.com/ 2) my personal blog: https://gameofone.substack.com/ 3) podcast [on pause]: https://ontherisepod.com/ 4) subletting service [on pause]: https://subletter.substack.com/
Senior Product Manager
Block
March 2022 - January 2023
Admissions Committee Experience
Senior Product Manager
Afterpay
August 2020 - January 2023
Admissions Committee Experience
Associate Product Manager
Uber
August 2019 - June 2020
Education

Haas School of Business (Berkeley)
Bachelor’s Degree, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science | Certificate in Technology Entrepreneurship, EECS
2015 - 2018
I studied EECS and Entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley