CPO As a Service is about joining your organisation as an interim/fractional Chief Product Officer (CPO) to address your critical pains and grow your product and business. The service comes in three flavours, fully embedded and advisory, or as a combination of both, to suit your needs. It gives you access to my skills, knowledge and experience on a flexible and on-demand basis.
CPO as a Service — Interim/Fractional CPO
Fully Embedded
In this model, I work full-time as a C-Suite executive with your organisation and take full responsibility for the day-to-day operations, including people management and board representation. It’s sometimes referred to as the interim executive model.
-
✓ 4-5 days a week
✓ 9-12 months
✓ Onsite, Hybrid or Remote
✓ Full-time strategic and operational support
✓ Decision making
✓ People management, hiring and mentoring
✓ Regulatory and compliance
✓ Customer, board, investor and partner meetings
✓ 12+ interim CPO roles so far in five countries
Advisory
In this model, I work part-time as a strategic advisor and trusted partner with the leadership team without taking on responsibility for day-to-day operations. It’s sometimes referred to as a fractional executive model.
-
✓ A few hours to a few days a week
✓ On-demand (Can be dialled up or down anytime)
✓ 3 to 24 months
✓ Remote only
✓ Advice on the product, strategy, business model, user experience, hiring, partnerships and funding
✓ Advised 50+ brands, startups and organisations so far
Which model is right for us — Fully Embedded or Advisory?
The decision to opt for a fully embedded or advisory model depends on your needs, circumstances and budget. Both models have inbuilt flexibility, so the solution can be tailored specifically to what works best for you and your organisation. There are instances where the fully embedded model works best and where the advisory or a combination of the two works best. I will propose the right model for you after analysing your requirements.
Example — I worked full-time for six months intensively with a tech scale-up to define product strategy, build product org, hire nearshore development teams and take a new product to market. After this, I moved from 5 days to 1 day a week of light-touch engagement to keep things moving smoothly. In this particular case, front-loading the assignment and easing it down to a lighter engagement in a hybrid (fully embedded plus advisory) model was a better choice.
CPO as a Service for
Tech scale-ups
Interim/fractional CPO in a fully embedded or advisory capacity to address growth pains and build a customer-centric culture. Track record of 13+ iCPO roles so far at Ada, Lendis, Selligent and more.
Investors
Tailored solutions for your investment team comprising portfolio management, monitoring and risk assessment, and providing strategic advice, mentorship, talent acquisition and operational support to your portfolio companies.
Agencies
Advising your clients on all aspects of the product, strategy, user experience, design, product, technology, customer acquisition and partnerships. Advised myriad clients on behalf of ScienceMagic and Group of Humans.
CPO as a Service FAQs
Questions to aid decision-making
-
Companies hire me when they need immediate assistance, expertise and leadership to address specific challenges, like scaling the product org, defining a product strategy post-acquisition and mentoring etc. It’s usually during periods of transition, crisis or rapid growth.
-
There is no doubt product leadership plays a critical role in the success of a technology business, and it might be necessary to have permanent staff if there are no product skills in-house. That said, there are myriad situations where an interim with a results-oriented approach would be a better choice, e.g. when immediate expertise is required during a crisis. After gaining a decade of experience in interim roles, I have a much better idea of where interim would be a better fit. Please get in touch to get no-obligation advice. I would be the first to tell you if you need to hire a permanent product leader instead. The assessment is essential for our collective success.
-
The answer depends on the specific needs of your organisation. An interim CPO can provide immediate expertise and leadership without a long-term commitment, making them ideal for time-sensitive initiatives, whereas a permanent executive can offer loyalty, stability and long-term alignment with your vision and culture. In short, it’s best to hire an interim executive for PRESENT value and a permanent executive for FUTURE value to the company. Please reach out to get an unbiased opinion.
-
Yes, absolutely. Mentoring and coaching are crucial aspects of a product leader’s role in any capacity. It’s even more important for me as an interim CPO, as I’ve to ensure the success can last beyond my time. I pay close attention to upskilling teams while fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth. Please let me know upfront if you believe a particular individual may need specific attention, e.g. training someone from director to C-level. It will allow me to tailor the proposal to your needs.
“Harpal is the strongest product leader I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and one of the few people I would say is a true mentor in my career. I miss collaborating with him daily and hope we get a chance to work together again.” — Scott Fannin, VP Enterprise Product, Ada
-
I’ve built a playbook from two decades of experience in over a dozen fully-embedded interim CPO roles lasting 9-12 months and 100+ advisory roles in various industries. Additionally, my early career as a UX designer and educational background in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has provided me insights into how people think and the foundations to build products customers love.
