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# Ivo Toman — CV (agent-readable)

## CONTACT

**Technical & Lean Product Lead · NPI Expert · Maker**
- **LinkedIn:** www.linkedin.com/in/ivotoman
- **Portfolio:** https://ivotoman.com/
- **Location:** Europe, China, or SE Asia
- **Work authorisation:** All EU countries
- **Visa sponsorship:** not needed - prefer to work over deel or EOR or via a contract using my existing company
- **Availability:** available immediately

## SUMMARY

Senior Technical & Lean Product Leader with 15+ years across hardware (consumer/industrial IoT), software (mobile/full-stack/platform), and AI product development. Proven track record compressing unit costs 6–9×, cutting NPI timelines by an order of magnitude (3-week supply chains, 9-month eBike launches), and shipping products to market (250k+ Lumos units, MoMA feature). Delivered a €600k engineering roadmap in 3 weeks using AI at €200 budget. Combines strategic product vision with hands-on execution across B2C, B2B, and regulated environments (aviation SORA, GDPR). Has built and run AI-operated businesses. Prefers complex, ambiguous problems in small-to-midsize team leadership roles — from CPO at a startup through to principal PM at enterprise. Leads through people and process: has hired and led teams of 5–10 across product, engineering, design, DevOps, creative and marketing from zero to one, orchestrates cross-functional teams (engineering, manufacturing, sales, ops, finance, marketing) through influence, and manages 5–10 external suppliers at a time.

## SELECTED RESULTS

- **Lumos Ultra:** $4M in pre-sales (a Kickstarter record for cycling products), then $30M+ lifetime sales (250k+ units) and company sales +500% in 2 years. Costs -40%, defects -70%.
- **Telefónica:** Cut call-centre cost and incoming calls by 35% inside a CEO-office programme that saved tens of millions of USD a year.
- **Vision Data (2026):** An AI-operated mobile network in Czechia, about 75% cheaper than traditional telcos, with paying customers growing organically (~20% month-on-month).
- **IONA Drones:** Reduced regulatory (SORA) compliance time from 1 year to single-digit days with AI-enabled workflows.

## ROLE FIT

- <strong>Startup (Seed → Series B):</strong> Preferred fit as <strong>CPO / Head of Product & Engineering</strong>. Full product + tech ownership across 0→1 hardware, software, and AI. Builds team and strategy simultaneously; thrives on ambiguity and hands-on execution over slideware.
- <strong>Scale-up (Series B–D):</strong> Preferred fit as <strong>Head of Product or Principal PM</strong>. New product line creation, scaling hardware and supply chain to mass-market volumes (e.g. 500% growth at Lumos), and bridging engineering and commercial functions.
- <strong>Enterprise (Public / Post-IPO):</strong> Strong fit as <strong>Principal PM or Intrapreneur</strong>. Intrapreneurial new product bets, engineering-to-commercial bridge, and cost-optimisation across mature product lines. Favours ambiguity and execution over process overhead.
- <strong>Compensation note:</strong> Target €145k base; last earned ~€134k. Prefers direct employment over EOR/deel arrangements. Available immediately.

## EXPERIENCE

### Founder, AI-native product builder — Independent
Czech Republic & China · 04/2026–present

- **Vision Data:** AI-run, mobile-data-only mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) in Czechia. Went from customer need identification and validation to a paid-subscription commercial service in **3 weeks** (~

00 AI budget). About **75% lower prices** than traditional telcos, about **20% month-on-month growth**, and paying customers acquired fully organically; roughly **25% of customers recommend it** to another person. Customer support, legal, finance, accounting, tax, telemetry and operations are end-to-end automated and run by AI, so the business needs only a **handful of human actions per month**. Includes features beyond traditional telco apps: mobile network diagnostics, built-in support chat, AI chat agent, family management. Listed in the Czech Telecommunication Office's official price comparison tool (srovnavac.ctu.gov.cz): 3 GB plan at 55 CZK vs 231-299 CZK at Vodafone, T-Mobile and O2. - **Stealth network-security product (name withheld):** Built the product and technology from nothing to **2M+ lines of production code**. A multi-platform application built natively around closed agentic feedback loops: troubleshooting, support, recovery, debugging and the qualification of new features for production are largely automated and policy-driven. Paying customers, no churn in the first month, and very happy users who consider it unanimously the best product in its category. - **Self-care and telemedicine optician's booth (concept, not launched):** Product and UX concept for custom prescription glasses **3 to 10x cheaper** than traditional opticians, including the full hardware and software architecture (self-care measurement booth, telemedicine, automation, AI backend), process design, logistics and sourcing, costing, and revenue and profit scenario modelling. Delivered with a pitch video in **3 man-days**: https://youtu.be/wNQW5Ccs9xw ### Head of Product & Software Engineering — IONA Drones Dublin, Ireland · 07/2024–04/2026 - **Team Leadership:** Hired and led a 5-person product & engineering organization from scratch (3 software engineers, 1 DevOps engineer, 1 designer; all direct reports), joining product, design, software and DevOps into one delivery structure. Designed the product and software organisation: how the team should be hired and how it should evolve as the company grows. - **Product for Customers:** Owned the software through which customers of IONA's drone logistics service see and control their own operations, integrated with their existing transport management systems. - **Agile Leadership:** Established agile product and software development practices from scratch; built-up high-performing teams and established product architecture, strategy, and roadmap. - **Roadmap Delivery:** Delivered a **€600,000 engineering roadmap** (1,500+ features, 1,331 data models across 8 apps) in **3 weeks with a €200 AI budget**, replacing a proposed 90 man-month project. - **Regulatory Turnaround:** Reduced **SORA compliance time from 1 year to single-digit days** via lean product approach and AI-enabled software development. - **Funding:** Single-handedly secured **20% of company funding** via two (€80k + €1.2m) European Space Agency (ESA) grants. Developed a custom AI-assisted grant writing pipeline enabling preparation of 3 grants within minutes. - **Unit Economics:** Lowered cost of top cost driver by **75%**. Optimized PDB costs from $50k NRE down to $6k NRE. Set up a prototyping supply chain with **20% shorter lead time and 50% lower cost**. - **Rapid Technical Implementation:** Built a 'Drone vs Van' comparison tool in **6 hours** that the engineering team had estimated at 4 months. ### Founder, Product Management Consultant — Vision Intl Munich, Germany · 02/2023–07/2024 - **Team Leadership:** Hired and led a 10-person fully remote game-development team (5 engineering, 4 creative & marketing, 1 design; mix of employees and contractors), spanning technical, creative and marketing work. Built the organization and delivery processes from zero to one; retention was very high, with the only departure caused by the person's emigration. - **Smart Traffic Light:** Launched a smart traffic light product for a German scale-up: 6 weeks from concept to production, **9x cheaper** (€184 vs €1,641) than previous solution. Adopted as-is into production after 8-week pilot. - **AI Parking Scanner:** Created comprehensive hardware/embedded design and NPI project plan; projected **~€3M annual EBIT increase** (+15pp margin) at €180k NRE. - **Solar Camera:** **6x cheaper** (€474 vs €2,806) and **11x faster** (3 weeks vs 11 months) delivery while meeting all performance targets. - **Wayfar / InBuddy AI:** Solo-built a complete AI travel system (iOS/Android/Web) in **1 month on a €250 budget**, replacing a 4-month, **€20,000** external quote. The company rebranded midway (Wayfar → InBuddy). - **PPE Manufacturing:** Cut production costs from **€267k to €91k (~66%)** in 2 weeks via global sourcing. - **Urban Combat MR FPS:** Launched Mixed Reality FPS; **1,000+ monthly users** on under **

00** of marketing spend; rated 4.5+ stars on 4 platforms.
- **AI Voice Caller:** Built an AI voice caller for appointment scheduling in **1 week**, saving **6 staff hours per week**.
- **Private Networking:** Co-designed censorship-resistant private networking technology; secured full grant funding and managed a pilot achieving an **LTV/CAC ratio of ~100**.

### Senior Product Manager, CEO Growth Team — Lumos
Shenzhen, China · 05/2019–01/2023

- **Cross-Functional Leadership:** Led cross-company product teams of ~10 specialists (2 mechanical designers, electronics, embedded, software, manufacturing, sales, operations, finance, marketing), driving them through influence while aligning priorities and scope with their line managers. Reworked the team process for Lumos Ultra to ship in **9 months instead of 18+ (2x faster)**.
- **Lumos Ultra:** Led end-to-end launch of company's most important mass-market products. Reduced costs by **40%** and defect rate by **70%** within a 12-month window. **250k+ units sold, $30M+ revenue, 500% revenue growth**; **$4M in pre-sales** (Kickstarter record for cycling products); rated 4.92/5 from 1,200+ reviews. Managed 4 variants (60+ SKUs) simultaneously across 6 factories. Featured in the MoMA.
- **Lumos Ultra eBike helmet:** Redesigned top-selling helmet; launched at **2x industry speed** (9 months from inception to delivery; rated 4.38/5). Improved protection by 40%, brightness by 100%; reached break-even pre-production.
- **Accessory Ecosystem:** Launched cross-selling strategy and built full supply chain for 12+ products; increased DTC margins by **300%**.
- **Supply Chain Leadership:** Managed **5–10 external supplier companies** at a time (PCB + SMT electronics, plastics, LED, helmet & assembly, components, packaging, certification labs, prototyping) and coordinated them across engineering, operations and finance; established and managed an expansive supply chain of factories in China, leading partner search, qualification, joint product development, production ramp, QA, and international dispatch; achieved **25%–70% cost savings** on sub-assembly level, enabling target cost and profitability for Lumos Ultra and accessories.
- **Sustained Impact:** Led **20+ new product introductions** as part of the CEO's growth team, built new supply chains, mentored incoming product managers and established product and engineering processes adopted across the company. Products led still drove **80%+ of company revenue** a year after departure, despite 4-5 other PMs.
- **Customer Voice Program:** Established product discovery, voice-of-customer processes, and product development workflows. Ran a standing post-accident customer-call program (every customer who had an accident wearing our helmet was called to confirm safety, verify the product wasn't a factor, identify root causes, and surface insights that fed the next product generation) — doubling as one of the strongest brand-loyalty drivers.

