Build Products

That Matter

I help tech companies supercharge their product teams, identify market opportunities, and build products that matter. 

Product Leader, Tech Tinkerer, 0-1 Startup CPO

I know from experience how easy it is for founders and product teams to get swept away by their creative vision start building all the things — they forget to build the one thing that matters.

I help product teams and startup founders:

  • Stop excessive burn rate

  • Understand their realm of genius and build towards that

  • Stay laser focused on their “Why”

  • Define the problems they’re actively trying to solve

  • Leveraging the latest advancements in technology

  • Understanding customer and product distribution channels

Focused, strategic guidance

I help founders and executives work through company pivots and 0-1 initiatives by:

  • Setting a clear focus

  • Simplifying product offerings

  • Formulating the “Why”

  • Identifying market opportunities

  • Prioritizing roadmaps & optimizing internal processes

Opportunity Identification & Execution

I identify and execute on opportunities that will drive growth and increase profitability. From operational inefficiencies to executive team management and product offerings, I’ll work alongside your teams to help execute and physically move the needle on set opportunities for scaleable growth.

  • “Melissa has an incredible feel for the user’s journey and makes things approachable and engaging. She's amazing at understanding the "why" of things and translating that into the product.”

    Scott Purcell, CEO Fortress Trust

  • She’s like a swiss army knife — sharp, cuts to the point, and super handy to have in your pocket.

    Tony Hsieh (Former CEO of Zappos.com)

  • Melissa is whip-smart and has the uncanny ability to relate to any founder, and quickly finds holes and offers unique solutions. Any company would be lucky to work with her.

    Ali Partovi, CEO of Neo & CoFounder of Code.org

  • Melissa is a curious creative who loves to dive head first into every problem (or, rather, opportunity) and either apply or discover the best solution. If you explore her past projects, her work will speak for itself.

    Thomas Knoll, COO Revelry

  • I love Melissa. I first met her through a mutual friend, and later had the opportunity to work with her. She's one of the nicest, most sincere people I know. Her creativity, drive, ability to execute, and to do it all with a smile is a killer combination, and I'd love to work with her on any project, any time. Oh and also she's wicked smart.

    Mike Barash, Partner at WE Codeword

  • It is hard to find a person, who will work and deliver, who will build team, vision, and collaboration. When I think of whom I remember of those who are dedicated and willing to do whatever it takes - Melissa comes to mind instantly. Proud to know her and of our collaboration.

    Andriy Derevenko, Head of Project Management, SoftServe Ukraine

  • Melissa is a hardworking, talented, and passionate product leader with the ability to see the big picture and beyond — without losing any of the details.

    Katie Swalm, UX/UI Storyteller at banq

  • Melissa is an outstanding and selfless leader! She has a knack for providing the perfect amount of room to let her team grow and fostering an environment to empower her team. She is deeply passionate about her work and the work of her team. I'm very lucky to have been lead and mentored by Melissa!

    Nadia Bahash, UX Designer at MX

I offer Fractional CPO and Product Advisory services to tech-based startups and pivoting companies

My goal is to apply the knowledge I’ve gained from nearly two decades of building alongside Tech Founders — like Tony Hsieh & Scott Purcell — and help you avoid some of the classic and costly mistakes most startups run into. From the early days of e-commerce to building out a neobank from scratch to building FinTech infrastructure and SaaS products for Trust & Securities Web3 and Payment platform I’m here to help you ask the hard questions, become obsessed with the problem, find product-market fit, decrease burn rate, increase efficiency, employee retention & productivity — and most importantly, create companies and solutions that matter.

Together We’ll Cover…

Executing on your big product visions

"Vision without execution is hallucination." — Thomas Edison

Together, we’ll put together a targeted and clear direction and strategy for your product/company or new business pivot, and will formulate product offerings and distribution methods specifically catered to meet the needs of your target market. In the end, you’ll have a unique and clear value proposition, and an executable build plan and go-to-market strategy.

Articulating your ”why” and product fit

Clearly articulating the “why” behind your product or company, and building to solve the problems your target audience is experiencing will get you flying over the hurdles that are keeping you stuck in the build and pivot cycle, and will have your product stand out from all the rest. Together we’ll work through a series of positioning workshops that have been proven to provide predictable and repeatable results across a wide variety of fields and industries.

Feature & Roadmap Prioritization

A clear focus and roadmap strategy, will not only help you foster an internal culture of production and creativity but will ultimately help keep your product build cycles lean and mean. Together, I’ll help your teams narrow their focus, prioritize your product roadmaps and user journeys, and get you ahead of the curve.

Organization Overhaul Guidance

This one’s for businesses seeking to optimize their operations and achieve long-term success. Together, alongside key stakeholders, I’ll help analyze your current systems and identify areas for overall improvement. From revamping organizational structure, processes, and systems, to improving company culture, product vision, leadership, and overall efficiency, productivity, and profitability.

A Few of the Companies I’ve Served

READY TO LEVEL UP?

Get in touch.
Let’s bring to life products that matter.