Matt Horner is a co-founder of Hey Jodie, where he leads the AI and engineering behind the product. That runs from the conversational AI that lets Jodie hold a natural phone call to the systems that put every captured job detail on your phone seconds after the caller hangs up. His focus is taking the kind of AI that normally sits inside big technology companies and making it genuinely useful for everyday businesses.
He has spent his career building software and technology companies. He is the founder of a SaaS group whose platforms handle bookings, scheduling, invoicing, and payments for businesses around the world, and earlier held senior technology roles, including leading technology and ecommerce for a B2B retailer. He started out as a Microsoft-certified engineer and has been shipping production software ever since.
A career spent building the tools businesses rely on every day is what drew him to Hey Jodie. He writes about AI, call handling, and the practical side of running a busy operation without losing the work that pays for it.
Guides by Matt Horner
The best accounting practice management software for 2026: a CPA firm buyer's guide
An independent comparison of accounting practice management software for US firms: how the main platforms stack up by firm size, what to weigh before you buy, and the front-office job none of them handle - answering the phone.
Best pest control software in 2026: a buyer guide organized by job
A neutral, operator-written guide to the pest control tech stack - scheduling, CRM, invoicing and service-record reporting, and call handling - sorted by the job each tool does, with U.S. state licensing and EPA product records in mind.
How to get more pest control jobs: a lead-gen and conversion playbook
A working playbook for pest control operators who want more leads and, just as important, more of them turning into booked jobs - local search, reviews, referrals, paid leads, and the missed-call leak that hands after-hours work to a competitor.
How to get towing contracts: motor clubs, police rotation and private accounts
A working playbook for landing towing contracts: the four account types, who to call for each, what they demand, and the round-the-clock answer rate and arrival time that win the work and keep it.
How to start and grow a locksmith business in the US
A practical setup-to-steady-work playbook for starting a US locksmith business: training and kit, pricing, winning leads, and making sure no emergency lockout call ever rings out.
Locksmith hourly rate in the US: what to charge and what you keep
An operator's guide to setting locksmith rates and reading your real earnings in the US: standard, big-city and after-hours pricing, plus take-home once the van, tools and insurance are paid.
How much does a tow truck business make?
What does a tow truck business really clear? We break down revenue per truck and per job, the costs that quietly eat the margin, and why every unanswered call is an unbilled tow that caps your profit.
How to set your auto repair shop labor rate in 2026
Wondering what to charge per hour? Work through your effective labor rate, break-even math, and what the market really pays so you price jobs to profit.
Best auto repair shop software in 2026: a no-nonsense buyer guide
An independent buyer guide to auto repair shop software for US shops. Compare the real options by job, see real pricing, and find the one layer of the stack every vendor leaves out: how the shop answers the phone.
The best property management software in the US in 2026
A vendor-neutral roundup of the best property management software for rental managers and portfolio landlords in 2026, picked by the job it does: leasing, rent collection, maintenance, compliance and owner reporting, plus the one job none of them do.
Home care marketing: the channels and tools that fill your caseload
How a home care agency really wins private-pay clients - referral networks, local SEO, paid search, and the software stack - plus the conversion step almost every marketing guide skips.
How much to charge for cleaning: a US pricing guide for operators
What to charge for house, deep, move-out, office and Airbnb cleaning in the US - real rate bands, hourly vs flat vs per-room vs per-square-foot, and how to quote so you actually win the job.
How to start a home care agency: a step-by-step guide
An independent, start-to-finish playbook for launching a non-medical home care agency in the US: business plan, state licensing, administrator, policies, background checks, insurance, hiring caregivers and winning your first clients.
The after-hours triage playbook for property managers
A no-fluff triage system for handling after-hours property calls: a decision tree for tenant emergencies, when to dispatch a contractor, how to script the message, and why night-time call capture wins you owners.
The best electrician software for running a US electrical business in 2026
There is no single best electrician software. This is an honest, vendor-neutral roundup of the job management tools US electrical contractors actually run, compared on scheduling, invoicing, inspections and free tiers, plus the call-handling layer none of them cover.
The best HVAC software for a small business
A small-shop-first roundup of HVAC software with real dollar price ranges, plain pros and cons, and the layer every vendor list skips: who answers the phone.
The best landscaping business software in 2026
There is no single best landscaping business software. Here is an honest, vendor-neutral roundup of the tools US landscapers and lawn-care crews actually run, compared on scheduling, CRM, estimating and payments, plus the call-answering layer none of them cover.
