1. When you need immediate help to avert a crisis or stabilise the ship.

Your organisation can end up in crisis suddenly and overwhelm your staff, e.g. due to changes in market conditions or inexperienced leaders. When you are in a crisis, the signs become apparent — you keep pouring money into product teams, but they aren’t delivering enough value leaving you helpless and frustrated. You have a leadership gap, and teams are running around without guidance in multiple directions resulting in chaos and scattered efforts. In such instances, I can swiftly assess the situation, restore stability and navigate your organisation through turbulent waters.

2. When you are going through significant organisational change like an acquisition or restructuring.

Mergers, acquisitions and organisation restructuring for reasons like downsizing, expansion and streamlining operations can introduce unique challenges and complexities requiring specialised skills and expertise. In such scenarios, the role of the CPO becomes even more critical to adapt, merge, organise and align people, products and processes. I have been brought in a couple of times to help in similar situations, e.g. by Selligent after acquiring an AI startup, a tech scaleup during and after layoffs, and by an investor after a merger of two companies.

3. When you want someone to cover a departing CPO and don’t want your teams to fall apart.

You have a leadership void after your CPO has moved on. You may or may not be replacing them immediately, or you realise it could take 6-12 months to hire a full-time executive replacement. This puts your teams at attrition risk and could cause a dip in productivity or morale. I can ensure continuity in strategy and execution, and keep your teams focused, motivated and aligned with company goals while injecting fresh and positive energy. Additionally, consider bringing me in before the departure of the existing CPO for knowledge transfer, documentation and smooth handover later.

4. When you aren’t able to attract, or not ready for, the right candidate.

It can be extremely tough, time-consuming and costly to attract and hire crème de la crème of CPOs for several reasons like limited budget, team maturity, or your company, value proposition, funding or revenue isn’t attractive enough for the ideal candidate. I can level up your team and organisation to attract and support hiring the right candidate. I’ve hired product leaders for several tech scaleups like Selligent and SharpCloud, and offer it as a standalone service as well to work alongside executive search firms.

5. When you need to scale yourself as a CEO or a product co-founder.

As a CEO or a product co-founder, you have been working closely with the product teams, but it’s becoming increasingly difficult for you to single-handedly drive all aspects of product vision, management, strategy, communication and alignment. I can alleviate that burden so you can focus on initiatives, like funding or expansion, which require more of your attention. You can delegate some or all product responsibilities and use me as a sounding board that could also contribute to your professional growth. I’m well aware of the hesitation and handover challenges and will work at a pace comfortable for you.

6. When your current product leader needs coaching and support to be more effective.

Your current product leader may be underperforming or lacks experience and the right skills, and you are determined to help them by investing in their success. In rare cases, there is a breakdown of trust, and you aren’t sure if they are doing the right thing. I can mentor, coach and partner with your current product leader to elevate their performance and drive better outcomes. Please get in touch for advice on approaching this sensitive subject with your team member, as some leaders can feel hostile to such proposals.

7. When you need a CPO with different skills now than you would need in a year.

You may need a different type of CPO and, in some cases, CTO down the line for several reasons. Some examples include expansion plans, evolving business model, fundraising, a major product overhaul or undergoing a strategic shift. I can work with you to drive important initiatives forward through this transition period. In addition, I can assess organisation needs and establish a clear set of expectations for the permanent CPO role, thereby enhancing the pool of qualified candidates for later stages.

8. When your existing product leader is on a sabbatical or maternity leave.

Other than the usual advantages of providing cover during the period of absence, it can be an opportunity for you to leverage my expertise and get a fresh perspective. As an interim CPO, I can bring new insights, best practices and innovative ideas to the table that could enhance the overall Product function and drive further growth.

9. When you don’t know the type of CPO you need.

Compared to other established executive roles like COO or CMO, a CPO is a relatively new but fast-growing role that has become commonplace in the last decade. Therefore, it’s not surprising to not have a clear idea of the skills, experience, domain expertise and leadership style you need. I follow a ‘Show-n-Tell’ approach to identify the needs, demonstrate the value, establish the foundations for you to get firsthand experience working with a CPO, and provide clarity and evidence to make an informed and successful CPO hire, given you need one later.

10. When you lack in-house expertise or need specialised knowledge.

I worked alongside an experienced product leader who had spent his entire career working on B2C/Consumer products. The company was expanding into the B2B/Enterprise space, and they brought me in to work alongside the existing product leader. This approach met their immediate business needs and helped the current product leader gain experience in a new area while strengthening his commitment to the organisation, a win-win scenario. It’s always worth considering external help when you lack in-house expertise.

11. When you want to establish a product function from scratch

There are several good reasons why there wasn’t a need to set up a product and design function earlier or why it didn’t become a priority for years after a company’s inception. It could be due to focus on developing the technology, proving the viability of a solution, founders having sufficient expertise, or lack of awareness, time or budget. As a robotics pioneer, Automata hired me to set up the product function combining hardware/software cycles. I used the approach of nurturing talent from within and built roles, responsibilities and growth frameworks specific to them.

12. When you need focused leadership to execute a short-term initiative.

You have an exciting new opportunity, but your teams are already neck deep in chasing the current opportunities and looking after the day-to-day business operations. For example, the opportunity could be about entering a new market, launching a new product line, or meeting a specific customer need. I can comfortably oversee and provide focused leadership to realise the opportunity while mitigating risks associated with venturing into charted territories.