You need expertise in the whole process
The path from idea to market dominance is fraught with risks. Each stage in the process has its own challenges. But in the right hands, those risks can become opportunities. I have 25 years of experience in tech, having worked on all the stages of the product creation process from ideation to design to market launch, and beyond. I have launched my own products, including the brand new XenBuild. I am here to help guide you through the process, not just avoiding the risks, but using them to make a better product and a greater impact.
Discovery
What is it?
Discovery is the initial phase in product development where teams gather insights to understand user needs, market opportunities, and potential risks. It includes:
User research
Quantitative analytics
Business needs
Market research
Competitive research
Why do you need it?
Here are some stats:
According to research from Harvard Business School, 95% of new products fail.
According to Wall Street Journal, 75% of venture-backed startups fail.
The overwhelming reason for this failure rate is simple: the product doesn't actually solve a problem.
Before you launch a product, you need to ensure that (A) there is a real need and (B) you have the ability to fill that need. If you don't establish those basics, then your product is going to fail. Simple as that.
Why me?
I have a strong background in quantitative analysis and data visualization to present research to company leadership with clarity
My experience in business and product management means that I understand market research and social trends that affect the market
Strategy
What is it?
Define your business objectives, user needs, and marketing positioning, then create a roadmap to achieve them.
Vision statement
Product-market fit
Product roadmap
Go-to-market strategy
Identifying KPIs
Why do you need it?
Strategy is the bridge between the discovery phase and product design. If you do not develop a product strategy at the outset, you risk any of the following:
Product never launches
Product launches late
Product is not what was intended
Cost overruns
Common risks include:
Limited resources at startups
Internal politics at large enterprises
Why me?
I have developed product plans that have won investment, both from angel investors and large enterprises
Design
What is it?
Create concepts for your new product based on comprehensive research, then turn those concepts into specs for development. This includes:
Information architecture
Object-oriented UX
Low to mid-fidelity wireframes
Direction of visual design (including providing designers where needed)
A/B testing and other product research
Why do you need it?
Good design pays. According to Forrester, every $1 invested in UX returns $2-100!
Conversely, cutting corners costs you. According to the ACSI, customer satisfaction has begun to decline exactly as companies are defunding design.
The political climate in Europe and America is trending toward increased regulation of tech, meaning that bad design may start to come with fines
Design Management Institute found that design-led companies outperformed the S&P by 228% over ten years.
Why me?
I have 25 years of design experience, ranging from UX to data visualization to cartography
I have worked on a wide range of products across several industries, and my breadth of experience enables me to design best-in-class UX even in the absence of research
I specialize in innovative, bespoke solutions to real problems as opposed to the cookie cutter designs you may get from less experienced designers
Management
What is it?
Oversee the design and development of the product and make sure it is on time, under budget, and built to spec. This includes:
Creating the product specs
Creating the roadmap for execution
Enabling collaboration on the team
Monitoring project progress
Communicating project status to company leadership
Why do you need it?
Poor communication kills tech projects. Good management is all about facilitating communication between everyone, and tearing down silos.
Company leadership needs to be able to know what the product is, why it exists, and how it's doing without having to get into the weeds.
Bad management causes employees to leave or underperform.
Why me?
I am a certified product manager from University of Washington
I have led products through the design and development process at many companies ranging from two-person startups to Fortune 50 companies
I have built my own teams including hiring, management, and budgeting and understand all parts of the process
I have developed an innovative new product management approach called XenBuild
Launch
What is it?
Ensure the success of your product launch, whether it is a go-to-market or an internal release. This includes:
Monitoring analytics
User acceptance testing
Working with marketing, sales, customer support, and infrastructure
QA and auditing
Knowledge transfer and handoff
Operational design
Why do you need it?
This is the phase when it becomes crucial for product to work together with other functions in the organization. That cross-functional cooperation can spell the difference between success and failure.
Newly launched products always have problems. You need someone to quickly identify when something is off and fix it.
Why me?
My background in marketing allows me to work closely with the marketing team
I have a track record of cross-functional work, coordinating projects across all parts of the company
I have launched many products including my own, and managed the challenges that only appeared after launch
How to get started
Are you trying to bring a new technology product onto the market? Or maybe it's still an idea and you need to make it into a product. Or perhaps you have a product on the market and you want to make it better. The first step is to book a call and we can begin to plan.