Jack Little

Four floors off the ground in an elevator at MathWorks, a stranger smiles and blurts out: “I just love working here,” even though nobody asked.

It’s this kind of enthusiasm that bubbles from those who work at this Natick, Ma., company, led by Jack Little, 41, one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Boston.

Little began this fast-growing private company 13 years ago that’s now the leading developer of technical computing software in the world. MathWorks develops software for scientists and engineers, designs spacecrafts for NASA and deep-sea robots for oceanographers. It dominates the $200 million market for software that analyzes research data.

“To have the chance to influence education, to truly change the world…we’re some of the luckiest people alive,” says Little, who earned a degree in electrical engineering in 1978 and who believes when you do what is right, you can’t go wrong.

Above all, Little values values. He regularly coaches 400 employees to make the right decision for the company in the long-term, to share information publicly to gain and build trust, and always to be honest. He wants only to create a rational, fair work environment that sets people free to be themselves and to be creative. And it works.

“Our targets aren’t primarily financial,” he says. “Our goal is to do good things organizationally and with the products and markets. We try to build on what we have, do it faster and better, and when we do, we find the financials take care of themselves.”

And being a private company, he says: “We have the advantage of being able to reward the people who do the work.” At MathWorks there’s a company band, skits, book reading groups, and regular celebration of success, like, a round of miniature golf. “It’s very important to me that people work together well. Life is too short not to enjoy your work.”

It is an environment that makes on receptionist so happy that she whispers behind her hand: “You wouldn’t believe how great it is to work here. I just love it.”

by Liz Karagianis « Previous | Next »

On Topic: alumni/ae, business, entrepreneurship