### Product and Technology Lead -  Contract — GSC Technologies
Hong Kong SAR · 08/2018–05/2019

- **Agile Transformation:** Hired and led a team of **6** engineers and designers, building an expert remote team on agile methodologies and reducing development costs by **55%**.
- **Commodity Tendering Platform:** Launched a B2B tendering platform in 6 months using Scrum/Agile, built with Veolia Asia and presented to its CTO and board, achieving high customer satisfaction and immediate cost savings; solution rapidly expanded across all China and other Asia regions.

### Head of Product and Manufacturing — Filegear
San Francisco, USA & Shanghai, China · 10/2016–09/2018

- **MVP Development:** Built functional HW/SW MVP on **

0k budget in 3 months** with multiple rounds of experimentation. - **Supply Chain & Stakeholders:** Built and coordinated a complete, high-quality, cost-competitive supply chain of 6+ factories within 3 months, managing suppliers, investors and a US–China team across time zones. - **Funding:** Raised **

.2M VC funding**; 
30k Kickstarter success.

### Regional Director, Greater China — ADUCID
Shanghai, China · 10/2014–09/2016

- **Cybersecurity:** Developed architecture for cloud data encryption using distributed keys and Linux kernel module with advanced authentication.
- **Strategy:** Shaped global strategy, KPIs/OKRs and led the China product roadmap.

### Senior Program Manager — Telefónica
Prague, Czechia & Madrid, Spain & London, UK · 06/2011–09/2014

- **Cost Optimization:** Led corporate & performance management programs across Networking and Operations divisions — generated **tens of millions USD in annual savings**, including a **35% reduction in call-center costs and incoming calls**.
- **Revenue Turnaround:** Prevented **
0M revenue loss** in SMB segment via performance metrics.

### Business Analyst — Roland Berger Strategy Consultants
Prague, Czech Republic · 08/2010–05/2011

- **Market Analysis:** Conducted extensive market research, analyzed large datasets, and prepared industry fact-books.

## PROJECTS

### Lumos Ultra

_Lumos · Shenzhen · 2019–2022 · Consumer · Hardware · Embedded · Software · Supply Chain_

Led the end-to-end launch of the most successful cycling product in Kickstarter history. Managed the full lifecycle from inception to global post-launch scale. Sold 250k+ units ($30M+ revenue), and grew company sales 500% in 2 years.

**Impacts:** $4M presales · Kickstarter record · 250k+ units · $30M+ lifetime · 500% company sales growth · 40% cost reduction · 70% defect reduction · MoMA Collection · 4.92 / 5 (1,235 reviews)

**Senior Product Manager reporting to the CEO.** Led an internal team of 12+ (industrial designers, electronics, software, production) and 6 factories. Performed end-to-end management from discovery and prototyping to mass manufacturing and global launch.

Built a completely new supply chain, lowering BOM cost by 40% (70% in electronics alone). Successfully launched 4 helmet variants and 60+ SKUs simultaneously. Product entered the [Museum of Modern Art](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HphskQXG2Js) collection.

**Lessons:**

- Industrial design needs to be large, committed and signed off before engineering starts

- Limit number of colors and thus SKUs because complexity grows exponentially

- Optimize for profit, not just sales (especially for non-VC funded companies)

- CAC must be a critical product KPI in direct-to-consumer (DTC) products

---

### Drone Ops Systems

_IONA Drones · Dublin · 2024–2026 · Industrial Aviation · Software_

Delivered a €600,000 engineering roadmap in 3 weeks with a €200 AI budget. Built a regulatory compliance ecosystem (SORA) that cut submission time from a man-year to single-digit days. It enabled just 2-3 people to reliably handle all SORA-related compliance work in minutes by offloading complexity to semi-automated systems and workflows.

**Impacts:** 90 man-month roadmap delivered in 3 weeks · Time to authorization 1 yr → 5 days · 1,500+ features delivered

**Head of Product and Software Engineering.** Led a team of 5 (3 software engineers, 1 DevOps engineer and 1 designer), all direct reports. Responsible for GBP 100k+ initial budget and secured 20% of total company funding through two ESA grants (€80k and €1.2M).

