Founding Product Manager

As a Founding Product Manager at our New York City company, your responsibilities include driving product strategy, defining the product roadmap, guiding the vision and execution of the product, and overseeing the product development lifecycle from ideation to launch. You'll also need to collaborate effectively between cross-functional teams, conduct market research, and optimize the product roadmap based on user needs.

To qualify for the Founding Product Manager position in New York City, candidates should have 5+ years of experience in product management, particularly with B2B SaaS products. A strong understanding of product prioritization frameworks and previous experience working in early-stage startups will be beneficial. We also seek candidates with effective collaboration skills and an ability to navigate startup chaos while building structured solutions.

The Founding Product Manager contributes to the company’s growth by ensuring the product’s short-term tactics align with long-term goals, guiding product development towards delivering measurable value, and identifying new revenue opportunities through market research. Your role is crucial in transforming our long-term vision into actionable strategies that drive business objectives.

In this New York City startup, the Founding Product Manager can expect a hybrid work environment that combines both in-office and remote work flexibility. Our culture thrives on collaboration and innovation, providing an exciting yet challenging atmosphere where you can make a significant impact and help shape the foundation of our product strategy.

To be successful as a Founding Product Manager in our New York City location, you should possess strong skills in product management, cross-functional collaboration, market analysis, and product prioritization. Additionally, having a growth mindset, adaptability to ambiguity, and the ability to build effective processes are key factors to thriving in this fast-paced startup environment.

When developing a product roadmap, I start by gathering insights from customer feedback, market trends, and competitive analysis. I prioritize features based on user needs and business goals, ensuring alignment with our strategic vision. Collaborating closely with cross-functional teams helps in refining priorities before finalizing the roadmap.

Balancing customer needs with business objectives requires continuous communication and evaluation. I use market research and user feedback to understand priorities while ensuring that solutions align with long-term goals. By identifying measurable outcomes for both users and the business, I find common ground to achieve both objectives.

I employ several prioritization techniques such as the RICE scoring model, which evaluates reach, impact, confidence, and effort, and the MoSCoW method (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won't have). These methods help to objectively assess features based on user value and business impact.

Handling conflicting priorities requires open communication and collaborative problem-solving. I facilitate discussions between stakeholders to clarify goals and impact. By using data-driven insights and aligning with our overall strategy, I aim to guide teams towards a consensus that benefits both the product vision and user satisfaction.

In a previous role, I faced a decision about continuing to support a legacy feature or reallocate resources to develop a high-demand function. I analyzed usage data, gathered customer feedback, and presented a risk assessment to leadership. Ultimately, we decided to sunset the legacy feature in favor of enhancing customer value, which positively impacted user satisfaction.

To stay informed about market trends, I follow industry blogs, attend relevant webinars, and actively participate in product management communities. Networking with peers and engaging in customer discussions also provides valuable insights into emerging trends and user expectations.

I measure the success of a product feature by defining Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) aligned with our product goals. This often includes metrics like user engagement, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction scores. Post-launch, I analyze these metrics to assess performance and iterate based on user feedback.

Working with cross-functional teams has been integral to my success as a product manager. I prioritize establishing clear communication channels and setting shared objectives. My approach encourages collaboration among engineering, design, and marketing teams to foster an environment where ideas can flourish and progress can be made efficiently.

I utilize various product management tools such as JIRA for agile project management, Confluence for documentation, and user feedback tools like SurveyMonkey or Intercom to gather insights. Additionally, I use analytics platforms like Google Analytics to track user behavior and assess product performance.

I am motivated by the opportunity to create impactful products that solve real user problems. Being a Founding Product Manager allows me to shape the product’s direction and foster a collaborative environment. Contributing to the growth of a startup while navigating challenges is what excites me most about this role.