I help early-stage startups deliver the right product with measurable results, and how to organize their teams better to achieve it.
Simply put, what should be worked on next and why.
Together, we’ll assess your current product strategy and prioritization processes, then make targeted adjustments to reach your goals. This will help forecast the ideal product roadmap that aligns with your goals and gets the team moving in the right direction. I’ll also help create a communication strategy for the team and investors to understand the “why” behind the changes.
Quickly explore and validate new product ideas.
Working together in a design sprint, we'll shortcut the endless debate cycle and compress months into about a week. Instead of waiting until you launch a minimal product to evaluate an idea, you’ll get clear data from a realistic prototype. The sprint gives you a superpower: You can fast-forward into the future to see your finished product and customer reactions, before making any expensive commitments. At the end of the sprint, your team will be equipped to perform work like this on their own for other future ideas. I’ll also perform market and competitive analysis where needed in preparation for working together.
Optimize how your team works for efficiency and scale.
I’ll perform an end-to-end assessment and documentation of your existing product development lifecycle — or, if needed, we’ll collaboratively design a new one tailored to your scale. I’ll make tactical recommendations in each area of work that’ll help improve efficiency, clarity of roles & responsibilities, and transparency throughout the organization. We’ll determine how best to structure your development teams around areas of the product to operate effectively, including recommendations on hiring to fill gaps. This could include the design of future-thinking organizational changes and new product strategies.
Source, recruit, and onboard new teammates in the best way possible.
I’ll help you hire the right product development leads: engineers, designers, and product managers. This includes creating job descriptions, interviewing candidates at any stage, and establishing repeatable hiring practices for your team. I can also help connect you with the right recruiters for more specialized roles.
Mentorship for your leadership.
I’ll work with individuals in your team to help them gain self-awareness, clarify goals, achieve their development objectives, unlock their potential, and act as a sounding board. I’ll help run and analyze 360 reviews and other behavioral assessments with your team. Ultimately, coaching is tailored to the individual—we’ll focus on helping them become better leaders within your organization, while also considering their overall career goals.
Also, if you’ve found me independently and your company can’t provide sponsorship, please don’t hesitate to reach out — I’d love to help in some smaller, free capacity.
I’m available for fixed-scope projects as well as fractional CPO and/or CTO roles.
Email me at hello@orangerobot.com to get started with a brief description of your goals and challenges.
I’m an MIT computer science graduate who blindly jumped into startups about 17 years ago and have loved all its ups and downs. My career spans roles across engineering, product, and design at both B2C and B2B companies, resulting in exits totaling over $620M. I’m passionate about using my experience building great products and scaling companies to help others do the same.
To learn more about me and what I’m currently thinking about, visit josephfernandez.io