I’m an independent product leadership coach and consultant. My mission is to help product people and their organizations to grow.
I truly believe user centricity is the key to forging unrivaled digital business models. Years of experience have shown me that product teams need to be fully empowered to discover and deliver the best viable solutions.
🔔 Please note: I’m currently not available for new business. If you’re searching for a great coach, I highly recommend Shaun Russell.
“Tobias coached us on several product-related topics spanning from a major org change, to product management recruiting, to facilitating our cross-functional teams. Tobias gives clear yet nuanced and undogmatic guidance, adjusted to our situation and context. He knows when to ask a question and when to give a clear opinion. He is a great coach.”
– Dominik Busching, Head of Product Management, tado°
What you can expect from my coaching
I believe it’s essential for product people managers to be a great coach for their employees. Unfortunately, I know from experience that’s often not the case. Many product managers are left to their own devices when it comes to personal development, reinforcing their strengths, and tackling their learning fields. Their people managers may not be able to find the time for it, perhaps they’re not product people themselves, or they may simply consider people development to be unimportant. This is where I come into play as an external coach who can help both the product manager as well as their people manager.
I also believe that coachees should pick their coaches – not vice versa. That’s why I typically start off with a quick meeting (video call) where we get to know each other and discuss the coachee’s individual situation. Only then will I propose a tailored coaching program and leave it up to the coachee to start the program or opt for a different coach who may be a better personal fit.
In general, my product manager coaching starts with a 3-month program where we meet once a week in the first month and then reduce the frequency to once every two weeks in the second and third months. At the end of the three months, we then discuss whether to extend the program based on the coachee’s progress.
No matter whether you’re a Junior, Senior, or Head of Product – if you’re interested in product coaching, let’s talk.
“Tobias ran a series of group coaching sessions, 1:1 coaching sessions and workshops at SumUp for our global product and design teams. Working with him has been a true pleasure. The sessions were fantastically well organized, very insightful, and most importantly changed the way we work today. Without him, the shift towards more outcome-oriented goals and empowered teams would have been impossible.”
– Tobias Janiesch, VP Product, SumUp
What you can expect from my consulting
How do the best companies stand out from the rest? Simple – they have empowered product teams capable of solving complex business problems. They focus on understanding their users’ needs to maximize outcomes rather than building and shipping features to maximize output. That may well sound easy, but a lot of companies actually struggle with that as it requires them to re-think their organizational structures and processes. Their leaders need to adopt a whole new mindset and skillset to give their teams full control and to foster trust throughout the organization. Cross-discipline collaboration needs to be re-organized, silo-thinking broken up, goals, strategy, and vision re-worked – the list goes on. It’s a demanding journey, but it’s always worth the effort. At least it is if you still intend to be on the digital marketplace in the next decade.
No idea where to start? Got some rough ideas but not sure where they’re taking you? I can help you and your organization to grow. Let’s have a chat.
“We worked with Tobias on many aspects of Product Leadership & Strategy, and it’s very impressive how he takes the time and energy to understand where we are coming from, adapting the sessions based on the feedback provided and making sure we have everything we need to make all the input actionable on our end. – The entire process was very well thought through and the material used were up to the highest standards. Would gladly work with him again.”
– Alin Meceanu, VP User Experience, FREE NOW
What you shouldn’t expect from me
First and foremost, I’m not going to lie to you so you feel good. If I think you’re on the wrong track, I’ll tell you. Whether you’re a PM, a leader, or an organization. Sure, my customers are king. But if the emperor has no clothes, someone needs to speak up.
I’m not a trainer. My sessions aren’t an opportunity for you to take it easy and lean back. My coaching is a two-way street where we both need to work. The simple truth here is that if you want to change, you’re going to need to work hard. Of course, I’m here to assist you, coach you, and hopefully inspire you. But for that to happen, you’ll need to put in the work.
Last but not least: don’t expect me to work with you on-site all day. We’re bound to meet in person from time to time, but most of the time we’ll work remotely. That’s because I work for a number of clients and traveling simply takes up too much time. Besides, traveling is bad for the environment and that’s something I also care about.
20+ years of digital experience
I started off my career as a web designer back in the days when our industry used to be called the “new economy”. Having trained as a media designer for digital and print media, I then studied media engineering since I was always interested in both user experience design and technology. I founded my first business at 21 and basically took on every project a customer put my way. I designed web pages, brands, and corporate designs. I translated user manuals, programmed database applications, went down the rabbit hole of building crazy interactive stuff in Flash, and even did some video editing and productions. As my projects grew bigger, I found myself in lead roles: project lead, concept lead, account lead, and, in one instance, tech lead.
This wild journey came to an end when I found my professional home: product management. It’s precisely where I want to be as it’s the melting pot of all the exciting disciplines: tech, design, marketing, sales, business, analytics, user research, and more. I’ve always seen myself as the interpreter helping to translate between all the disciplines needed to create outstanding digital products.
I spent the last few years at XING - the leading professional social network in German-speaking markets. In my role as product director, I was responsible for a cluster of product teams building and maintaining the core of the social network. They were amazing years spent with wonderfully talented people, an outstanding corporate culture, and a great product that has an impact on the lives of ~20 million people. Nevertheless, in summer 2020 I decided to go full time with my own business again as I love working with different clients on their various challenges. Now, I can fully focus on product coaching and consulting while applying my expertise and experience to coachees and companies alike.
Alongside my freelance work, I co-organize ProductTank Hamburg and co-moderate MTP Engage Hamburg. I’m also hosting the German podcast series Produktmenschen.
