Fractional Chief Product Officer (CPO)
A fractional CPO is a person you hire part-time as a trusted advisor to provide strategic advice, expertise and leadership on a fractional basis.
The fractional CPO is an advisory model where I work part-time as a C-Suite executive with your organisation and advise on strategy, product, business model, user experience, hiring, partnerships and funding. This gives you access to CPO-level guidance and support without the commitment of a full-time executive. It’s not feasible to take responsibility for people management and day-to-day operations in this model. That said, I often mentor people, run workshops, and participate in board/investor meetings as needed.
I advised Pro Sky to become a product-centric business, Exploding Topics to identify and engage with their most valuable customer segment, and several other organisations. In addition, I worked with a roster of well-known brands and organisations on behalf of ScienceMagic, ScienceMagic.Studios and Group of Humans as a fractional CxO/CPO for over two years.
Looking for a fully embedded model instead? Check here →
When could hiring me as a fractional CPO be practical and valuable?
1. When you want to restructure your organisation.
Restructuring teams or your entire organisation for any reasons like cost cutting, expansion or relocation can significantly impact employees, stakeholders and your overall organisational culture. I can bring a fresh perspective to the table without any existing biases or allegiances. I will thoroughly assess your product portfolio and teams to make informed recommendations that align with your revised objectives and future direction. I led the org restructure for Product and Tech Org, for good reasons, at Ada, Lendis, Automata and several other companies.
2. When you are unsure if you need a CPO or a product leader.
When you aren’t sure about the need for a product leader, it’s worth dipping your toes in the water to gain firsthand experience working with a fractional CPO. You can explore the benefits and value a CPO can add to your organisation without making a long-term commitment or investment. Furthermore, it will offer you the flexibility and adaptability to work at your pace and tailor the engagement to meet your specific needs.
3. When you are establishing a product or design function for the first time.
Your organisation may be sales-driven like early-stage startups, or you may have a strong emphasis on developing cutting-edge technology like in AI startups, or you might be undergoing a digital transformation like large banks. As a result, the product decisions fall upon individuals, like software engineers, project managers, or sales leaders, who may lack the necessary expertise or availability to fulfil the role. I’ve set up product functions from scratch at many organisations using a strategic approach, sometimes starting with a small team of 2-3 PMs and sometimes going all in with multiple squads totalling 25-30 people.
4. When you must seize an opportunity that may not be fully developed yet.
Great leaders continuously seek new opportunities beyond their organisation’s core offering. However, allocating time and resources to underdeveloped opportunities that may or may not succeed is not always feasible. Additionally, it risks alienating teams as they may see you running after an opportunity based on a hunch or insufficient data and insights. A fractional CPO could be a great alternative to validate the opportunity, formulate product vision, strategy and roadmap, and pool resources internally or hire externally to take it further.
5. When you need specialised knowledge not readily available in-house.
Organisations often encounter situations where they require specialised knowledge that is not readily available in-house. A fractional CPO is an excellent option in such cases as it can provide you access to extensive experience and knowledge at your fingertips. I worked with ScienceMagic to advise several brands like Brand Architekts, The Crown Estate, Brompton and The Luminaire to build and grow their tech-enabled businesses. These clients were able to benefit from my expertise by commissioning me for a few hours a week only.
When would it not be worth engaging me as a fractional CPO?
1. When there is no buy-in from the leadership team
You will face an uphill battle to integrate and get the best value out of an Interim leader without buy-in from key members of your leadership team. I'll provide you with information to build a business case and discuss how to position me internally early in the process.
2. When your organisation isn't ready for change
Interim leadership is all about change, often rapid change. The rate of change is governed by the objective at hand e.g. avert a crisis, push for growth, transition to a new phase etc.
3. When your culture isn’t favourable to outside help
The constant for any Contractor / Consultant in almost any company is a group of people who dislike them before they have stepped foot on their premises. In some cases, the hatred is pathological and they are treated as second-class citizens. This is a recipe for disaster, not just failure.
4. When you need a figurehead to drive long-term cultural change
There are times when you need a leader to focus on the long-term cultural change and building future value instead of putting off immediate fires and deliver immediate value. You are better off hiring a full-time person in that case.
5. When you need a politician to resolve territorial issues
It's not a joke. It's not uncommon for a mid to large size organisation to have departments standing against each other and sabotage the collaboration. You may need a diplomat in such cases to break rigid boundaries and facilitate innovation across the organisation.
6. When consulting costs worry you more than the outcomes and results
Consulting is knowledge work, yet some hiring managers tend to measure success with a yardstick of deliverables produced and hours spent. This attitude sets up any external collaborator for failure from the get-go and you are better off not hiring that person.
Not sure? Let’s have a chat to assess your situation. The initial consultation is free.