About Rich

I created this site as a resource for product management leaders. This site has some of my musings and thoughts on product management leadership. If you're interested in coaching or product management services, please see my "Services" page.

How I Got Started in Product

Cartoon illustration of Rich standing beside a water cooler

I kicked off my product management journey at eBay back in 2006, starting as a contractor on the stores team. After three months, they offered me a full-time gig as the sole PM on the shipping team. I'll be honest—I wasn't sure what to expect. eBay doesn’t ship anything, and "shipping" sounded pretty dull. Boy, was I wrong!

Taking on that role turned out to be one of the best career decisions I ever made. I dove into launching projects like enabling sellers to upload tracking numbers, letting buyers track their packages, and introducing shipping calculators and features to boost international shipping. Before long, I was managing a team of four product managers, and we were rolling out features that made life easier for both buyers and sellers.

Shipping, as it turned out, was at the heart of eBay's marketplace, and this is where I really started to understand the dynamics of multi-sided marketplaces. It was one of the most complex roles at eBay because it involved working with both buyers and sellers and trying to influence their behavior without any real authority to enforce changes. We wanted sellers to lower their shipping costs while ensuring buyers had a hassle-free shipping experience. High shipping costs were driving buyers away, and we were on a mission to fix that.

Continued in my blog post...

Some Of My Accomplishments

Transforming Product Teams

Transformed a feature-focused team into an empowered product team with a culture of experimentation and action.
Led a shift to a customer-centric approach, resulting in 30% growth in one year.
Secured $50M in funding with a marketplace strategy.
Redesigned mobile and SaaS apps, boosting NPS by 30 points and on-time deliveries by 65%.

Co-Founder of PandaTree

Raised over $2M in seed funding for an online tutoring platform.
Achieved a 4.9/5 Google rating and industry-leading customer loyalty.
Launched the MVP in under a month using agile development.
Ensured strong product-market fit through continuous improvements.

Strategic Leadership at Crowdera

Developed a business strategy transforming product operations.
Created a new business model, raising over $1M for customers in the first year.
Introduced lean startup methodologies, driving efficiency and innovation.
Increased user engagement and donations by over 50% with new product features.

Innovative Product Development

Designed and developed a self improving, ai agent development development framework.
Integrated AI/ML technologies to detect buyer fraud on eBay's marketplace.
Launched eBay’s first mobile app for sellers, driving C2C growth.

Driving Customer-Centric Improvements

Led product enhancements at PandaTree, achieving top-tier loyalty metrics.
Transformed companies into data-driven organizations.
Improved customer experience and service quality through strategic UI redesigns.

Agile and Data-Driven Methodologies

Implemented agile methodologies, enhancing collaboration and development processes.
Fostered continuous improvement and data-driven decision-making.
Developed and monitored KPIs to drive product strategies and measure success.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Collaborated with executives, engineers, designers, and marketers.
Aligned product development with organizational goals.
Streamlined processes for better collaboration and faster impacts.

Building High-Performing Teams

Recruited, coached, and motivated high-performing teams.
Set clear goals and metrics, aligning teams with company objectives.
Fostered a positive and productive work environment.

Fundraising Expertise

Successfully raised significant funding for startups.
Developed compelling business cases and product strategies that attracted investors.
Worked closely with investors to present strategic visions and actionable plans.

Metrics and Analytics Mastery

Expert in defining, monitoring, and analyzing KPIs.
Used data to drive decision-making and optimize performance.
Prioritized high-impact opportunities through data insights.

Customer Loyalty and Retention

Improved customer loyalty and retention rates with strategic initiatives.
Focused on understanding and addressing customer needs.
Achieved high satisfaction and repeat business at PandaTree.

Thought Leadership in Product Management

Recognized for innovative product management approaches.
Presented at industry conferences and within the seller community.
Awarded eBay’s “Excellence in Product Management” for agile methodologies and strategic development.