These learnings and experiences have given me a unique perspective and a blueprint for success while avoiding costly mistakes. Unlike consultants who offer only high-level advice, I am deeply involved in every aspect of the product, from shaping the vision and strategy to executing it with cross-functional teams. With each new opportunity, I continually enhance my problem-solving abilities, adapt quickly to changing circumstances, and easily navigate complex situations.
-
A leadership position, whether temporary or permanent, has an outsized impact (positive or negative) on the organisation. The fit goes both ways, and it’s crucial to assess it. I prefer to meet fellow executives and direct reports before taking on an assignment. It can provide a holistic view of my values and help you to assess the fit objectively. I adapt and align my approach to your company’s culture and working methods for shared success.
Track record questions
-
Both. I’ve over 20 years of professional industry experience. Almost all of the work in my first 10-12 years was in the B2C space, where I designed, built and launched products directly for the end users, e.g. for Yahoo!, Net-a-Porter, SThree, Yamaha, Foolproof and others. In the recent 7-8 years, I’ve worked extensively on B2B Enterprise products, like Sharpcloud, Lendis, Untold and Epica.ai. It’s not uncommon for me to manage both B2B and B2C products, e.g. at Ada Health with Consumer, Enterprise and Partner products.
-
I had the pleasure of working in several industries, including HRTech, MarTech, Media, Publishing, eCommerce, Fintech, Robotics, and Healthcare. The product and design skills are naturally transferable, which makes it easier to move around. I’ve come to rely on Subject Matter Experts for domain knowledge and honed skills to ask the right (and tough) questions, which benefits everyone around.
-
I work almost exclusively on digital (software and SaaS) products, with a few exceptions like Automata Robotics. I’ve worked on a few IoT projects, like Intel, with both hardware and software elements.
Logistics questions
-
I live and work from London (UK), my home for most of my adult life. I travel for work as necessary.
-
I’m comfortable with all modes of working — remote, onsite and hybrid. I prefer to be onsite for fully embedded roles for the first few months if teams come to the office, as it’s invaluable for building rapport and relationships. I’m open to living in another country for a short while like I moved to China for six months for an opportunity.
-
I don’t offer fixed days, e.g. Monday for client A and Tuesday for client B. This doesn’t work for teams and clients as they would have to wait for days to get a response. Instead, I distribute the committed hours throughout the week, allowing me to respond on time and take calls/meetings at times convenient for everyone. I’m comfortable switching contexts.
-
It varies, but it’s mostly just two companies at a time, with one dedicated 3-4 days a week role and the other 3-4 hours a week advisory role. The maximum I've worked is three at a time. It’s intentionally designed this way to keep the context-switching cost manageable and the quality of work high. Under no circumstances, I commit more than 40 hours a week altogether.
Outcomes
Customer journeys are more complex than ever, and customers are demanding more than ever. There are too many moving parts in the ecosystem of technology, people and processes. Despite technological advancements, it couldn't be more difficult to build products that achieve breakthrough success. I work with your teams to increase the odds of your product success through an iterative, collaborative and outcome-driven approach.
Here’s an overview of the results and outcomes you can expect after hiring me as your interim/fractional Chief Product Officer (CPO).
1. Product Vision & Strategy
A compelling Product Vision and Product Strategy informed by a deep understanding of customer needs and market dynamics.
2. People Management
Strong leadership, attracting and retaining the best talent, and designing the Product Org to execute the product strategy and vision efficiently and effectively.
3. Customer Experience
Ensuring the product offers an intuitive and engaging experience by leveraging customer insights and behavioural data.
4. Product Performance
Overseeing product development, achieving and maintaining the Product/Market Fit and hitting core KPIs like acquisition and retention.
5. Business Performance
Driving the company's financial performance by making decisions and driving initiatives to grow revenue and profitability.
6. Product Culture
Building a high-performing Product Org, shaping culture and making the organisation product-led, i.e. fostering a customer-centric mindset delivering value to customers via product.
7. Product Marketing
Improving product positioning in the market via messaging, branding and pricing, and driving go-to-market strategies using a combination of sales-led and product-led growth.
8. Collaboration and Org Alignment
Facilitating cross-functional collaboration between the departments, esp. Product, Design, Research and Tech, and aligning the whole organisation around vision, strategy and roadmap, fostering a shared understanding and commitment to the company’s success.
Ready to discuss your business?
Please get in touch using this form.