FRACTIONAL Product STRATEGY and delivery CONSULTING

I help teams discover and deliver outcomes through the creation of environments that allow them to thrive.

 

Chisology

| tʃiːsˈɒlədʒi | (chee -SAW - luh - jee)

A technical product and culture expert with roots in the tech world whose purpose is to leverage user-centred approaches and other learnings beyond their original domains.

What I do

We all want to see results, the misnomer that one often starts with is that every result must be positive in order to be considered a success. The truth is that what really matters is whether or not your results are:

significant & informed.

It is for this reason that I use the scientific method to empower individuals, teams, and companies to create tighter feedback loops and ensure their outcomes are balanced and truly valuable.

Let me show you how science and creativity can come together to build effective and user-centered products and experiences!

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

  • It's disheartening that the topic and jargon I specialize in often remain confined to the tech industry. Nevertheless, drawing from my extensive background in technology, I collaborate with companies across diverse domains to apply methodologies, practices, and strategies that drive superior product development. Together, we craft comprehensive product roadmaps spanning from post-product-market-fit stages to market expansion, scaling efforts, and beyond. I play a pivotal role in shaping product vision and strategy to align with business objectives. Additionally, I prioritize establishing essential metrics such as OKRs, and KPIs for each team, empowering them to make a substantial impact on their projects.

  • Navigating organizational culture and transformation requires more than just surface-level efforts. It's about fostering an environment where every team member feels valued and empowered to contribute their best towards common goals. Creating this space involves understanding how individuals fit into the broader picture and ensuring they have the support and resources they need to thrive. However, effectively driving change and building cohesive teams can be challenging without a clear roadmap. Let me help you navigate this journey by providing guidance on the right strategies and steps to amplify information, foster collaboration, and produce targeted outcomes efficiently.

  • I have over a decade of experience working with Lean and Agile Teams. What I have learned is that no two are alike, even within the same organisation! It’s incredibly important to work with the group of people directly in front of you and meet them where they are at on their journey.

 

But can I build products AND SERVICES? YES!…B2B & B2C

When it comes to product strategy and roadmapping, I've got you covered. Whether it's mapping out the journey from post-product-market fit to scaling and beyond or shaping the vision for your product, I'm all in. If you haven’t yet identified your project’s target yet, I can help guide your team in selecting metrics that are grounded in data and evidence, ensuring we maximise our impact.

I'm well-versed in the latest web and platform technologies,. My approach to product discovery and user research is a mix of informed instinct and data crunching—I'm all about finding what works best through hands-on experimentation and collaboration with other team members.

Speaking of teamwork, I thrive in cross-functional environments (many of which have been remote-first), whether it's with engineers, designers, or program managers. Agile methodologies like Scrum and Kanban? No problem. But above all, I'm all about getting things done efficiently and effectively.

Dealing with high-traffic or complex digital products? That's my bread and butter. I'm used to uniting teams and getting everyone aligned around a shared understanding, whether it's convincing senior leadership or motivating distributed teams. From the initial discovery phase all the way to launch and scaling, I've led teams and strategies for digital products of all sizes. Market research, competitive analysis, you name it—I've got it covered to ensure your product's success.

HOW I Can help

 

TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCT CONSULTING, FACILITATION & COACHING

While the bulk of my career was spent as a consultant, I have also stepped into several in-house product roles and enjoy both environments for their unique merits. The “aha” moments and collaborative environment that result from working with teams and individuals to create valuable outcomes are what I truly enjoy about working in agile product tech. I approach everything that I do with a project-based mentality that is user-centred, outcome-based, and evidence-led.

 

Product Discovery Lead

I can help you explore innovative initiatives or products, conducting thorough research spanning markets, users, and business models. Implement low or no-code pilots or MVPs, facilitating discovery, ideation, team alignment, and the initiation of subsequent iterations.

Interim Product Manager or Leader

Part of this role involves upskilling quickly on new domains and creating impact in a short amount of time. An interim PM may be the perfect in-between for a vacancy you have to fill while someone is away on leave or you’re transitioning to a new shape of your organisation.

Product Coach or Consultant

I specialise in coaching Product Management teams to unlock their full capabilities, guiding them towards peak performance. From creating and refining processes from scratch to managing Product Operations and Program Management, I ensure every step leads to success. If needed, I'm adept at restructuring teams or scaling them up to meet evolving demands.

 

KEYNOTE SPEAKING & EVENT EXPERIENCE CURATION

Part of successful speaking entails painting pictures with words and articulating stories that people can relate to and find impactful. At most events, my perspective tended to differ greatly from those of my peers. I enjoy speaking and bringing people together through discussion and shared experiences. My goal as a speaker and experience curator is to inspire audiences to take action and leave feeling enriched. I found my voice and hope to use it to inspire others to use theirs.

  • Keynotes, lectures, TedX, presentations

  • Panel moderation and participation

  • Event/activity curation

  • Interactive workshop and discussion facilitation

  • Interactive activity/installation creation

  • Podcasts

 

What do others have to say about me?

You can read more references on my LinkedIn, but here are a few to get you started!

 
 

From a former Manager

“Chisa has super-powers of organisation and empathy. I hired her to build out EngineerBetter's Product Management and Transformation capability from scratch, which she did to great effect. Her team loved her, and were the most contented of any in the organisation. She showed great commercial awareness, which made her a valuable confidant.

