My 605: Matt Paulson

What’s home unless you make it your own? My 605 takes you inside the lives, loves and little secrets of those who call South Dakota – area code 605 – home.

This week’s edition features Matt Paulson, founder of MarketBeat and owner of pigeon Patient Zero, who might be rebranded to MarketPigeon if we can ever get the software to make that happen.

My home in the 605 is: We live in the Memorial Park neighborhood on the west side of Sioux Falls. The proximity to two schools, a local park and Prairie West library cannot be beat. We have friendly neighbors, and there are a number of backyard pools in the area.

The biggest reason I live in the 605 is: “Why would you live in South Dakota?” is a question I am frequently asked when traveling on business. I like to describe the 605 by all of the things that we do not have to deal with: heavy traffic, high cost of living, bad schools, high state taxes and high crime. It is easy and affordable to live in the state compared with other parts of the country.

After home, I spend the most time here: The MarketBeat office. We put a lot of time and energy into building an office space that people actually want to work at. You will not find any bland corporate office furniture there, but you will find local art, warm lighting, flexible workstations, fancy espresso and soon the coolest aquarium in all of downtown.

 When I need to get away, you’ll find me: Either on the bike trail or in our backyard swimming pool. We built our dream backyard last summer that includes a cabana, a 44-foot swimming pool, tiki torches and an outdoor kitchen. We have been out there a lot this summer and enjoy every minute of it.

The best meal I ever ate in the 605 was at: Without a doubt, it would be eating the MarketBeat burger with a side of loaded tots at Chef Lance’s on Phillips. While the burger battle is long over, the MarketBeat burger does occasionally return for special events.

My go-to coffee shop is: Queen City Bakery. It is the closest thing you’ll find to Cheers in Sioux Falls. I have met many interesting people and made many friends sitting at Queen City’s bar. Before COVID, you would see me sitting at the counter from around 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. three or four days per week.

My favorite place to grab an adult beverage in the 605 is: Remedy Brewing. It is the home of MarketBeat’s charity beer, MarketBrew, and is a great place for a 4 p.m. happy hour.

When I need to experience the great outdoors, you’ll find me: Either walking our daughter in her stroller around our neighborhood or out on the bike trail early in the morning.

The spot I’d recommend for a date is: The first date that Karine and I had was watching Christopher Nolan’s critically acclaimed romantic film “The Dark Knight” at the Century Theaters. She must have really liked me because she isn’t a Batman fan, and she hated the movie! When we have a babysitter these days, we are likely either attending a City Council meeting or out shopping at Scheels or the mall. Also, you should not be asking me for dating advice.

The best pizza in the 605 is: My kids would tell you that Papa John’s serves the best pizza in the 605, but to them, the best pizza is the pizza that shows up at your door in 30 to 45 minutes. I am a fan of Papa Woody’s myself.

When my friends and I get together, you’ll probably find us: With two small kids at home, it is hard to find time to get out and see friends. The best I can usually hope for is a lunch at Crave, Ode to Food and Drinks or Chef Lance’s on Phillips.

The place you never can go wrong taking kids is: School! You know they will be out of your hair for seven hours, will eat something nutritious and will learn something useful while they are there. On weekends, my kids enjoy going to the Kirby Science Center, Air Madness, Thunder Road, Sertoma Park and the Falls Park Farmers Market.

When I want to meet new people in the 605, I go: Any number of business networking events: 1 Million Cups, Downtown Rotary, Startup Sioux Falls events, YPN events and the like.

My best memory in the 605 is: Bringing Entrepreneurship Day to Sioux Falls for the first time in 2019 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of 1 Million Cups. The event inspired me to double down on building a world-class startup community in Sioux Falls. Less than a month later, I launched Startup Sioux Falls.

The one thing I am least crazy about in the 605 is:  Our state Legislature. We should not have to ask “What embarrassing bill is going to come out of Pierre now?” every February.

And finally, life in pictures. Here are the top three photos that most sum up My 605: