Fractional CPO

Senior product leadership, without the hire.

I take charge of product leadership for your company, a few days a week, or full-time during a transition. For startups, established companies and fintechs.

When should you bring in a fractional CPO?

You don’t have a head of product yet.

The founder or the leadership team carries the product alone, and decisions are piling up.

Your head of product has just left.

The seat can’t stay empty while you recruit.

Your product and your team are growing.

The team, the priorities and the way of working all need structure.

You are preparing a fundraise or an executive committee meeting.

Your product vision has to convince.

Two ways to work together.

Fractional CPO

For
a startup or a company that needs senior product leadership, but not full-time.
How
I am with you a few days a week, embedded in your team.
Until when
until your team is autonomous, or you are ready to hire a full-time CPO, whom I can help you find.
What you get
a clear vision and roadmap, priorities that hold, a structured team and a product that keeps moving.

Interim CPO

For
a company whose head of product has just left.
How
I take over the role full-time, for a limited period.
Until when
until your new head of product arrives. I help you recruit and onboard them.
What you get
a product that keeps moving, a team that stays on course, and a smooth handover.
What I take on

Real responsibilities, not slides.

As a fractional CPO, sometimes called a part-time CPO, I carry the same responsibilities as a full-time CPO:

  • Product vision & strategy

    Defining where the product is going and why, with the metrics that measure success.

  • Roadmap & priorities

    Deciding what we build now, later, or not at all.

  • Leading product & tech teams

    Organisation, rituals and delivery tracking.

  • Link with the business

    Tying every product decision to operations, partners and revenue.

  • Hiring & coaching

    Structuring the team, hiring the right profiles and helping your product managers grow.

  • Leadership & investors

    Presenting the product vision to management, the board and investors.

Paola Luyo, founder of Oxygen23
Why me

From the counter to the C-suite.

I started out behind a counter, face to face with customers. Then I set up a customer service function across several countries, ran operations and partnerships while joining the Executive Committee, built a 30-strong product and tech team with the CTO as Chief Product Officer, then ran an 80-strong subsidiary.

At every step, I took on roles I had never held, in countries and cultures that were new to me. It taught me to understand fast, to adapt to any environment and to stay on course when things get complicated.

That journey left me with one conviction: behind every product, there are people. Those who use it, those who build it, those who sell it. My job is to get them moving forward together, with a lot of listening and a good dose of creativity. I have also co-founded a festival and a digital bank, so a blank page doesn’t scare me.

  • Former Head of Operations
  • Former Head of Partnerships
  • Former Chief Product Officer
  • Former Executive Committee member
  • Co-founder of a digital bank
See my background
How it starts

Four steps to a good start.

  1. A first conversation, free and with no commitment.

    You tell me about your situation. I tell you frankly whether I can help, and how.

  2. A quick diagnosis.

    I get to know your product, your team and your numbers, to identify the real priorities.

  3. A clear proposal.

    The format (fractional or interim), the rhythm, the objectives and the first results to expect.

  4. We get started.

    I join your team, with regular check-ins to measure how far we have come.

Book a first conversation

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from a consultant?

A consultant delivers a recommendation, then leaves. As a fractional CPO, I take responsibility for the product and I am part of your team, all the way to results.

How many days a week?

It depends on your stage and your needs. We define it together, and the rhythm can change as your project evolves.

On site or remote?

Both. I am based in Brussels and work on site, remotely or in a hybrid set-up, in English, French, Spanish or Portuguese.

Do you only work with fintechs?

No. I work with startups, established companies and fintechs. My experience in fintech, a demanding sector, is an asset for any digital product.

What if we want to hire a full-time CPO later?

That is often the goal. I help you define the role, hire the right person and hand over to them.

Senior product leadership, when you need it.

Let’s talk