MATTHEW E. MAY
A Bit About Me

My simple aspiration is to help business professionals raise their thinking game to create meaningful change. I do that through writing and speaking on key leadership themes like strategy, innovation and problem-solving.
I’ve published a total of five thought-provoking books, the latest being Winning the Brain Game, which I wrote to help leaders improve their ability to conceive elegant solutions to difficult problems.
I’m a founding partner in the strategy firm Stratechia, a contributing writer for several publications and sites, a New Yorker cartoon caption contest winner, and an avid cyclist. But I get the greatest joy from helping ambitious professionals achieve the success they envision for themselves.
books
“This book should be a must-read for any innovator, business leader or problem solver.”
BRAD SMITH, Executive Chairman , Intuit
This book is the culmination of giving a real-world thought challenge to thousands of people over ten years, and reveals seven observable problem-solving patterns that can block our best thinking. Calling on modern science to help explain things, along with insights from the world’s best thinkers, it offers a super-curated, field-tested set of “fixes” proven to raise your thinking game.
PRAISE
“Matt, I want to convey the important impact you clearly had on our team and emphasize how much we value learning at AppNexus. I look forward to celebrating both quick wins and complete rethinks your session today ultimately triggers.”
PABLO DOMINGUEZ
VP, AppNexus
“Matt, our sessions with you gave us the forethought and foresight that enabled us to not only weather the recent real estate crash, but positioned us to launch a new brand for an entirely new home purchaser and emerge as market leader.”
KEN KRIVANEC
President, Quadrant Homes
“Matt, thank you for the guidance you have provided the Senior System Leadership Team. You add depth to our thinking on how we are developing people to improve unique processes to create superior value and win in the marketplace.”
JEFFREY HUNTER
EVP, Thedacare
master classes
master classes are high-energy, hands-on, tools-based and perfect for time-crunched professionals wishing to upskill themselves and their teams in the most relevant business disciplines
PLAYING
TO WIN
Strategy Development Framework
DESIGN
THINKING
Customer-Centered Innovation
LEAN
THINKING
Toyota Production System + Kaizen
JOURNEY MAPPING
Customer Experience Development
BUSINESS BIG THREE
Strategy + Design + Lean
WINNING THE BRAIN GAME
Advanced Creative Technique
articles
a sampling of my contributions to well-known publications
The Weekend Creativity Booster
Inc.Create The Cartoonist Way
Fast Co.Addition By Subtraction
NYTKill The Stupid Rules
99-U7 Targets for Lean Innovation
HBRThe FEDEX Logo Story
Fast Co.Skunk Works
Rotman MagazineCreativity Loves Limits
HBR6 Secrets To Doing Less
Strategy + BusinessThe Secret to Solving Problems Creatively
Inc.The Art of Subtraction
Rotman Magazine7 Zen Design Principles
Fast Co.Mindfulness Without Meditation
NYTNeuroscience of Change
Rotman MagazineGot A Career Strategy?
99-UPerils of Self-Censoring
99-UStealing Ideas Is Harder On Your Brain
Inc.Mastering Creative Tension
Rotman MagazineLess-Is-Best Innovation
HBRWinning the Brain Game Interview
Rotman MagazineThe Art of Bosslessness
Fast Co.How to Reset Your Brain
Inc.Breakthrough Borne Of Conflict
HBRHow to Quiet Your Mind
HBRObserve First, Design Second
Rotman MagazineZen & The Art of Simplicity
Rotman MagazineLoose Reins Management
HBRConnecting The Dots The WSJ Way
Fast Co.How to Hold Lean Meetings
99-UThe Most Engaging Ideas Leave Something Out
HBR
CONTACT
To inquire about services and availability, please feel free to contact me directly or via social media: