Hey, I'm Matthew
Sixteen years in product management, and I'm still excited about it.
I've shipped zero-to-one products and modernized legacy systems across fintech, SaaS, enterprise non-profit, and blockchain. The pattern that keeps me coming back: deep user research, clear documentation, and a roadmap the whole team buys into. Lately I've added engineering to the mix — when a team is small or the feedback loop matters, I'd rather build it myself than wait. Same product instincts, faster path to learning what works.
The balance
Work fuels a life worth living, not the other way around. Mine is built on four pillars.
Dogs
Two of them. Hiking with them is the best research method I've found — problems untangle on the trail.
Food
Cooking is craft — discipline, focus, the chase of getting the dish right. Pasta and risotto are where I let my hands do the thinking.
Learning
Books, deliberate practice, building things just to see how they work. The day I stop learning is the day I stop being useful.
Travel
New places, new perspectives. Travel reminds me how big the problem space really is — and how small my assumptions usually are.
My Approach
See the full PDLC frameworkInsight
Curiosity, empathy, user profiles. Find the real problem before falling in love with a solution.
Direction
Data-driven roadmaps. Primary research over hunches. Pick the path that earns the next round.
Build
Tight collaboration with design and engineering. MVPs with strong UX and documentation that survives the team.
Iterate
Lean Agile, retrospectives, customer signals. Healthy growth loops — not one-and-done launches.
Strengths
Product
Discovery & Insight — The foundation everything else stands on.
Curiosity, empathy, and the work of finding what users actually need.
Strategy & Planning — Turning insight into direction.
Where research meets the roadmap and the roadmap meets the team.
Execution — Shipping the work.
The day-to-day rhythm that gets MVPs into the world without burning the team out.
Domains & Tools — Where I've operated.
Industries I've shipped in and the platforms I reach for.
Tech I work in
Certifications
Product Management
- PMC-I — Product Manager Level I
- PMC-II — Product Manager Level II
- PMC-III — Product Manager Level III
SAFe
- SAFe 5 Agile Product Management
- SAFe Agilist Certification
Scrum Alliance
- CSM — Certified Scrum Master
- ACSM — Advanced Certified Scrum Master
- CAL-E — Agile Leadership Essentials
- CAL-T — Agile Leadership for Teams
Currently Pursuing
- GitHub Foundations
- Microsoft AI-900 — Azure AI Fundamentals
- AWS Cloud Practitioner
- freeCodeCamp — Responsive Web Design
Career Journey
Founder · Independent PM-Builder
Founded the studio to formalize independent contract work. Concurrent engagements as PM lead and builder on Tweet Pulse (Polymarket intelligence) and Cascadia Forestry (full-stack ops platform replacing paper timesheets). Small-team, AI-native engineering.
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Product Manager
Led the end-to-end overhaul of Giving Days, driving +15% engagement. Championed the Chariot DAFpay integration. Modernized a legacy fundraising platform into a self-service, mobile-friendly experience for non-profits.
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Product Manager
Managed development of on-chain DAO tools, blockchain backend services, and KYC protocols — helping 15+ NFT communities reclaim and rebuild their digital products. Worked with senior leadership on initial 0→1 fundraising and product launch.
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Project Manager → PMO Lead
Concora Credit (formerly Genesis Financial)
Ten years across PM, PO, BA, Scrum Master, SQA, and Ops roles. Built the Project Management Office from the ground up — implementing frameworks that improved transparency and delivery velocity. Led enterprise modernization of core lending systems and APIs. Reduced sprint spillover by 30%; standardized documentation and stakeholder communications across the org.
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Drop me a note about your project, the role, or the problem you're trying to solve. I read every message and reply within a couple of days.
Prefer email? mietsko@gmail.com