Chisa is naturally no-nonsense, and has the social sensitivity and diplomacy to cut through bullshit while ensuring that everyone feels heard and respected. She dealt with some very complex engagements, making sense of chaotic situations that our customers found themselves in. She later did a great job of turning her skills inwards to diagnose and treat the various maladies of our parent company, Container Solutions.

We rarely disagreed, but when we did it was professional and respectful. Perhaps one of our best moments was when we disagreed on a call with her team - she set an example of how to disagree and make a principled stand in a firm and constructive manner.

Chisa helped me with various diversity and inclusion issues, speaking both from personal experience and knowledge of the subject matter. She offered advice and guidance in a level-headed and pragmatic fashion, without any zealotry.”

From a former peer

“Working with Chisara was game changing. That’s why my co-author and I found a special place to interview her in our book, "The Designer’s Guide to Product Vision".

Chisara's hard-to-come-by skill set is, not coincidentally, the most challenging to develop: she’s strategic, a creative diplomat and natural facilitator. She uses these skills to cut through the chaos, and guide teams toward an agile order and stability. She both delivers a team to that better place, while growing their abilities so they can sustain themselves there.

In my experience working with Chisara, she was able to do this with a large team—a team that was very much stuck in antiquated ways of doing things. And at the time, she made it look effortless. I’ve watched many others fail attempting to do the same, only to appreciate her talents, more.

Since our time together, Chisara has found new masterful levels of professional growth. She not only builds stable teams but helps those teams think differently and better harness data to inform their decision making. Again it sounds so obvious, but most product teams don’t practice this disciplined, elevated way of working because it is so very challenging to get right. Chisara will get your team there. I’ll definitely look forward to finding a way to work with her again.”

From a former report

“I had the privilege of working closely with Chisara during her tenure as Director of Product and Delivery at EngineerBetter, and I can confidently say that she is an exceptional leader in every sense of the word.

Chisara possesses a rare combination of empathy, determination, and strategic vision that sets her apart in the industry. As my manager, she consistently demonstrated a deep understanding of our team's strengths and areas for growth, guiding us with unwavering support and mentorship.

One of Chisara's greatest strengths is her ability to lead with empathy while maintaining a focus on results. She fostered a culture of accountability and inclusivity, ensuring that every team member felt valued and empowered to contribute their best work. Her dedication to understanding and addressing customer needs was unparalleled, driving our team to deliver solutions that truly made an impact.

Beyond her impressive leadership skills, Chisara is a strategic thinker who is not afraid to tackle complex challenges head-on. She possesses a keen eye for detail and a knack for identifying opportunities for improvement, which proved invaluable in driving our team's success.

Chisara is not just a manager; she is a catalyst for positive change and growth. I have no doubt that she will continue to inspire and empower those around her, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to work alongside her.

Without hesitation, I highly recommend Chisara to any organisation seeking a dynamic, forward-thinking leader who can drive results with compassion and integrity.”

MY VALUES

 
 

I strive to ensure people understand where I’m coming from, as I understand how important it is to work with people you align with. It is for this reason that I like to share my values.

  • Change and growth can be difficult experiences to tackle. This is increasingly the case when one is not honest and able to speak frankly about the realities one is facing. Candor is a value that I strive to embody in every aspect of my life and work. It speaks to an expectation of a certain level of integrity and provides a clear compass around which actions can be taken.

  • Kindness is often mistaken for niceness…do not be fooled; they are different. The kind choice does not always make friends and is not always the most polite, but it ensures that one is intentional. When you are kind, you have taken the time to choose what you care about and prioritise actions based on choices that have consciously been made. This is a round about way of saying that I do not like waste. To be effective, you must genuinely care about what you do and when you care about something, kindness should be a given.

  • The interesting thing about acting authentically is that it opens doors. It leaves very little space for grey around how decisions are made, because you know why you made them and can speak clearly about the why. Embedding a decision tree of this nature into how you go about your life and work means you have an increased amount of freedom and flexibility to focus on what’s important and achieve what you really want.

  • The importance of committing to a consistent quality of experience and ensuring that the results I produce are both dependable and reliable are not factors that I take lightly. Trust is a value that has well been established as one that should never be taken for granted. What is interesting is that safety is oftentimes on the opposite end of this spectrum. Unfortunately, spaces (both concrete and figurative) are not often created to allow one to take healthy risks. It is for this reason that I’ve coupled these two together and also why they are priorities for me…both are necessary and key to getting to one’s destination while allowing room for succesful growth.

  • Empathy is key to all aspects of the work that I do. It is, therefore, integral that when assessing a challenge, I work to bring a balanced and pragmatic voice, or ensure that there is balance amongst the voices, actions and decisions being made. With many of the surrounding values mentioned, a balance between them comes into play to ensure sound and effective communication is possible in circumstances that need it (which, let’s be honest, is pretty much all circumstances where best possible outcomes are the goal!).

  • Stability speaks in part to an aspect of sustainability. I speak at great lengths about the importance of building and defining products and decisions on solid foundations. If decisions and actions are not built on a clear why and how, it makes for tough situations in which it then becomes very difficult to justify that value is actually being delivered and even to have a view into what success is supposed to look like. It is for this reason that I value stability in the environments that I create: build strong foundations, set clear expectations and provide suitable conditions to ensure that success is possible and well understood.