Implemented a monorepo architecture with 1,331 data models across 8 apps (6 webapps and 2 mobile apps). Created the 'Drone vs Van' tool in 6 hours solo that the engineering team had estimated at 4 months. Offloaded complexity to semi-automated systems, allowing just 2-3 people to handle compliance work previously requiring dozens.

**Lessons:**

- Product & design teams should be the lead force in AI-accelerated software delivery, not traditional 'experts'. Software engineering need to focus on scaffolding, ops and security.

- Monorepos with well-defined architecture are the key to managing AI-generated complexity

- A solid data model is a better foundation for rapid builds than a feature-complete PRD

---

### Vision Data

_Vision Intl · 2026 · Consumer · Telecom · Software · AI_

Mobile-data-only MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) delivering about 75% cheaper mobile data. Went from customer need identification and validation to a launched paid-subscription service in 3 weeks (~
00 AI budget), with accounting, tax, legal, telemetry and support fully automated. Users come in fully organically with about 25% of customers recommending it to others.

**Impacts:** Need validation to paid launch in 3 weeks · ~75% cheaper mobile data · ~20% month-on-month growth · ~25% of customers recommend it · Accounting, tax, legal, telemetry and support automated

**Founder & Product Lead.** Solo-built the full operator stack with AI-first methods. Features beyond traditional telco apps: mobile network diagnostics, built-in support chat, AI chat agent, family management and more.

**Lessons:**

- AI collapses the cost of regulated, back-office-heavy businesses: automate legal, finance and HR from day one
- Autonomy by design (no manual ops) is what makes a low-price model profitable
- Network diagnostics and AI support turn cheap data into a better experience, not just a cheaper one

---

### Optician's

_Vision Intl · 2026 · Consumer · Healthcare · Hardware · AI · Supply Chain · Concept_

Concept for custom prescription glasses 3 to 10 times cheaper than traditional opticians, developed from zero to a complete user journey, system and process architecture, feasibility and business-viability validation, and a presentable pitch video in around 3 days. Concept only; never developed into a launched product.

**Impacts:** 3-10x cheaper custom prescription glasses · Zero to pitch-ready concept in ~3 days · Hardware, telemedicine, automation, AI backend and sourcing

**Concept Lead.** Designed the whole system end to end: hardware, a self-care measurement booth, telemedicine, workflow automation, an AI backend and the logistics and sourcing supply chain. Pitch video: https://youtu.be/wNQW5Ccs9xw

---

### Filegear

_Filegear · Shanghai · 2016–2018 · Consumer · Hardware · Embedded · Software · Supply Chain_

Developed a fully functional software and hardware MVP on a 
0,000 budget, built a 6+ factory supply chain in 3 months, and helped raise 
.2M in VC funding.

**Impacts:** 
30k Kickstarter presales · 
.2M VC raised · 
0k MVP budget

**Initial Creator & Head of Product/Manufacturing.** Identified market gap, defined product vision, and formulated hardware/software roadmaps. Developed a fully functional MVP on a shoestring budget of 
0,000.

Built a working MVP and a complete supply chain of 6+ factories in 3 months. Helped raise 
.2M in VC funding based on the MVP success. [Kickstarter campaign](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/50808900/the-worlds-fastest-photo-music-and-document-organi).

**Lessons:**

- Hardware engineering must not be managed like software engineering

- Avoid feature creep unless absolutely essential

- Don’t underestimate driver compatibility

---

### Urban Combat (AR/MR)

_Vision Intl · Munich · 2023 · Consumer Mixed Reality · Software_

Mixed Reality FPS with 1,000+ monthly active users and a marketing spend under 
00. Delivered a unique experience of fighting giant robots in your own living room.

**Impacts:** 1,000+ MAU · <
00 marketing · 4.5–5.0★ rating · Top-rated MR experience

**Founder & Project Lead.** Managed inception, discovery, development, and launch. Handled all management of software & AI development, sales, marketing, partnerships, and finance.

Led a team of 4+ engineers and a designer. Maintained an average rating between 4.5 and 5.0 stars across 4 platforms. _"One of the most original and unique VR experiences I’ve tried on Quest 3."_

**Lessons:**

- Meta's outdoor MR restrictions significantly impacted promotional activities despite high user ratings

- VR mainstream adoption faces hurdles due to social isolation and incremental value delivery

---

### Lumos Ultra eBike

_Lumos · Shenzhen · 2021–2022 · Consumer · Hardware · Embedded · Software · Supply Chain_

Launched at 2× the typical industry speed - 9 months from inception to delivery. Improved protection by 40% and brightness by 100%. Reached full break-even before production began.

**Impacts:** 4.38 / 5 (195 reviews) · 9 months to market · 40% better protection · 100% brighter · B2B break-even pre-production

**Senior Product Manager (CEO Growth Team).** Led a cross-functional team of designers and engineers. Performed end-to-end management from discovery to post-launch support.

Optimized the design for rapid NPI (New Product Introduction), ensuring commercial viability through early B2B commitments.

