Kickstarter’s Post

Personal update: one of the the best rides of my 20+ year career at Productboard is coming to an end and I'm on the lookout for the next one 🚀 I've had the privilege of not just leading efforts enabling the team at Productboard, but also 6k+ other orgs using it, enabling them to serve their customers more effectively. Huge scale and impact. It's been an absolute honor. But like many in SaaS, we've seen market contraction, leading to layoffs. And so with a product and design team half the size and more than twice the strength than when I joined, coupled with an exceptionally strong product led founder Hubert Palan taking on CPO, now is the time to make space. Product management is unnecessarily full of friction, and product management software plays a critical role eliminating that. And with AI, I believe what it means to be a PM and how collaboration will happen across the PDLC and with customers will shift brilliantly for the better this year. I look forward to championing all players in this space every step of the way. There's significant opportunity for impact here, testament to the backing from and calibre of our Board members (Ilya Fushman @ Kleiner Perkins, Andrew Reed @ Sequoia Capital, Jan Hammer @ Index Ventures, Byron Deeter @ Bessemer Venture Partners - thanks for your support). Reflecting back and look forward, a truism that I leant into heavily is the importance of authenticity and passion; lean into that and you'll quickly find that your org and more importantly your customers will partner on a level like never before. And the most unexpected role of all that I had to play? Keeping the spirit, the drive, the passion, the drumbeat in the org as high as possible when sharp cuts are being made to headcount. True leadership emerges when everyone still believes and gives their best, even as we say goodbye to close friends and talented colleagues. So what’s next for me? No idea just yet. But what I do know is that I'm excited to take some time off to recharge, reflect and take stock. It's not often that we get to do this in our careers, especially at a time when the sands are shifting so much technically and thus strategically. I'm excited to get much closer to the latest stack on the block wrt AI and anything that makes orgs more efficient, far more aligned and way more effective. I'll most likely bombard you here with thoughts and tools I'm playing with on that front 🙂 I'm open to connecting with other product leaders that would be interested in doing so. Serendipity - as I've seen at Productboard and with our customers, is the sheer joy of stumbling upon ideas, people, and possibilities that can change the course of our lives in ways we never could have planned. DM me if you're feeling serendipitous! To all working at and using Productboard, thank you for being a part of our journey together ❤️ I look forward to sharing more soon.

How to make a shift from my JOB to start my BRAND ? Almost everyday I hear about the corporate layoffs and fear of looming recession :( Have you been thinking of creating your plan B in life and transition from job to starting a business ? Its not as hard as we might think... How can anyone create their own product without knowing where to begin with ? Watch the video.. courtesy : Nikhil Kamath (Zerodha) and Gazhal Alagh (Mamaearth) I tried to slice down the process in simple steps : 1/ Select the problem that resonates with you .. (say creating a superior product of existing product or creating something not existing or adding convenience / experience to an existing product) 2/ Study in and out about the existing product, read google, labels .. 3/ Use existing eco systems like R&D labs and manufacturing facilities for testing formulations and creating samples. 4/ Use Linkedin ruthlessly (cold contacting) to find people who can help with testing etc. 5/ Do Product-Market Fit by sharing with the people around and actual users, taking feedback (Validation) 6/ Iterate, with the feedback loop to adjust and make an optimal product. 7/ Launch on marketplaces like amazon etc. (your website can happen later) While it may sound simple, it requires courage, character, and growth habits to build a successful venture. Taking the first step is the hardest but once you take it, rest will follow Do you dare to take one.... ?? ------------------------------------------------------------------ Follow Gaurav Gaba for lessons on an accelerated corporate career and entrepreneurship !! #startup, #entreprenuership #careertips #corporatejobs

By nature, most start-ups are generally "high growth" but when you start to hit that trifecta sweet spot of true product market fit (~50-100+ customers), revenue growth at scale (say $10-20m+ ARR), and people scale (100-200) it's a really special thing that actually only a very small % of folks who work in technology get to be a part of and play a role in building. If you are so lucky enough to stumble upon one of those companies, my advice / own experience has been to a) work super hard - hard work, both individually and as a team, generally helps keep the good times alive b) embrace change and be in a constant state of evolution as the company matures and new challenges / skill gaps emerge for your role and the org as a whole and c) just try and hold on for the ride in light of all the growing pains and shiny green grass thats out there. Trust me, it's worth it. Jellyfish also happens to be in that very sweet spot right now and we're looking to add folks to our GTM team who want to play a role in building and maintaining something really special.

Folks ! In these times of layoffs , focusing on your skills will lead you to your next product role than looking at market dynamics Great product managers focus a lot more on their skills than market dynamics ❤️ For a 1% operator, the market or ecosystem always has roles as is with many of my students who found roles in FedEx , Uber , Series B or C funded startups ❤️ YouTube is the easiest pathway to start your journey as a 1% operator and here are first 12 videos you should watch to start your journey 1. Introduction to Product Management ? by TheSwagWalaPM : https://lnkd.in/gD4r5bBr 2. The 3 skills of product managers by Ravi Mehta , ex-CPO Tinder : https://lnkd.in/gKQ6iFgV 3. Behind every great product by Marty Cagan : https://lnkd.in/gjqeY_vE 4. The surprising traits of exceptional product leaders : https://lnkd.in/gQkVrPmw 5. 20 Years of Product Management in 25 Minutes : https://lnkd.in/gn_GggRu 6. Best practices for product roadmaps : https://lnkd.in/gRc9gk4R 7. How to break into product management by Chloe Shih : https://lnkd.in/gSxAMSjn 8. How to build a product as small startup by Y Combinator : https://lnkd.in/gxdFPdNV 9. The Technical, Business and UX Skills Every Product Manager Needs. by Liam Bolling : https://lnkd.in/gnqsKXte 10. How to build an MVP : https://lnkd.in/gJYqmAKq 11. Google PM interview prep by Product Alliance : https://lnkd.in/gi-bSifu 12. How to Build a Product that Scales into a Company by Harvard Innovation Labs : https://lnkd.in/g-TwYVmz Bonus channel : 13. TheSwagWalaPM : Here you would find tons of videos on product sense , thinking , execution , vision , system design , system dynamics and more : https://lnkd.in/gugm3Sc7 Please share this post as much as you can for more aspirants to derive value You never know your next product role might be just a corner away ❤️ For more awesome posts follow Shravan Tickoo ❤️ Yours Shravan bhaiya #productmanagement

