Design by education
Tech by experience
Product Management & Facilitation by choice
Titles vary, often product-something, sometimes design-something.
We should talk if you are already thinking about a title for me.
I help organizations to discover new opportunities for their products or services and execute on them. Discovery work never happens in an isolated context, but is connected to business strategy and long-term vision. If you struggle connecting the dots between vision, strategy, tactics, and daily work on the product while generating value for users and your business – I will help you to connect the dots. My first weapons of choice are not »Innovation Workshops« or other »away from daily business« activities. I will help you to integrate user-centered product innovation into your daily business.
Having two decades of experience in design I will bring the »human factor« into every conversation. I create user journeys, service blueprints, lo- & hi-fi prototypes, and other artifacts based on research and insights. With that in mind, I will always emphasize the end-to-end experience so that the bigger picture won't get lost. These artifacts are never the end product, but the conversation starter. From there, we will identify risks and opportunities to define precise next steps, big and small. We will work on them together, to get one step closer to achieve your vision.
I believe in powerful and empowered teams. I help organizations to enable their teams to be agile and work truly cross-functional. I also consult on the organizational systems around teams, and how they can be coached, managed, and supported. I focus especially on introducing user-centered methods and discovery responsibilities to product teams so that they understand user needs and connect them to business needs.
Occasionally I give talks, conduct lectures, and facilitate workshops on different topics around product & design methods, user-centered product development, and related topics. I talk in public formats like meetups and internal formats within organizations or universities. These can be one-offs or multiple appearances in different settings.
Even as a product manager, I can't fill all the functions needed to create a great product. I need a team with Engineering, Design, Marketing, Sales, Finance, HR, … specialists around me to be able to play on my strengths.
Even as a trained designer, I'm not an illustrator, brand designer, or the perfect choice for detailed visual design.
Even though I'm able to code and understand technical systems & architecture, I don't have the routine and experience to code software in some sustainable way.
© 2022 Christoph Steinlehner