# Tristan Douville — Senior Product Manager Product leader with 5+ years driving B2B SaaS from 0→1 launch through growth-stage scale. I work directly with executive leadership on strategy and I've built product functions from the ground up — hiring teams, designing operating models, and establishing processes that let development move fast. I also build LLM-powered workflows and AI product discovery tools. - [Email](mailto:trstndvll@gmail.com) - [GitHub](https://github.com/trstndvll) - [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/in/trstndvll) ## About Me ### My Background After studying computer science and technical writing I started my career in IT before transitioning into product management. My technical foundation means I can go deep with engineering teams while still keeping the user front-and-centre. ### What I Enjoy I thrive building 0→1 products — taking ambiguous problems through discovery, defining the right scope, and shipping solutions that drive real customer value and user delight. I especially love being a translator between technical and non-technical teams. ### What's Next I'm looking for a Senior PM or Lead PM role at a growth-stage small business or established organization where I can own a product area end-to-end, learn an entirely new domain, and upskill both technically and professionally. ## Skills & Tools ### Product Leadership - Agile, Kanban, & Scrum - AI Strategy - BI & Data Analysis - Competitor Analysis - Customer Interviews - Product Governance ### Technical Skills - Data Modeling - HTML/CSS - Prompt Engineering - Python - SQL - SR&ED Reporting - TypeScript ### Tools - Atlassian - AWS - Figma - GitHub - Hotjar - Metabase - Mixpanel - Notion - Zapier ### AI & Automation - ChatGPT - Claude - Cursor - Magic Patterns - MCP - n8n - OpenAI API - Vercel ## Case Studies ### Building a Product Function from Scratch Designed and shipped a full SDLC from the ground up; solo PM to 3-person team. 25% reduction in production bugs. Partnered with leadership to shift engineering to a startup mentality, laying foundations for a 0→1 platform launch. #### Context When I joined Pivott, there was **no product function** — no process, no team, and no defined way of taking work from idea to shipped. The engineering team was experienced and capable, but had come from a **stable, profitable business** where the primary mode was **maintenance and incremental improvement**. The mandate was to build a **brand-new SaaS product at startup pace**. #### Problem Launching a **0→1 product** without a product function isn't just a process gap — it's a **structural risk**. Without defined ownership, prioritization, and delivery workflows, teams default to **ad hoc decisions**, **unclear requirements**, and **reactive engineering**. **Core tension:** Move fast enough to build a competitive product while establishing the process rigor needed to sustain it. There was also a cultural challenge: the engineering team's instincts were calibrated for **stability, not speed**, and process change without credibility rarely sticks. #### My Role - **Assessed the full gap** between where the team was operating and what a startup delivery model required - **Designed a complete SDLC** spanning idea submission through to post-release review and success monitoring - Leveraged my **CSPO certification** to bring in proven agile frameworks and external perspectives on team rituals - **Built the business case** for dedicated product and QA hires - **Partnered directly with the CEO** to secure the backing needed to drive cultural change with the engineering team #### Key Decisions **1. Design the full lifecycle before hiring** Rather than hiring first and figuring out process later, I mapped the complete SDLC — **17 phases** from idea submission to review and success monitoring — before growing the team. This gave new hires a **functioning system from day one**. **2. Secure CEO alignment before rolling out to engineering** Given the cultural gap, I recognized that process changes needed to come with **executive weight** behind them. Getting the CEO aligned first meant the shift wasn't just a PM's opinion — it was **company direction**. **3. Use certification frameworks as a starting point, not a constraint** Applied **CSPO frameworks** (planning poker, sprint rituals, backlog governance) as a baseline, then adapted them to **Pivott's stage and team dynamics** rather than implementing them by the book. #### Execution - **Designed and documented a full SDLC** covering idea submission, prioritization, requirements, design, hand-off, development, testing, release, and post-launch review - **Hired and onboarded** a PM, a product designer, and a QA engineer — growing from a **solo PM to a 3-person product team** - **Established agile best practices** and team rituals from the ground up - Introduced **Jira-based defect tracking** to create a measurable quality baseline #### Outcome - **Fully operational product function** built in under **6 months** - **Production bugs reduced by 25%** following introduction of QA and formal acceptance testing - Engineering team successfully transitioned from **maintenance-mode** to **startup delivery cadence** - Operating model became the foundation for the **0→1 launch** of Pivott's core contract management platform - Established **scalable team and process infrastructure** that supported subsequent engineering growth from **5 to 8** ### Protecting Velocity by Reducing Scope — Solving for the 95% Scoped an MVP that covered ~95% of real customer needs and shipped on time. Avoided a months-long engineering detour by anchoring decisions in usage data, not hypothetical edge cases. #### Context Leadership proposed a new feature to help customers manage **renewal terms** within **contract documents** — a known **pain point** for users managing **long-term agreements**. #### Problem Initial designs aimed to model **every possible renewal scenario** across all document types. While comprehensive, this approach introduced **significant technical complexity**, a **high cognitive load** for end users, and a timeline that would delay a **widely-requested feature**. **Core tension:** Deliver a complete solution vs. deliver a usable solution quickly. There was also internal misalignment — **leadership** favoured