**Lessons:**

- Question experts and dogmas; contradictory solutions (like lowering EPS density) often yield the best results

- Hold stakeholders accountable to agreed specs (leash the HIPPOs)

---

### Smart Traffic Light

_Vision Intl for Wemolo · Munich · 2023 · Industrial · Hardware · Software · Supply Chain_

Rescued a struggling project to deliver a live pilot in 6 weeks. Reduced unit cost from €1,641 to €184 (~9× cheaper) compared to the previously explored solution.

**Impacts:** zero→pilot in 6 weeks · Unit cost €1,641 → €184 · 9x cheaper solution · Adopted as standard portfolio

**Product Consultant.** Took over management of a cross-functional product team spanning software engineering, sales, installations, operations, and supply chain.

Built a completely new supply chain and developed internal processes for international sourcing. The product was adopted into the company's standard sales portfolio after a successful 8-week trial.

**Lessons:**

- Avoid email-only communication; switching to instant messaging/calls cut negotiations from months to days

- Bypass organizational inertia by launching low-key pilots and using data to dispel opposition

---

### AI Camera

_Vision Intl · Munich · 2023 · Industrial · AI · Hardware_

Validated a new product design and supply chain in 2 weeks. Value engineering dropped unit costs from €1,200 to €300, projecting a ~€3M annual EBIT increase.

**Impacts:** Unit cost €1,200 → €300 · +€3M EBIT impact · +15pp EBIT margin · NRE under €180k

**Product Consultant.** Created comprehensive, validated hardware & embedded design, preliminary supply chain with fall-back options, and NPI project plan for a parking scanner within 2 weeks.

Performed out-of-the-box cost optimization and value engineering that dramatically improved unit economics for a German parking tech scale-up.

**Lessons:**

- Chinese manufacturing speed and throughput-optimized 'artisan' approach vs. slower German engineering

- A solution needs to deliver not only ROI but also peace of mind to traditional stakeholders

---

### Off-Grid Camera

_Vision Intl for Wemolo · 2023–2024 · Industrial · Hardware · Supply Chain_

Rebuilt a failing solar camera product in 3 weeks (11× faster than v1) and 6× cheaper (€2,806 to €474) while meeting all performance targets.

**Impacts:** 6× cheaper (€474 vs €2,806) · 11× faster delivery · Complete supply chain in 3 weeks

**Product Consultant.** Restructured the entire product, analyzed past data, and developed new hardware and software specifications. Built a completely new supply chain.

Prepared a new business case and recommended a strategic pivot when the sales team wouldn't commit to necessary performance KPIs.

**Lessons:**

- Kill products where the requester doesn't commit to quantifiable performance targets justifying the investment

- The open market delivers massive savings even when internal teams claim costs are rising

---

### Wayfar / InBuddy

_Vision Intl · Munich · 2023 · Consumer · Software · AI_

Solo-built an end-to-end AI travel infrastructure in 1 month on a €250 budget. An external quote for it was €20,000 and 4 months. The company went through a rebrand midway, from Wayfar to InBuddy.

**Impacts:** 1 month delivery · €250 AI budget · ~80× cheaper than a €20k external quote

**Product & Tech Consultant.** Helped founder with discovery, hypothesis formulation, and MVPs. Developed and launched the overall company backoffice (support, billing, product admin).

Built the entire solution from the ground up using AI-first methodologies (Antigravity, Claude, Codex), enabling radical experimentation speed.

**Lessons:**

- Traditional custom software development is dead (too slow, too costly, too risky)

- DevOps is currently the hardest function to fully delegate to AI

---

### Embrace Espire

_Vision Intl · Munich · 2023 · Industrial · Supply Chain_

Optimized production costs for a German PPE manufacturer, cutting them from €267k to €91k (~66%) within just 2 weeks.

**Impacts:** ~66% cost cut · 2-week turnaround · €91k total production cost

**Product Consultant.** Identified suitable supply chain and legal framework for China sourcing. Negotiated full BOM quotations and balanced fixed tooling costs vs variable unit costs for optimal ROI.

**Lessons:**

- China sourcing provides significant advantages in tooling speed and variable cost flexibility

- Identify and bypass supply chain bottlenecks early in the production run

---

### Vision Umbrella

_Hobby Project · 2022 · Consumer · Hardware_

Brought a hobby weekend project from zero to production within 2 months of part-time work.

**Impacts:** Zero to production in 2 months · Part-time/Weekend project

Developed a functional hardware product from scratch as a weekend experiment. Proved the viability of rapid prototyping and global sourcing even for small-scale personal projects.

**Lessons:**

- Side projects are the best testing ground for new methodologies

- Global supply chains are accessible even to individual creators

## EDUCATION

### MBA in Lean Product Management — Oneday & Woolf University · London
2023–2024 · GPA 3.9/4.0

### Master in International Management CEMS — VSE · Prague & SSE · Stockholm
2006–2011 · World's 2nd best management master, FT 2010

### Bachelor in ICT Project Management — Unicorn College · Prague
2008–2011 · 2× tuition waiver for academic excellence. Dropped out due to job conflict.