Some personal news: I'm transitioning out of my CEO role at Product Hunt, and the talented Rajiv Ayyangar will lead the company's next chapter. First, a little backstory: 3 years ago, I teamed up with Josh Buckley to merge Product Hunt's strengths with early-stage venture funding. Our mission? To craft something unique to align the interests of makers, investors, and Product Hunt. Since then, I've had the privilege of building alongside a stellar team. We have: - Doubled revenue and DAU - 3xed traffic to maker sites, thanks to product hubs which connect makers and users beyond launch day - Tackled spam and bod activity with far better tooling and moderation - Grew SEO traffic by 40% by building for intent-based discovery - Debuted new and improved apps for iOS and Android - Ushered in major tech waves (no code -> web3 -> AI -> ???) It's been a wild ride, and I can't thank Josh and Ryan Hoover enough for trusting me with the opportunity. But, as visions evolve, personal goals shift too. In the wake of Hyper's shutdown, I decided I wasn't the best person to lead the next chapter. In finding a replacement, we wanted to find someone with lots of grit, founder DNA, and a deep, personal connection to Product Hunt. Enter Rajiv. In our talks over several months, it became clear that he's the right person to drive this next chapter. He has the experience and the ambition that we were looking for. But even more important is his passion and boundless optimism for the future of Product Hunt. I'll let Rajiv tell his story, but one preview: Product Hunt changed his life, and I'm confident he'll spend the coming years making sure it does the same for maker many more makers. I'm SO excited for what's to come and will be cheering from the sidelines. Warm welcome, Rajiv!

So… Whenever I tell people I head up product over at Sendspark… They assume the majority of my role involves working with our engineering team… Although, that is true… I also dedicate a ton of time to our customer-facing teams. I'd like to say it's an equal split, but… It does vary day-to-day depending on priorities and what needs attention. Building a product that people love takes a lot of hard work! 👂 Listening… 💬 Asking questions… 📊 Research… 🤔 Understanding / Distilling Feedback… These are all key for me to effectively guide product decisions, roadmap suggestions, determine our focus and direction. I really love what I do and I’m always eager to learn and grow, so… If you know of any product people I should connect with, or maybe you are one yourself, tag them below or send me a message! #founder #startups #product #design

Introducing my new venture, Product Scout! As I reflected on my PM career at Apple, Dropbox, Brex, and other startups, it was the teams I worked with and built that brought the products to life. But building these teams was always challenging and building product teams in particular always felt broken. Finding and recruiting candidates myself worked best, since I knew the job to be done and which skills were needed, but this required significant time, effort, and mindshare that took away from delivering for customers. Recruiters could help, but they were rarely set up for success—most lacked context so it took longer for them to understand the ideal candidate profile and how to screen for it. I often got on calls with candidates who had passed a recruiter screen, and realized within minutes it wasn’t going to work out. The problem is great PMs are hard to find. Product is different at every company and each PM possesses a broad and unique set of skills across product vision, strategy, execution and more. Separating the signal from the noise takes experience and this realization led me to a new approach to building product teams. Which brings me to my next adventure: Product Scout - a boutique recruiting firm helping early-stage founders build their product team. 🚀 As both a recruiter and thought partner, I help founders define the vision for the team, the exact profile and skill set required, and the right screening process – much of which can happen before a job req is even opened. To find and close the best of the best, I've developed a sourcing and recruiting system that’s structured, data-driven, and tech-enabled. After all, once a PM, always a PM. Know any early-stage founders that need help building their product team? I’m taking new clients and appreciate any intros. 🙏

Michael, while we didn't get to interact as much as I would have liked during our shared tenure at Multiverse, two things about you stand out to me even from brief interactions: 1.) You see professional learning, development, and achievement as vital tools of liberation, and carry this purposefully in your own professional actions and journey. 2.). You technical knowledge and insight you share on your monthly substack newsletter for Talent Lab Solutions is clear, measured, and informative.

Hello, LinkedIn community! It's been a while since I last shared my thoughts and experiences here. Life has been a whirlwind, and I'm thrilled to be back to reconnect with all of you. Over the past few years, I've been immersed in the world of entrepreneurship, founding and leading Cannecht, a SaaS company that aimed to revolutionize the cannabis B2B marketplace. The journey has been nothing short of incredible, filled with challenges, lessons, and growth. However, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. It's with mixed emotions that I announce Cannecht is closing its doors. While it's bittersweet to say goodbye, this decision opens a new chapter in my professional journey. The future is exciting, and I'm eager to dive into fresh opportunities. My time as a startup founder and CEO has honed my skills in navigating complexities, fostering innovation, and building lasting partnerships. These experiences have positioned me well for challenging management roles that lie ahead. If you're aware of any opportunities in the Seattle area or remote positions that align with my background in B2B marketplace software, I'd love to connect and explore how my skills can contribute to your organization's success. Let's embark on this journey together! #NewBeginnings #CareerJourney #StartupFounder #ManagementRoles #SeattleJobs #RemoteWork #SaaS #ProfessionalGrowth #B2BMarketplace #FutureOpportunities