Consulting

Consulting overview

I consistently over-deliver value for the companies I work with by bringing fresh insights and methodologies to solve big problems and capitalise upon exciting opportunities. I bring a wealth of experience to the table having worked for companies ranging from bootstrapped early-stage startups to those with hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital.

Situations I've
dealt with:

Cash-strapped startup running out of runway still without Product / Market-fit
Stakeholders blowing up squad roadmaps due to "urgent" feature requests
Startup struggling to attract / retain top Product Management and Design talent
Founders unsure which metrics to focus on or how to track them
A/B tests not having any real impact for users or business KPIs

Feeling lost when deciding whether to build vs buy functionality
OKRs and other goal-setting frameworks seen as a bureaucratic and a waste of time
SaaS Product Manager inheriting a roadmap of pre-sold, yet-to-be-built products
SaaS founders unsure how to structure targets and compensation for a SaaS sales team

I can help you

The issues, problems, opportunities, and needs of each company, founder, Product professional, and team are different from one to the other. With that said, there are effectively five common themes which each company and Product Team requires greater or lesser support with. These are people and organisation, mission and vision, metrics and goals, strategy and tactics, and sales and growth.

Five pillar Product consulting

There are essentially five pillars to my Product consulting which can be
tailored to the needs of each specific customer. The pillars are: people & organisation, mission & vision,
metrics & goals, strategy & tactics, and sales & growth. Details for each of these pillars can be found below.

People & organisation

Build the Best Team

We are all in the business of people. Without great people, you simply cannot have
a great Product, let alone a great startup. I will help you and your company solve
your people needs, organisational structuring, and ensure you acquire, and retain,
top Product talent.

Dealing with layoffs
Headcount request processes
Product recruitment processes
Product interview training
Candidate calibration panels
Product interview panels

Mission & Vision

Build Purpose

The best tech companies are mission-led with a clear vision and a coherent
strategy. I will work with you and your team to establish a mission your people
believe in, form a compelling vision to aspire to, and a comprehensive strategy
which sets your startup apart.

Metrics & goals

Build Impact

The most successful startups set ambitious goals and are outcome-focused –
they live and die by their data capabilities to measure their progress against those
targets. I will ensure your startup and Product team are data-driven without ever
becoming data-constrained.

Strategy & tactics

Build Correctly

Build great Products your users love and which move the dial of core business KPIs.
It’s simple, but no one said it was easy. I’ll work with your team to build a best-in-
class Product Development Process tailored to your company’s needs.

Sales & growth

Build Userbase and Revenues

Growth is the lifeblood of all startups on the market – with growth, you thrive,
without it, your business becomes an also-ran. I will work with you to identify
growth and retention opportunities through organic user-directed actions and
sales-led acquisition methods.

Want me to help you?

My consulting "sweet spot"

While I am always interested to speak with clients from diverse industries taking on
challenges with complex problems, below is a small guide on the kinds of clients I typically work best with.

Probably for you if:

Probably not for you if:

How do consulting engagements work?

Every client and their needs are different, as such, it’s not entirely useful or possible to describe a “typical” consulting arrangement. With that said, here are some of features most common to the most successful consulting engagements:

Easy and frequent access to key decision-makers with authority
A desire and authority to implement recommendations
Willingness to learn and a growth mindset
Budget for consulting services and any resourcing needs identified
Primarily remote consulting with potential of in-person
Commitment to the consulting process, flexible on tactics

Need your own personal Product coach?

In addition to the broad-ranging consulting support I give to whole startups and
teams, I also assist individual founders, executives, Product leaders, and Product
Managers through one-on-one coaching. Below are some specific topics I can
coach you on.

Getting a job in Product Management

The Product Manager role is one of the most rewarding, exciting, and best-compensated in tech. However, with so many candidates vying for the same role, companies only select the top of the crop. I’ll help you get selected. I’ll review and work with you on your CV and LinkedIn, show you where the top companies hire, direct you to the kinds of startups your skills would suit best, and prep you for the interview and any PM case study challenge. Not only that but I’ll also help you navigate the compensation package negotiation process so you get paid what you deserve.

Product career guidance

Whether it’s your first 90 days in the company as a PM or you’re a seasoned professional looking to make it to the next stage in your Product career, I’ll work with you to help you reach your professional potential inside your current company - or your next one. You can climb the Product Management career ladder, you just need to know what to do to get to the top.

People Management responsibilities coaching

People management can be hard to get right. From my extensive experience in hiring, coaching, and promoting Product Managers, I will work to understand your people management challenges, put a plan together to level-up your people management skills, and work with you as you execute against the plan to become an even more effective people manager.

Independent Product advisor

Whether it’s your first 90 days in the company as a PM or you’re a seasoned professional looking to make it to the next stage in your Product career, I’ll work with you to help you reach your professional potential inside your current company or your next one. You can climb the Product Management career ladder, you just need to know what to do to get to the top.

Questions about Product consulting

I’m not sure if your consulting / coaching is right for me. What should I do?

This is completely understandable. It can be daunting. Just reach out to me on my contact page, tell me a little bit about yourself, your company, and your challenges and we can take it from there. If I think you need my help and that I can indeed help you we can start a conversation. If I don’t think you need my help, I will tell you – I am not in the business of “selling” to a client who doesn’t need to be sold to. Finally, if I believe that you do indeed need support but for some reason in my assessment I am not the right person to deliver that support, or that I don’t have the bandwidth at that point in time, I will tell you and will point you in the direction of professionals whom I trust.

How long do consulting engagements last?

This is a bit of a “how long is a piece of string” question. Consultation periods are entirely dependent upon your needs and that of your organisation. A good rule of thumb is that if the problem which exists has lasted for a year or more then the consulting period will be measured in months rather than weeks. If it’s less than a year, then it can possibly take just weeks. Again though, this is all entirely dependent on the needs of your organisation.

For companies that need more support on a longer-lasting basis please get in touch and we can discuss options.

My startup is still very early-stage and we can’t afford a consultant. Can you still work with us?

For startups which are not in the financial position to take on traditional consulting support, I work with early-stage, bootstrapped, and pre-revenue startups and founders in an advisory capacity in exchange for a modest equity share. For details on my advisory thesis, you can learn more here

Do you ever do pro-bono consulting?

On occasion I will work with non-profits and charities pro-bono. If however you are running a for-profit organisation, this would require a more traditional set up.

Do you do speaking engagements?

I am happy to speak at meetups, conferences, and in-house company events. For profit-making events I charge a speakers fee, for community meetups I do not. To start a conversation around your event or talk please contact me to discuss options.