Accelerating Client Time-to-Value by 93%

Background

I identified critical challenges with our existing product offering through structured analysis:

• Product Usage Data: Discovered positive client reactions to basic HRIS data visualizations in presentations

• Value Stream Mapping: Identified that 25% of a client's 12-month contract passed before receiving value

• Technical Pain Points: Uncovered that data quality issues were being discovered too late in the process

• Competitive Assessment: Recognized our consultative approach limited scalability compared to SaaS competitors

  
  

Challenge

A strategic client request became the catalyst for product innovation:

• Customer Discovery: When PSG (private equity firm) expressed interest in workforce insights across portfolio companies

• Market Gap Analysis: Identified opportunity to serve multi-entity organizations with standardized reporting

• Solution Hypothesis: Developed concept for standalone product that could deliver immediate value while validating data quality

• Pilot Proposal: Designed pilot program for 10 portfolio companies to test product concept

• Business Case Development: Created ROI model showing value of early data validation and insights

Solution

Product Strategy & Development

I led the end-to-end product development process following best practices:

• Technical Architecture Design:

  • Wrote SQL queries to transform raw HRIS data into analyzable formats

  • Created database views and standardized metrics access

  • Developed LookML models reflecting business logic and relationships

  • Designed and implemented ETL pipeline for data processing

• Feature Prioritization:

  • Prioritized dashboard development based on stakeholder value alignment

  • Created MVP with core reporting capabilities and benchmark comparisons

  • Developed roadmap for additional features based on pilot feedback

  • Balanced technical debt with delivery timelines

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:

  • Worked with data scientist to develop Department of Labor benchmark data API

  • Aligned engineering on automation architecture requirements

  • Partnered with customer success to integrate offering into onboarding

  • Coordinated with sales to position new product offering

Solution

I employed technical and product management skills to bring the solution to market:

• Technical Implementation:

  • Designed end-to-end ETL pipeline with automated triggers and notifications

  • Implemented stored procedures for data standardization across clients

  • Created error handling and logging for pipeline reliability

  • Built dashboard generation automation through Looker API

• Pilot Management:

  • Coordinated deployment across 10 portfolio companies

  • Gathered structured feedback through user interviews and usage data

  • Iterated on visualizations based on stakeholder input

  • Documented process improvements for scaling

• Stakeholder Management:

  • Maintained alignment with PSG leadership on portfolio management goals

  • Engaged portfolio company stakeholders for requirements and feedback

  • Coordinated with internal teams on technical development

  • Communicated timeline and progress to executive leadership

Results

The product delivered significant business and client value:

• Business Metrics:

  • Secured renewed 2-year contract with PSG for expanded offerings

  • Converted portfolio companies into direct Kanarys clients

  • Established new revenue stream that became a part of core product portfolio

  • Developed sales enablement tools that increased demo-to-close conversion rates by an estimated 15% through streamlined value demonstrations

• Client Value Metrics:

  • Reduced time-to-value from 2.5 months to 1-5 days (93% improvement)

  • Identified and resolved HRIS data quality issues at engagement start

  • Strengthened client relationships through early wins

  • Set up subsequent product deployments for greater success

• Organizational Impact:

  • Transformed customer onboarding experience company-wide by making the WCA the standard first deliverable for all new clients

  • Enabled market expansion to organizations with portfolio companies or a parent company with multiple subsidiaries 

Skills Demonstrated

This zero-to-one product development demonstrated several core product management principles:

• Customer-Problem Fit: Built solution directly addressing verified customer pain point

• Technical Leadership: Combined product vision with hands-on technical execution in SQL and data architecture

• Pilot-to-Product Transformation: Successfully converted custom solution into standardized offering

• Value-First Approach: Prioritized immediate client value delivery over feature completeness

• Data-Driven Development: Used client feedback and usage patterns to guide product evolution

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Coordinated across technical, business, and client stakeholders

Lessons Learned

The WCA development reinforced important product development principles:

• Client Needs as Product Opportunities: Unique client requirements can lead to scalable product offerings

• Automation from Day One: Building automated processes from the beginning is crucial for scalability

• Technical Depth Advantage: Hands-on technical involvement enables more effective solution architecture

• Early Value Creation: Starting client relationships with immediate value significantly improves engagement

• Product Versatility: The same core product can serve multiple market segments with minor adjustments

  
  

This product transformed Kanarys' client onboarding experience while establishing a new revenue stream and demonstrating my ability to identify market opportunities and execute technical solutions from concept to deployment.