How to get more salon clients (and stop wasting the demand you pay for)
A no-nonsense playbook for filling your salon chairs - the marketing that actually works, plus the step every listicle skips: making sure someone answers when the new client calls.
How to start a landscaping business: the owner-operator playbook
A practical playbook for starting a landscaping or lawn care business in the US: registering the business, liability insurance, the hauling permits you may need, the equipment you actually buy on day one, landing your first clients, pricing for profit, and the step most guides skip - answering the leads you paid to generate.
What an HVAC answering service costs (and the price of every missed call)
Providers bury the price behind a "request a quote" button. Here is the real cost model, an honest monthly range in dollars, and what one missed after-hours call actually costs your shop.
The best plumbing invoicing and job-management software for getting paid faster
A vendor-neutral buyer guide to plumbing invoicing and job-management software: what each tool is best for, how the per-seat pricing really works, and the call-handling layer the vendors all skip.
The best roofing software (and the layer the roundups skip)
A straight, priced buyer guide to the roofing software stack a US contractor actually needs, from measurement and estimating to CRM and scheduling, plus the front-of-funnel layer the directories ignore: who answers the call.
The best practice management software for therapists in 2026
A named-author, vendor-neutral comparison of EHR and practice management software for a solo or small therapy practice: how scheduling, notes and billing really stack up, what each tool costs, and the call-and-booking layer that sits alongside the EHR.
Best veterinary practice management software in 2026: a buyer's guide
A vendor-neutral look at veterinary practice management software for US clinics: a real comparison table of the main PIMS by practice size, cloud vs on-premise, how pricing actually works, and the one job every system leaves to your front desk - answering the phone.
The chiropractic front desk playbook: calls, scripts, and no-shows
The operator playbook no answering-service vendor hands you: a new-patient intake script, an after-hours and overflow protocol, the no-show tactics that actually move the rate, and the three numbers to track so no booking slips away.
Chiropractic marketing cost: the real per-channel numbers
A numbers-first look at what chiropractic marketing costs by channel, a realistic cost per new patient, and the conversion leak no agency mentions: the calls your ad spend pays for but the front desk never picks up.
Dental Answering Services Compared: The Honest Options Table
A real side-by-side of every way to cover your practice phone - voicemail, in-house front desk, a live answering service, and AI - with indicative pricing and the new-patient math, so you decide on merit instead of marketing.
The real cost of a dental front desk (and the price of every missed call)
The receptionist wage on the job ad is the small number. Here is the loaded cost of a dental front desk - salary, payroll taxes, benefits, PTO and absence cover - weighed against the new-patient calls that roll to voicemail.
How to get more therapy clients and keep your caseload full
A practical playbook for getting more therapy clients: the directory and referral basics that actually fill a caseload, plus the leak nobody fixes - missing the first call while you are in session.
How to start a plumbing business in 2026: the owner-operator playbook
What it actually takes to launch a plumbing business in the US: the license and registration to nail down, picking an LLC or sole proprietorship, setting rates that pay, the truck and tools you really need, and how to land your first customers.
The real cost of a missed call for a roofing business
You pay good money for every roofing lead, then half of them ring out while you are up on the roof. Here is what each missed call actually costs, and how to plug the leak.
Best Answering Service for Law Firms (2026)
An honest ranking of the best answering services and intake teams for US law firms, with real monthly costs, how each handles client intake and practice-management integrations, and where each wins.
Real estate call handling: answering service vs voicemail vs receptionist
Voicemail, an in-house receptionist, a traditional answering service, or an AI receptionist. A straight comparison of how each option handles a real estate office phone, what it costs, and what it lets slip.
How to get more listings: a practical playbook for real estate agents
A complete playbook for winning more listings: get found locally, book more CMA appointments, convert appraisals into signed listings, and stop leaking inquiries to the agent across town.
How plumbers can handle after-hours and emergency calls without burning out
A frozen pipe at midnight will not wait until you open the shop. Here is a practical way to cover nights and weekends, win the urgent jobs, and still get some sleep.
Best AI Receptionist 2026: tried, compared and ranked
An honest, US-native ranking of the best AI receptionists and AI answering services in 2026, with real monthly prices, where each one wins, and where it falls short.
How to get more plumbing jobs: a practical marketing playbook
A no-nonsense playbook for booking more plumbing work: get found on Google, stack up reviews, earn referrals, use lead sites wisely, mine repeat customers, and answer fast.
The true cost of missed calls for a plumbing business
Most plumbers never tally up the revenue that slips away every time the phone rings and goes unanswered. Here is the simple math, and how to fix it.