Stephen is available for hire
Hire StephenStephen M. Walker II
Verified Expert in Product Management
Product Manager
Location
Lisbon, Portugal
Toptal Member Since
November 20, 2019
Stephen is an entrepreneur and digital product leader, passionate about exceptional, innovative products. His experience ranges from scaling startups to launching new products with Amazon, AT&T, Disney, Microsoft, Productboard, and Symantec. He speaks about innovation and collaboration worldwide from La Product Conf to SxSW, expounding on how strong leadership, hiring, culture, and customer obsession are the foundation for successful product outcomes.
Project Highlights
Product Strategy Co
Launched the online course platform, teaching product strategy to product leaders and founders.
Freeletics Journeys
Launched training journeys, migrating three fitness apps, including Bodyweight, Running, and Gym into one training app.
Prime Now Singapore
Led the design, research, and digital product management for Amazon's first launch in Singapore.
Expertise
Work Experience
Senior Director | Product Management
2020 - PRESENT
Productboard
- Led product management and product design in Europe, growing the team by two times. Hired the head of design to take over the design organization, built the brand design department, and hired the SVP product in the US.
- Conducted the product strategy to raise Series C and Series D, achieving unicorn status.
- Piloted up-market strategy to shift product from SMB focused to enterprise-ready. Launched the API platform, SSO, teams and permissions, reporting, workflow automation, and machine learning services.
Founder
2020 - PRESENT
Innovat Labs
- Advised startups on product discovery, strategy, and growth.
- Acted as interim VP of product, advising CEOs, setting planning cycles, and staffing teams.
- Assisted organizations in building exceptional product departments with best-in-class hiring, processes, and training.
- Launched hardware (full NPI) and software products.
- Authored work and shared information as a public speaker.
Head of Product
2017 - 2020
Freeletics
- Worked for Freeletics, which is featured annually on the Apple and Google–ranked #8 in combined worldwide app store revenue in the health and fitness category with over 40m users.
- Grew product and market fit: increasing download activation, subscription growth (+30% YoY), and product retention (+30% QoQ engagement). Grew from 17 million users in 2017 to 40 million+ in 2020.
- Was responsible for the product roadmap and business impact communication to board. Created a three-year roadmap, successfully raising Series A in 2018, Series B in 2019, and Series C in 2020.
- Created a culture of experimentation and growth loops. All significant product growth attributed to sustained A/B experiments–not large projects or new feature launches.
- Developed product road-mapping processes, department career ladders, and optimized dual-track discovery and delivery.
- Led the product department at the intersection of AI, social networks, gamification, and behavioral psychology.
Head of Global Experience Design
2016 - 2017
Amazon
- Pitched and executed strategy for a mobile app expansion into 42 new countries with an annual sales growth rate of 31% on track for $5 billion in cross-border sales by 2020. The three-pillar strategy focused on ML localization, payment support, and country-specific CX.
- Led design, research, and product management for Prime Now Singapore, Amazon Australia, Amazon UAE, and localization features now available on all Amazon retail experiences.
- Built the first global customer research database to enable worldwide testing of new concepts and prototypes.
Product Design Manager
2014 - 2016
Capital One
- Oversaw the investing line of business reporting to the local GM as head of design. Collaborated with the GM and peers to pivot the business model from self-directed investing to a robo-advice platform. Co-created pitch to sell legacy assets.
- Piloted Spotify Squad inspired framework, leading to a complete cross-department restructuring. All team and project disciplines collocated, including legal, finance, engineering, design, research, brand strategy, and others.
- Instructed design thinking for customer-centric innovation. Facilitated innovation sessions across lines of business, including bank, card, and investing.
- Led the creation of a conceptual prototype and internal marketing video for an AI personal financial advisor.
Founder and Director of User Experience
2003 - 2014
Smoov
- Grew the freelance business into a boutique studio serving Fortune 500 clients. Managed core business activities, including sales and finance. Scaled the internal team and freelance network.
- Created web, mobile, and console platform solutions for 2Advanced, AT&T, Disney, Namco/Bandai Games, Microsoft, Symantec, and small business clients.
Founder and Head of Product
1999 - 2003
Security Storm
- Founded a network security startup and led the core R&D activities. Hired engineers to expand development capabilities.
- Launched Microsoft Active Directory network management software with Paypal as an early customer.
Project History
Product Strategy Co
http://www.productstrategy.coLaunched the online course platform, teaching product strategy to product leaders and founders.
Rolled out Product Strategy newsletter and courses with thousands of subscribers from Amazon, Netflix, Deliveroo, N26, Klarna, and Microsoft. The service includes weekly updates, monthly strategy case studies, and quarterly training cohorts.
Innovat Labs
https://innov.at/Founded a startup consultancy and idea incubator focused on B2B and B2C SaaS.
Innovat Labs is a product consultancy, product education platform and studio, focused on helping early-stage founders answer tough product questions. In our spare time, we boot up SaaS ideas and explore new frontiers.
Freeletics Journeys
https://techcrunch.com/2018/12/04/freeletics-raises-45m-for-its-ai-powered-fitness-coach/Launched training journeys, migrating three fitness apps, including Bodyweight, Running, and Gym into one training app.
Expanded the total addressable market with multiple training modalities accessible in one mobile app. Drove deep personalization blending segment-informed packages with individually customized training plans served by a machine learning engine. The project increased 12-week training retention by 30% QoQ and was the cornerstone of the Series A pitch deck.
Prime Now Singapore
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/amazon-enters-south-east-asia-with-launch-of-prime-now-fast-delivery-service-in-singaporeLed the design, research, and digital product management for Amazon's first launch in Singapore.
Prime Now in Singapore marks Amazon's first foray into Southeast Asia, running on a new operating model that leverages data and technology such as artificial intelligence to achieve greater resource efficiency and near-real-time delivery of goods. Competitive benchmarking and customer research are the foundation for building the new mobile service that competes with local players such as Lazada and Zalora.
SxSW Product Innovation Panel
Sold out panel at SxSW, discussing where teams often fail using collaborative Design Sprints to solve problems.
Design Sprints can be a powerful tool. Who doesn't want to solve big problems and test new ideas in just five days? But, are yours delivering the results you were hoping for?
Education
1999 - 2003
Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science
Portland State University - Portland, Oregon, USA
Certifications
JULY 2019 - PRESENT
Stanford Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Stanford University
MAY 2019 - PRESENT
Artificial Intelligence Nanodegree
Udacity
APRIL 2018 - PRESENT
Design Sprint Masterclass
AJ&Smart
FEBRUARY 2016 - PRESENT
Ideas to Action
IDEO U
AUGUST 2014 - PRESENT
Product Management
General Assembly
Collaboration That Works
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