Human 10: Mathew Cole

Venture Capitalist and entrepreneur

Mat is a venture capitalist and current Partner at ACT Media Ventures. Previously, he worked as an agent and co-founded one of Australia’s largest sports management companies. Using this experience, he then founded the global recruitment platform, Sporple, where he worked as CEO for a number of years. Mat seems to excel at everything he puts his mind to. This became most evident to me when he worked as my agent - only someone with incredible tact could secure such a rubbish footballer multiple professional contracts.

Mat is a husband, a father of two and - I’m sure you’ll agree after reading his responses - an intelligent, driven and thoughtful person. 

Mat is a human mammal. Here are his thoughts:

What brings you the most joy in life?

I get the greatest joy seeing my kids achieve hard things, and when having meaningful conversations with the people I love.

What does success mean to you?

The freedom and the confidence to make decisions without pressure. 

What are you most grateful for?

My family. Yes, cliché, but I am extremely lucky to have an incredibly supportive, healthy family. It’s not lost on me for second how rare this is. 

Who or what has had the biggest influence on your life?

Who: my wife. What: a start-up I founded failing. 

What do you regret?

I don’t regret moments or things I have tried. Looking back, I’ve done loads of things I now know to be dumb, stupid, and irresponsible - but I can say that now, because I have tried them and understand their outcomes. 

What advice would you give your younger self?

Invest in skills. Accept you know very little – and that’s ok. Take more risks but think about them deeper. Leave Australia sooner.

I was (and still am) insecure and worry about many things. For a long time, I thought I had to be right and I thought Australia was the only place that mattered. Both were wrong. 

What do you doubt most?

Myself in bad times. 

When did you last change your mind?

I have strong convictions, weakly held. I am learning to be open to changing my mind a lot. 

What is the role of luck in our lives?

Immense. I laugh a lot at people in business that think they achieved all their success because they were infinitely smarter than everyone else. Most of the time, they had a good idea, worked hard and got exceptionally lucky - not smarter in any way. 

What would you do with your life if you had unlimited financial resources?

In many ways, more of what I do now. I’d likely be investing less in media and more in climate change and areas trying to achieve truly sustainable food manufacturing practices. I think the health of the ocean needs a lot of attention. 

If you could have the definitive answer to a single question, what would you ask?

Nothing. I like that most answers are open to interpretation and that I can question them. 

What concept/fact/idea should every human on the planet understand?

Compound Interest. 

Should we think of morality in relative or absolute terms?

Relative. To think your morality is someone else’s is just highlighting your own hubris.

Do human beings have free will?

Less and less.

Do you believe in God?

No – I believe in people. And I worry about their ability to look for and create gods.

Could we be living in a simulated universe?

Yes, but I highly doubt it.

Will the continual development of technology have a net positive or negative influence on humanity?

Technology isn’t the issue. People are. 

What do you see as the biggest existential threat to humanity?

Wealth disparity. I worry we are creating a civilisation of haves and have nots - when people feel the system is against them and they have no hope, they do desperate things. 

What does it mean to live a good life?

To own your own diary, have your health, have people to love, to be loved and to have a purpose beyond/greater than yourself.

What is a good death?

One without pain - emotionally or physically. 

Thanks for your time, Mat!

Please leave comments and SUBSCRIBE below for access to all future blogs!