## LANGUAGES

- **English** — fluent
- **Czech** — native
- **Mandarin Chinese** — intermediate
- **German** — intermediate
- **Spanish** — intermediate

## SKILLS

### Product & Strategy
Product Management · Product Strategy · Product Roadmap · Hardware Product Management · AI Product Management · B2B SaaS Product Management · B2C Product Management · Consumer Product Management · Industrial Product Management · Growth Product Management · Product-Led Growth · Product Discovery · Voice of Customer · Unit Economics · Go-to-Market · P&L Management · Product Market Fit · Product Lifecycle Management · NPI (New Product Introduction) · Feature Prioritization · Opportunity Assessment · Market Segmentation · Competitive Analysis · Product Positioning · Pricing Strategy · Launch Management · International Product Launches · Cross-Functional Leadership · Stakeholder Management · Strategic Planning · Portfolio Management · SKU Management · SKU Rationalization · Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) · LTV (Lifetime Value) · CAC:LTV Ratio · Lifetime Revenue · Customer Lifetime Value · Presales · Crowdfunding · Kickstarter · Revenue Growth · Revenue Management · Margin Growth · EBIT · Gross Margin · Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) · DTC Ecommerce · B2B2C · Channel Growth · Partner Growth · Subscription · Membership · Platform Business Model

### Hardware & Supply Chain
Supply Chain Management · Manufacturing Management · Supplier Management · Supplier Qualification · Vendor Management · Procurement · International Sourcing · China Sourcing · BOM Management · Design for Manufacturing (DFM) · Quality Management · Defect Reduction · Supply Chain Optimization · Lead Time Reduction · Logistics · International Logistics · Cost Reduction · Unit Cost Optimization · NRE (Non-Recurring Engineering) · Prototype Development · CM (Contract Manufacturer) Management · Contract Manufacturing · Pilot Production · Mass Production · Manufacturing Partner Management · Multi-Factory Management · Factory Selection · Tooling Management · Production Cost Optimization · Electronics Manufacturing · PCB Sourcing · Industrial Design · Mechanical Engineering · Embedded Systems · IoT Hardware · Hardware-Software Integration · Prototyping · Rapid Prototyping · Hardware MVP · Value Engineering · Cost Engineering · Supply Chain Development · Global Supply Chain · Global Sourcing · Supply Chain of 6+ Factories · Sourcing Strategy · Cost Optimization

### AI & Machine Learning
AI/ML · Artificial Intelligence · Machine Learning · Deep Learning · Computer Vision · Edge AI · Edge Computing · AI Inference · Generative AI · LLMs · AI-Assisted Development · AI Workflow Automation · Prompt Engineering · AI Product Delivery · AI-Driven Product Development · AI-Accelerated Delivery · AI-Powered Product Management · AI-Assisted Grant Writing · AI Coding Tools · AI Code Review · AI Tools · Cursor · Claude · GitHub Copilot · LLM Tools · AI-Enabled Software Development · AI-Assisted Prototyping · AI-Accelerated Roadmap Delivery · AI Workflows · AI Travel System · AI Travel Infrastructure · AI Camera · AI Parking Scanner · Edge-Computing AI · Computer Vision Systems · AI Inference Systems · Embedded AI · NLP · Recommendation Systems · Personalization · Predictive Analytics · Data-Driven Decision Making · AI-Driven SaaS

### Software & Engineering
Full-Stack Development · iOS Development · Android Development · Cross-Platform Development · Web Development · Backend Development · Frontend Development · API Design · Database Design · Data Modeling · Software Architecture · Cloud Architecture · Embedded Software · Firmware Development · Linux Kernel · Cybersecurity · Encryption · Distributed Systems · Authentication Systems · Real-Time Systems · Mixed Reality · AR/VR Development · Game Development · Unity · Meta Quest · MR (Mixed Reality) · AR (Augmented Reality) · VR (Virtual Reality) · MVP Development · Software Delivery · DevOps · CI/CD · Monorepo Management · Technical Leadership · Software Engineering · Platform Development · API Management · System Integration · Security Architecture · Communication Security · Distributed Architecture · Performance Optimization

### Leadership & People
People Management · Team Leadership · Hiring and Recruitment · Remote Team Building · Coaching and Mentoring · Cross-Cultural Management · International Team Leadership · Managing Product Managers · Mentoring · Team Building · Leadership · Executive Leadership · Senior Leadership · C-Suite Engagement · Board-Level Communication · Strategic Leadership · Change Management · Agile Transformation · Culture Building · Performance Management · Performance Reviews · Career Development