the more robust approach. #### My Role - **Analyzed** **session recordings** and **support tickets** to understand real user behaviour - Used **LLMs** to review **OCR'd contract text** and identify patterns in **renewal terms** - Found that the **majority of users** had **simple, repeatable renewal patterns** - **Facilitated discussions** with leadership to refocus on **core user needs** - **Managed stakeholder expectations** during a decision conflict #### Key Decisions **1. Reduce scope to match real usage** Prioritized a recurrence-based model covering the most common renewal scenarios. Avoided building for edge cases upfront. **2. Leverage known patterns** Drew from existing SaaS conventions and competitor solutions to reduce the user learning curve. **3. Position as an MVP** Framed the solution as a test of user demand, keeping the door open for expansion. This reduced resistance by aligning on iteration over perfection. #### Execution - Partnered with **engineering** to define a **lean, flexible recurrence system** - Kept scope tightly aligned to **core use cases** - Instrumented the feature with **Mixpanel** to measure **adoption** and **usage patterns** - Led **internal enablement** and **external rollout** through documentation and customer education #### Outcome - Feature launched successfully and **remains in active use** - Covered **~95%** of customer use cases, validating the **simplified approach** - Avoided **significant engineering investment** in low-frequency edge cases - The **"comprehensive" solution** was **deprioritized indefinitely**, freeing capacity for **higher-impact roadmap items** ### Rebuilding a Marketing Website for Team Velocity Led a full marketing site rebuild using AI-native tooling; prototype in 1 week, launched in under 4 weeks. Enabled non-developer marketing contributions for the first time and reduced monthly tooling costs by ~40%. #### Context Pivott's marketing site was built on **Webflow** using a purchased template. Over time, the site's needs had grown well past what the platform handled well: the marketing team couldn't independently build new pages, custom interactions required developer involvement, and a planned **redesign** was quietly becoming harder to justify. Meanwhile, the product had real content needs. **New feature landing pages were stalled.** A long-requested pricing page redesign — with collapsible comparison tables and an interactive plan structure — had been deferred repeatedly because the effort in Webflow made it not worth prioritizing. #### Problem The root issue wasn't design quality — it was a **platform mismatch**. Webflow's visual editor handled basic copy changes, but broke down for anything structural. Adding a new component, building an interactive pricing layout, or launching a feature landing page each required either a developer or a Webflow specialist. Pivott had neither available for marketing work at this time. **Core tension:** The marketing site needed to grow with the product, but every meaningful change was a project in its own right. There was also a compounding risk: Webflow was retiring its **legacy editor**, forcing a workflow transition regardless — making the status quo a temporary solution at best. #### My Role - **Identified the constraint proactively** before it became a blocker and built a concrete alternative before bringing it to leadership - **Built the business case** comparing Webflow and a React/Vercel stack across cost, capability, and long-term flexibility - **Led the full technical implementation** — repo setup, design system, component architecture, and deployment pipeline - **Established the AI-native design and build workflow** using Magic Patterns, Claude Code, and Cursor - **Designed the project plan** including content audit, infrastructure checklist, and DNS migration process - **Presented the prototype** to the CEO and Head of Sales and secured approval to move the 2027 redesign to 2026 #### Key Decisions **1. Accelerate the 2027 redesign by over a year** The effort required to build a competent Webflow site was roughly equivalent to building in React — but with worse long-term outcomes. Framed this clearly for leadership and got the go-ahead to move immediately, collapsing a year-plus timeline into weeks. **2. Use Magic Patterns as the primary design tool** Rather than hiring a designer or Webflow consultant, used Magic Patterns to produce a fully on-brand React prototype — complete component library, brand token system, responsive behaviour, and accessibility compliance — before any production code was written. This gave leadership a concrete, clickable prototype to approve before committing engineering resources. **3. Choose Next.js over a simpler Vite + React Router setup** Evaluated both options and chose Next.js for its server-side rendering (direct SEO benefit for a marketing site), file-based routing, and native metadata handling. Vercel's first-class support made deployment, staging branches, and preview URLs essentially zero-config. **4. Design for non-developer contribution from day one** The explicit goal was a codebase that a Marketing Manager could actively contribute to — not just review. Chose a named Tailwind token system, a clear folder structure, and wrote a **CLAUDE.md** conventions file so Claude Code and Cursor could produce codebase-consistent output without manual correction. Copy updates, new pages, and image swaps no longer require a developer. #### Execution - Ran **60+ iterations in Magic Patterns** to produce a complete, approved design system covering **10+ page templates** and a full reusable component library — homepage, pricing, sign-up, feature template, About, Contact, Integrations, Terms, and a brand reference page - **Set up full production infrastructure**: Next.js 15 repo, Vercel hosting with staging and production branch strategy, Vercel Blob for asset storage, and Formspree for form handling with spam filtering and Zapier workflows - **Wrote CLAUDE.md** — a conventions document covering Tailwind tokens, component patterns, routing, image handling, and SEO conventions, enabling Claude Code and Cursor to contribute consistently without rework - **Generated 17+ pages** using a combination of Magic Patterns exports, Claude Code, and Cursor with structured