From Hospitality to Tech: Matt Simpson's Journey

What does it take to build a global network from the ground up? It might start with a coffee meeting and a pivot from managing 10,000-acre cattle ranches. This is the story of the evolution of modern connectivity, told by someone who was there from the beginning.

In this episode of Uplink, Matt Simpson, EVP of Business Development and Global Channel at Megaport, joins host Michael Reid to explore one of the most unique journeys in the tech industry. They discuss the early, scrappy days of cloud adoption, the challenges of global expansion, the evolution of interconnection, and the critical role the network now plays in the AI era, where connectivity has become the new infrastructure bottleneck.

This episode covers:
⚫️ Matt Simpson's remarkable career journey from hospitality to tech leadership.
⚫️ The early, scrappy days of a tech startup with plastic tables and a big vision.
⚫️ The explosive growth of AWS and cloud adoption, seen from the inside.
⚫️ The strategy behind expanding a network into 26 countries, including Brazil.
⚫️ Why AI companies now build their infrastructure around network access.
⚫️ The future of connectivity from someone who helped build it.

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🚀 Uplink explores the future of connectivity, cloud, and AI—with the people shaping it. Hosted by Michael Reid, we dive into cutting-edge trends with top industry experts.

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Chapters:

0:00 Matt's Journey from Hospitality to Tech

3:30 Early Days of Megaport

6:34 Global Expansion and Brazil Challenges

10:12 Internet Exchange Growth Strategy

12:56 Discovering New Market Opportunities

16:34 Channel Business and Future Direction