Get To Know Mark Better
Mark Patterson is originally from St. Charles, MO. Shortly after graduating high school, he joined the U.S. Navy and became a photojournalist (1 of about 500 total in the Navy at the time). During his time in the service he learned many things, but above all was how to wield a DSLR and write HTML/CSS and Javascript. After 5 years of service, he was honorably discharged and got to work at earning his web development degree.
During college, Mark began a side project with a few friends of his which rapidly grew into a company that now employs them both full time. It’s an incredible story, and if you ever get the chance we recommend asking him about it, he’d be happy to regale you with the story.
After graduating with a degree in web development he spent a year building eCommerce websites at an eCommerce software company in San Diego before transitioning into project management. Since then he’s been leading teams of developers and designers to build and improve websites of all shapes and sizes.
Mark is a part of the development team here at Matchbox. His main role is managing the development team but he currently wears a number of hats. He’s essentially a technical project manager and a support team manager/account manager all rolled into one. A typical day for Mark includes meeting with his team in the morning for a quick huddle where they discuss the day’s focus for each team member. He then shifts into support mode to triage new/open support issues with our support engineer. Then his afternoons generally consist of client updates and planning with client meetings and a little contract writing if there’s time.
“My favorite thing about working at Matchbox is that the team here is very self-reflective and supportive of each other. We’re always looking for ways to better ourselves and grow. After each sprint, our development team pauses for a moment to look back over what we’ve accomplished and for ways in which we can improve. This comes from all members of our team and not only leadership.”
– Mark Patterson
five Questions with Mark Patterson.
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Describe Yourself In 3 words.
“Stoic, clever(ish), nerd.”
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What Do You Do In Your Spare Time?
“I love to listen to music (almost all types). I’m also a nerd and enjoy reading or playing games with friends. If it’s nice out, you’ll find me out in the sun somewhere exploring whether it’s a backstreet or the backcountry. If it’s the backcountry I’ll more than likely have my camera with me. While I gave up photography as a job a long time ago, I’m forever in love with the art form and am always looking for perfect light.”
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Do You Have Any Special Talents?
“I have a special talent for getting people lost when my glasses fog up in the backcountry.”
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What’s The Coolest Place You’ve Ever Visited?
“The coolest place I’ve ever visited has to be Rae Lakes. These are a few lakes nestled in the mountains in Kings Canyon National Park. I hiked and fished there and encountered a herd of about 12 deer which didn’t run when my friends and I approached. It’s a truly magical place.”
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What's Something Awesome About You That No One Else Knows?
“I once thru-hiked the John Muir Trail (southbound from Yosemite to Mt Whitney). My trail name was “Foggy”. (see previously listed special talent for more information)”