We were lucky to catch up with Matt Gruber recently and have shared our conversation below.

Matt, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?

In the quiet setting of a small classroom, I sat amongst a handful of students, feeling out of place and misunderstood. At just 10 years old, I was grappling with dyslexia and ADHD, conditions that seemed alien to the teachers of my time. Instead of support, I found myself in a setting meant for those with different challenges altogether. The weight of embarrassment and the sting of being teased followed me relentlessly.

To add to the turbulence, this period coincided with the loss of my father, leaving my mother to navigate the storm of grief and confusion alone. In an attempt to heed the advice of educators, she transferred me to a different school, hoping for a better fit. But it didn’t take long for her to realize that I didn’t belong in that restrictive environment. She saw beyond the labels and recognized the potential within me.

Despite her unwavering belief, my journey through adolescence was marked by failures – in academics, relationships, and jobs. The burden of insecurity weighed heavily on my shoulders as I grappled with a sense of identity that always felt elusive, different from my peers. But amidst the setbacks, there was a flicker of passion that burned within me.

I poured myself into various pursuits, from strumming the guitar and composing melodies to mastering my skills in art and design. Each endeavor was an outlet for my relentless drive to excel, despite the constant specter of failure looming over me.

As the years passed, I learned to accept my differences and embrace them as strengths rather than weaknesses. Failure became a familiar companion, teaching me valuable lessons in humility and resilience. With each setback, I discovered new facets of myself and grew stronger in the face of adversity.

Stepping into entrepreneurship in my early twenties was a natural progression, albeit daunting. My first venture, a mobile payments company, seemed destined for success as we garnered attention, winning TechCrunch Startup Alley and even catching the eye of Sean Parker of Napster. The momentum was exhilarating, but it all came crashing down. Yet, this failure didn’t surprise me. It was another lesson, another opportunity to learn and grow.

Today, as a father to five children and a cofounder of a growing software company, I look back on my journey with gratitude. The failures that once haunted me have transformed into pillars of strength, shaping me into the person I am today. With every challenge I encounter, I am reminded of the resilience that lies within – a testament to the power of embracing one’s flaws and harnessing them as catalysts for growth.

But beyond resilience, I’ve come to understand that failure is also intricately tied to faith. It’s about letting go, trusting the process, and finding joy in the journey. The more we surrender to the unknown and have faith, the farther we can go as individuals.

My story is not one of defeat, but of triumph over adversity. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, the transformative power of embracing failure, and the profound impact of faith in guiding us through life’s challenges. And as I continue to navigate the twists and turns of life, I am reminded that failure is not the end, but rather a stepping stone on the path to greatness. On a side note, I also learned recently that A students often work for C students. lol.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Co-Founder and Creative Director of DesignHuddle.com.

Commonly asked how we are different from Canva, Design Huddle is a B2B SaaS company providing a white-labeled and embeddable design and video editor for your users.

What started as a simple editing tool for non-profits quickly turned into an integratabtle platform for brands, franchise companies, real estate, digital signage, creative agencies, sports and entertainment groups, software and technology companies and web to print.

Due to the nature of being a white labeled product, most of the companies we work with are some of the largest brands in the world but rather remain anonymous.

After several years of building, I’m proud to say that DesignHuddle.com has become the first truly white label and embeddable graphic design and video editing platform.

A few core features:
1. Create or convert native design and video files (PDF, After Effects) into editable templates for your users.
2. Maintain design integrity and quality by configuring locking on any design element within a template.
3. Smart templates with variable data printing.
4. Access, manage and distribute all of your assets, creating as many libraries as needed, hosted directly within the platform.
5. Integrate Generative AI to quickly produce graphics and media that can be populated into templates.
6. Easily apply background removal, curved text, video and image masking to any design or video template.
7. Create a fully custom experience for your users by leveraging our API and embeddable editor within your website or platform.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

As my partners and I delved into launching our venture, our primary goal was to bootstrap it right from the outset. I was adamant about retaining full control over our operations and trajectory. However, our early journey took an unexpected turn when a significant opportunity presented itself.

Enter Smartsheet, a notable player in the industry. They approached us with genuine interest, expressing a desire to utilize our services. Yet, their enthusiasm was tempered by concerns about our longevity as a new company. This apprehension led to a pivotal moment in our journey.

Smartsheet, through their subsidiary Brandfolder, became a key player in our story. Despite their stature as a publicly traded giant, they didn’t seek dominance. Instead, they opted to become a strategic minority partner, investing in us through a modest round. This partnership, while representing a small fraction of ownership, provided reassurance to potential clients and collaborators. Knowing that a company like Smartsheet had vested interest in our success instilled confidence and trust in our capabilities.

Their investment wasn’t about dictating our direction; it was about ensuring our stability and longevity. With Smartsheet’s support, we gained not only financial backing but also a valuable safety net that allowed us to focus on what truly matters—building a sustainable and innovative creative platform.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Funny enough, we all met at church. Before Design Huddle, we came together and built a digital stock repository of graphics and videos for non-profits shared by designers around the world. This resource started out as a passion project then quickly became a source of funding to help us build Design Huddle.

Not all partnerships work but the four of us are like brothers with different gifts and a mutual respect for each other.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.designhuddle.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designhuddle
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/designhuddle/