### Methodology & Process
Agile · Scrum · Kanban · Lean Startup · Lean Product Development · Lean Methodology · Design Thinking · OKRs · KPIs · Performance Metrics · Roadmap Planning · Prioritization · WSJF (Weighted Shortest Job First) · Continuous Improvement · MVP Methodology · Rapid Iteration · Iterative Development · Sprint Planning · Backlog Management · Agile Product Management · Agile Frameworks · Lean Management · Lean Six Sigma · Sprint Management · Story Mapping · User Story Creation · Product Discovery Methodology · Agile Testing · Continuous Deployment · Feedback Loops · Experimentation · A/B Testing · Data-Driven Development · Requirements Gathering · PRD Development · Lean Product Management · Rapid Delivery · Cost Optimization Programs

### Domain & Vertical
Industrial Products · Consumer Electronics · E-Bike · Smart Traffic Systems · Drones · UAV · BVLOS · UTM · Aviation · Drone Airspace · SORA · Regulatory Compliance · AI Hardware · Off-Grid Solar Systems · Solar Camera · PPE Manufacturing · E-Commerce · Marketplace Platforms · Fintech · Wealth Management · Financial Services · Regulated Environment · Healthcare Products · Clinical Decision Support · Care Management · E-Pharmacy · Health Technology · Insurance · Underwriting · Specialty Insurance · Government · Civil Service · Public Sector · G7 · UK Financial Advice · UK Financial Services · UK Pensions · Retirement Savings · Pension Industry · Estate Planning · Wealth Transfer · Trust · Tax · High-Net-Worth Clients · HM Treasury · Government Procurement · Finance Transformation · Food Industry · NPD · FMCG · CPG · Food Manufacturing · Food Packaging · Food Quality · Food Safety · Food Standards · Nutrition · Food Technical · Tasting Coordination · Factory Trials · Manufacturing Trials · Digital Assets · Blockchain · Tokenization · Cryptocurrency · Content Publishing · Digital Publishing · Media · Publishing · CMS · Content Management Platform

### Tools & Platforms
Productboard · Jira · Confluence · Figma · Adobe Creative Suite · AWS · GCP · Azure · Git · Slack · Microsoft Teams · CRM · Salesforce · HubSpot · Google Analytics · Mixpanel · Amplitude · Tableau · Power BI · Looker · SAP · SAP S/4HANA · SAP BW/4HANA · SAP Finance · ERP · SAP Security · SAP Compliance · Financial Reporting · Record-to-Report · Finance Processes · OKR Platforms · A/B Testing Platforms · Analytics Platforms · BI Tools · ERP Systems · CRM Systems · CMS · CDP · Publishing Platforms · React Native · Flutter · Cross-Platform Frameworks · Monitoring Systems · Security Tools · Encryption Tools · Authentication Systems · Video Conferencing · Zoom · Google Meet · SAP Standards Alignment · HMRC Compliance · Grant Writing · ESA Grants · European Space Agency Grants · Proposal Development · Technical Writing · Business Case Development · Financial Modeling · Budgeting · Unit Economics Modeling · KPIs/OKRs · Metrics-Driven Management · Performance-Based Management · EU Grants · Government Grants · Grant Pipeline · AI-Assisted Grant Pipeline

## COMPENSATION & AVAILABILITY

- **Target compensation:** €145k
- **Most recent compensation:** €134k
- **Compensation note:** last pay was  ~ EUR 134,000 a year. target pay is EUR 145,000 a year
- **Notice period:** available immediately
- **Relocation:** Open to China, EU, Norway, UK, US, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, South Korea, and other high-income countries. Remote highly preferred.
- **Work authorisation:** All EU countries
- **Visa sponsorship:** not needed - prefer to work over deel or EOR or via a contract using my existing company

## CULTURAL FIT

### Philosophy & Values

#### Evolution through experimentation
My approach is rooted in lean product philosophy: try, fail, learn, and iterate until we find a better path. I believe in open collaboration over zero-sum games, and I strive for a true meritocracy. I don't play politics; I care for the company as if it were my own.

#### We are not our work
Let's avoid getting overly attached to our output. We should be ready to take hard lessons and improve without taking it personally.

#### Commander Persona (ENTJ)
My Myers-Briggs persona is Commander. I thrive on clear objectives and prefer to avoid micromanagement. I value direct disagreement over back-channeling.

### Working Together

#### With my team
Your success is my priority. My role is to enable and support you, not to do your job or micromanage how you do it. We will define the "what" together, but I expect you to manage me for what you need so we avoid ambiguity and guessing.

#### With my leaders
I thrive on clear objectives, support, and feedback, but prefer to avoid micromanagement.

#### Hours & Availability
I sometimes work odd or long hours. If I message you late at night, please know I never expect an immediate reply.

### Communication Style

#### Stubbornness vs. Listening
I might appear stubborn at times, but I genuinely appreciate and incorporate feedback. I tend to speak too much—especially if I don't get visual cues that you understand or disagree. Please interrupt me, nod, or give vocal hints to let me know where we stand.

