Product Strategy

As my product management philosophy outlined, my aim is to achieve as close an alignment with what the paying customer requires, in order to generate a clear product strategy.

Here I will outline my approach to achieveing this alignment and outline an example of where I applied this.

Product Strategy Approach

1. Start with Real-World Signals

My first step, intertwined with Product Marketing, is always to gather direct data, feedback, and insights from actual customers and the broader market.

2. Apply Strategic Frameworks

I leverage MBA level tools such as PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces analysis, SWOT analysis, or even just a Pereto distribution, to identify both external opportunities and internal organizational gaps.

3. Identify Segment to Serve

The next step is to clearly identify a market segment or niche where our capabilities and market needs align most closely. This stage also involves an evaluation of the marketing channels and methods required to reach this customer.

4. Build for Advantage

Working with developers then is the most crucial step to create the product required to serve the target customer and achieve PMF. I can deliver this with either an Agile Scrum or traditional Waterfall Project Management approach, or even build a prototype using a range of AI Assistants to rapidly get an MVP into the hands of users for testing and refinement.

5. The Hard Part: Sales

At that point I work with a marketing lens to consider market entry and a distribution strategy to get the product into customers hands - always with a measurable business impact as the end goal.

The target outcome being that everything flows from real-world customer demand, and ends with measurable value creation.

Real World Example: Genrae

Context:

Genrea set out to launch a shared appreciation crypto mortgage product in the US real estate market—a novel concept facing both operational and commercial barriers.

Issue:

The cost of capital made the investment unviable after a period of roughly 12 years, and average homeownership tenure was 15-20 years.

My Role:

As Product Manager, I led a complete business model redesign with the CEO, co-founders, and an investment team in New York. We focused on aligning product features, internal operations, and financial models to what target customers valued most.

Actions Taken:

• Led market research and applied the business model canvas to find misalignments between our product and the needs of both buyers and internal teams.
• Facilitated cross-team workshops to identify operational blockers and refine feature priorities.
• Used competitive and regulatory analysis (SWOT, PESTEL) to reposition the product for launch-readiness.

Frameworks & Strategic Reasoning:

• Business Model Canvas
• SWOT & PESTEL
• User Story Mapping
• Cross-functional workshops

Key Learnings:

Product strategy is only real when it shapes day-to-day decisions, not just high-level plans. The key is aligning what you build, how you deliver, and how you monetize—always with the customer at the center.