Candidate-Market Fit
I’m seeking a Principal/Senior Product Manager role at a mid-sized, mission-driven company where I can drive human-centered digital transformation by leveraging emerging technologies, partnerships with leadership and engineering, and my deep UX expertise.
About
I’m an experienced Product Manager who loves building digital products that genuinely work for people. Over the years I’ve developed:
- Expertise in complex web platforms for creating and distributing data and digital content
- A strong intuition for what matters most to my customers and the problems that they actually face
- Deep awareness for usability details
- A clear understanding of how and where to leverage artificial intelligence.
What drives me is ensuring that all the pieces connect: from the strategic vision of the company down to the smallest tactical decisions. I thrive on finding that sweet spot where thoughtful planning meets practical execution, creating digital experiences that feel both purposeful and effortless to use.
Finally, I love getting everyone excited about what we’re building for our customers, especially when we are advancing the company’s mission.
Goals
Short term I’m seeking a role where:
- I am an Individual Contributor (IC) who manages digital products and experiences for forward-thinking companies.
- I leverage emerging technologies to help my users do what they need to do quickly and efficiently.
- I am remote with a company in the U.S., or hybrid with a company in the Washington DC area (non-government related).
Long term I would like to be the head of Product in a company I believe in and whose Product group I’ve helped build.
Where I Come Alive
- I deliver meaningful digital products that enable an organization’s mission because:
- I am an expert in that product
- I am a trusted advisor to leadership and to my customers
- I get to help organizations transform their business with smart uses of AI — I am the bridge between AI implementations and the people around me because:
- I understand tech and can translate it into human terms
- I help with the complexities of change management as people learn their new workflows
- I excel at writing, presenting, and getting the message across
- I work best with leadership when we have enthusiastic alignment and we are all excited about what’s possible
- I work side by side with my engineers to clarify that we are always building the right things
- I shine when I can move the needle for my company and make our customers happy
- I am very good at pulling together disparate information to discover new product opportunities
- I thrive when I can share knowledge with my team that empowers them
Where I Wilt
- When my work and my role doesn’t really make a difference
- When the company is just chasing the next shiny thing
- When I’m not making material improvements to my products
- When my team and I are stuck in a dying industry
- When I’m working for a stodgy company whose goals and mission are outdated
Ideal Company Attributes and Culture
I’m looking for companies that:
- Have a praiseworthy mission
- View IT as an enabler (not a cost to be managed)
- Have a strong bias for action
- Take bold but calculated risks
- Value and reward employees who get the right work done
- Engender trust from the top and down and from the bottom up
- Truly care about innovation for meaningful reasons
- Prioritize top-of-class customer experiences
- Value modern Product Management practices
- Are flatter but where leadership exemplifies a creative, mission-driven culture
- Are open minded, nimble, accountable, flexible, authentic, and inspired
Idea Target Companies
- B2B / B2C SaaS companies for multimedia content development, content distribution, creatives, educators, social improvement
- Established companies from 100 to 500 and growing
- Examples include: Bloomberg, Canva, Coursera, Workera, Sound Exchange, ClassDojo
The People I Work With
Stuart Ridgway 