#### Push back on me
I can at times sound very directive and convinced, but I turn on a dime if I see a better way. If you are the domain expert, I expect you to fight for what’s right.

#### Clarity over ambiguity
I prefer black-and-white answers to gray areas. If I don't know something, I’ll say so, and I hope you will too. I believe the worst thing in life is not hitting a 'no' answer—it is getting a 'maybe'.

#### Profanity & Emphasis
I occasionally use profanity for emphasis and clarity. Because English isn't my native language, these words don't carry the same emotional weight for me. If this ever makes you uncomfortable, please let me know.

#### The Safe Word
If you ever feel I'm overstepping boundaries or communicating poorly, please tell me directly or use a safe word to snap me out of it and realign our cooperation.

### Feedback & Growth

#### Direct feedback means I care
I give direct, often critical feedback because I believe in your potential. I believe in second chances and learning from mistakes, but I have zero tolerance for illegal or highly unethical behavior. The worst sign is if I stop giving feedback—it means I've given up on your growth. I am the first to admit when I am wrong or being "stupid," but I expect you to tell me that directly to my face. I value direct disagreement over back-channeling; I would much rather you call me out than share your frustrations with others before talking to me.

#### Focus on the problem
When giving and receiving feedback, let's focus on the problem, not the person. Blame doesn't help us improve.

#### Rapid alignment
I prefer rapid feedback and frequent working sessions to review deliverables together. This isn't micromanagement; it's to ensure shared context and avoid heading in the wrong direction for too long.

#### Sunshine your mistakes
Don't hide screw-ups. "Sunshine" them so we can broadly learn and improve together.

#### Strategic Improvement
I strive for every person to spend 10% of time on strategic improvement — learning new tools, exploring AI workflows, leveling up skills, etc.

### Intellectual & Professional Rigor

#### First Principles Thinking
I have little patience for "because we've always done it this way." I expect us to break problems down to their fundamental truths and build up from there. If we can't explain the logic behind a decision, we haven't thought about it enough.

#### The Bar for Quality
While I value speed ("Done is better than perfect"), I do not tolerate intellectual laziness. The "core" of the product (the value, feasibility, viability and usability) must be bulletproof. We polish the surface later; we rig the foundations today.

#### Evidence over Hierarchy
The best idea wins, regardless of title. I am happy to be proven wrong by a junior engineer with better data than I have. In fact, I'm disappointed if you have the data and don't speak up.

### Anti-Politics & Transparency

#### Zero-Gossip Protocol
If you have a problem with someone, you talk to them. If you come to me with a complaint about a peer, my first question will be: "Have you told them this yet?" I have zero tolerance for back-channeling or office politics.

#### Information is a Utility
I believe in radical transparency. Context is what enables people to make good decisions without being managed. I will share everything I can about the business, the "why," and the challenges we face. I expect the same from you.

#### No Power Games
We are here to build products, not empires. Any behavior that prioritizes personal status or department silos over the product's success is a cultural misalignment.

### Talent & Team Character

#### The Ideal Collaborator
I look for three things: <strong>Extreme Ownership</strong>, <strong>Relentless Curiosity</strong>, and <strong>High Resilience</strong>. I want people who see a hole and fill it, who ask "how does this work?" until they understand it, and who don't crumble when a prototype fails.

#### High Agency
I value people who don't wait for permission to be great. If you see something that needs fixing, fix it. If you see an opportunity, grab it. I will always have your back if you acted with good intent and high agency.

### Operational Hygiene

#### Respect for Time
Be on time. End on time. If a meeting doesn't have an agenda or a clear desired outcome, let's cancel it. If you aren't adding value or learning in a meeting, you have my permission (and expectation) to leave.

#### Write it Down
Oral tradition is for myths. Slack is a black hole for knowledge; documentation is for engineering. If a decision is made, it should be recorded. This reduces cognitive load and prevents us from having the same argument twice.

#### Clean Workspaces
Whether it's a CAD model, a spreadsheet, or a literal workbench—keep it tidy. Messy organization leads to messy thinking and avoidable errors.

### Execution & Planning

#### Agile over rigid plans
I don't believe in highly structured plans spanning more than 2-3 months. I prefer an iterative approach: work hard, stop, review, and repeat.

#### Speed & Pragmatism
"Done is better than perfect." We need to move as fast as we only can. We only slow down and be extra cautious when facing "one-way door" decisions.

#### Disagree and commit
Healthy disagreement is vital, but once an informed decision is made, we need to commit to it. We shouldn't reopen discussions unless significant new data emerges.

#### Ambitious deadlines
I like giving "unreasonably" short deadlines to force us to focus on critical parts and avoid wasting time on "nice-to-haves." I don't always expect them to be met, but we should do our best to come close.

#### Organization
A basic level of organization and tidiness in documents removes system complexity and makes everyone's lives easier.