Shipping Features but Not Seeing Results?
I help startup founders choose what to build next, reduce wasted effort, and get more traction for their software product.
Do Any of These Sound Familiar?
I've seen these same problems in lots of other early-stage startups.
If a few of these are ringing true right now, I help teams to focus on what matters, cut wasted effort, and take the pressure off you.
How It Works
A simple process we can shape around your startup and your current needs.
Intro
20 minute intro chat to see if we are a good fit. We’ll cover where you are now and what you’re struggling with. You decide if you think I can help.
Diagnose
I take a deep look at how your product work runs today, then give you a plain-English list of the biggest improvements to make first.
Plan
Working backwards from your business goals, we agree what is most important and I put together a focused 12-week plan, ready for your team to execute.
Build
If needed, I work with your team to get that plan built, reduce wasted effort, and keep things moving in the right direction.
Start with a quick intro call to see if we are a good fit.
Case Studies
A few examples of measurable product outcomes across early-stage teams, from funding and launch through to growth.
+54% Conversions +34% Referrals
B2C finance product with an established user base, operating under compliance and legacy constraints, focused on growth and monetisation.
What I changed
- Reworked the referral and conversion journey end to end
- Ran iterative A/B tests across key screens and messaging
- Tested multiple funnel structures and rolled out the best-performing journey
- Improved cross-functional decision making across product, engineering, marketing, and operations
Business impact
- +54% conversion (from first step to purchase)
- +34% referrals
- 2 bolt-on offers added, with 32% uptake on at least one bolt-on among new customers
Concept to Funded MVP to Paying Customers
Early-stage B2B software startup at concept stage, needing a funded MVP first, then a product and platform that could support growth.
What I changed
- Set product strategy and roadmap from the ground up
- Identified and launched a new service offering to complement the core product
- Embedded product analytics and KPI tracking into decision making
- Built customer feedback loops into product decisions
- Made a long-term platform bet that enabled expansion into a much larger market
Business impact
- Product supported initial funding and later seed funding
- Very high customer satisfaction (NPS >90)
- Annual renewal rate of 96%
- New service offering grew to roughly 50% of total revenue
Other results
~75% Lower Build Cost
Replaced the original dev agency with a lower-cost alternative while improving code quality and tightening delivery oversight.
Onboarding Time Reduced ~95%
Simplified customer onboarding, removed low-value questions, and moved manual checks later so users could complete the core flow faster.
MVP Built to Spec, on Time
Owned QA and translated complex technical integration requirements into clear build scope so the team could deliver with fewer surprises.
His technical knowledge has been invaluable to us. He has been able to liaise with our developers to ensure that their work is up to standard. His understanding of startup businesses has also helped us shape the product that we are launching. I would highly recommend him.
Alex
Fintech Founder
Are We a Good Fit?
If these are true, we will probably work well together.
Good Fit If
- Early-stage startup with a small team
- You have devs but no one owning product direction
- Priorities shift constantly and delivery feels messy
- You want senior product help without a full-time hire
- You genuinely care about building something customers love
Not a Good Fit If
- You need a full-time product hire
- You mainly need more developers
- Your product harms or exploits customers by design
If this sounds like your situation, let's start with a quick intro call.
About Me
Product Lead, Head of Product, and CTO with 12 years in startups.
Hi, I'm James.
Over the last decade, I've been part of B2B and B2C startups in roles like Product Lead, Head of Product, and CTO. I've worked across analytics, insurance, fintech, health tech, climate tech, procurement, and AI, so I've seen a lot of different problems, team setups, ways of working, and constraints. Not much phases me anymore!
I started out as a developer, and I kept seeing teams ship feature after feature, then watching hardly anyone use them. That got me curious about the customer side: what were their actual pain points, what were we really trying to solve, and how could we solve it with the least amount of dev effort. Naturally, that pulled me into product management.
I started working fractionally with startups in late 2025 and I haven't looked back. Most people think I'm a bit mad, but I absolutely love it - startups move fast, you learn quickly, and you stay close to the customer. For me, that last one is the best part, I get to see the moment a customer realises a feature finally solves a major problem they have been trying to tackle for years (it never gets old!)
FAQs
A few common questions founders might ask before we work together.
Usually startups moving from founder-led product, where you don’t yet have the budget for a full-time product person but you do need to free up founder time for other areas. B2B or B2C is fine. I am flexible, as long as there is some dev resource in place.
I join your team part-time and help make the day-to-day product decisions so that things keep moving without you being so involved. That usually means shaping priorities, clarifying what needs to be built, supporting the team through delivery, and keeping founder time free for other things.
I help work out the best thing to build next, then make sure your dev team is focused on the right thing. I am a multiplier on your dev team: helping make sure what needs to get built actually gets built, without wasting time on avoidable rework or low value distractions.
You get senior product experience at a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire, with complete flexibility. No retainer, no long-term tie-in. You can flex my time week to week based on your budget and what you need.
Think I Might Be Able to Help?
Book a free, zero pressure, 20 minute intro call. We'll talk through your product, your current process and whether working together makes sense.
No prep needed, just bring your founder story.