CSV-driven content inputs for batch feature page generation - Established a repeatable **design-to-production pipeline**: brief in Magic Patterns → export TSX → integrate → Vercel auto-deploys a preview URL for review - Produced a full **project plan and task breakdown** — including content audit, infrastructure setup, third-party tool migration checklist, and DNS cutover process — for cross-functional execution #### Outcome - **Full marketing site redesigned and launched in under 4 weeks** — compared to a planned 12+ month timeline under the original 2027 approach - **Non-developer contribution enabled for the first time**: Marketing Manager can draft pages in Magic Patterns, push content updates via Claude Code, and review changes on Vercel preview URLs without engineering involvement - **Two high-priority product launches unblocked** — previously stalled on the old platform, built and ready for content at launch - **All future pages follow a consistent, templated system** — new feature pages are a content swap, not a new project - **~40% reduction in monthly tooling costs** compared to Webflow site plan and workspace seat fees ### Eliminating Team Bottlenecks — A Scalable, Internal AI Knowledge System Built an internal AI assistant now handling hundreds of support queries per month. Eliminated a recurring bottleneck for the product team without adding headcount or process overhead. #### Context The product team was increasingly pulled into **customer support** — fielding interruptions via **Slack**, **email**, and calls to help resolve tickets. **Comprehensive documentation**, **PRDs**, and **BI tools** existed but were **underutilized** by the **Customer Success (CS) team**. #### Problem Support staff relied on the **product team** for answers instead of **self-serving** through available resources, causing: - **Constant interruptions** to product work and roadmap execution - **Slower response times** due to dependency on **PM availability** - **Underutilization** of existing documentation **Core tension:** How do you enable support to independently access product knowledge without making the product team a bottleneck? #### My Role - Owned **internal documentation strategy** as part of the product team - **Interviewed CS team members** to understand their **real-time support workflows** - Identified that the issue wasn't lack of documentation — it was lack of **accessibility** and **synthesis** - Explored solutions ranging from **process improvements** to **tooling** #### Key Decisions **1. Validate non-technical solutions first** Improved internal documentation and ran a lunch & learn on effective self-serve questioning techniques (adapting PM-style user interviewing for support). Helpful, but did not reduce reliance on the product team. **2. Invest in a scalable system** Identified an opportunity to use AI to aggregate and synthesize internal knowledge. Proposed an internal "Product Concierge" to enable real-time, self-serve answers. **3. Prioritize trust and accuracy over breadth** Designed the system with strict guardrails: surfacing source references, indicating the age of information, and limiting responses when confidence was low. #### Execution - Defined requirements and architecture for a **Slack-based AI assistant** connected to **internal documentation**, **PRDs**, **code repositories**, and select **BI queries** - Collaborated with **developers** to validate the approach and ensure **feasibility** - **Built and iterated** on the solution, refining **prompts** and **data connections** - Implemented **tracking** to monitor **usage** and **response quality** #### Outcome - **"Product Concierge"** is now actively used, handling **hundreds of internal queries per month** - Reduced **direct interruptions** to the product team - Improved **speed** and **consistency** of support responses - Created a **scalable knowledge system**, reducing dependency on **individual team members** - Established a foundation for **future internal AI tooling** ### Converting a High-Value Client Problem into a 20% Revenue Lift & Reusable Platform Turned a high-value client pain point into a 20% YoY revenue increase. Delivered a configurable workflow platform on a deadline; unlocked additional expansion within the same account. #### Context A **high-value client** relied on **email** and **spreadsheets** for a **critical financial workflow** and experienced delays in their **year-end reconciliation** due to **missing records**. They came to our product and leadership team with a request to build a **proper solution**. #### Problem The client required a **highly customized workflow** our product didn't support. Key challenges included: - A **time-sensitive deadline** tied to their **fiscal year-end** - **Conflicting requirements** across **multiple client departments** - **One-off solution risk** — potential roadmap diversion without clear **reuse potential** **Core tension:** Solve a critical client problem quickly without introducing long-term product bloat. #### My Role - **Led user interviews** with client stakeholders to uncover **root workflow issues** - **Synthesized findings** into clear **product opportunities** for leadership - Owned the **PRD** and **solution design**, including a **functional prototype** - Liaised with **Customer Success** and **Engineering** to ensure alignment - Acted as the bridge between **client needs**, **business goals**, and **technical feasibility** #### Key Decisions **1. Build vs. defer** - Option A: Defer to protect the roadmap - Option B: Build a one-off solution - **Option C (chosen): Build an MVP with a scalable architecture** **2. MVP scope definition** Prioritized only the core workflow blockers for year-end readiness. Deferred edge cases to post-launch iterations. **3. Platform investment** Designed the solution to support configurable workflows (fields, statuses, naming), with clear potential for reuse across other clients. #### Execution - Aligned **internal stakeholders** on **scope vs. timeline** tradeoffs - Collaborated with **engineering** to define a **flexible technical design** under **time constraints** - Presented a **client-facing proposal** including problem framing, a **prototype walkthrough**, a **delivery plan**, and a **pricing and support model** #### Outcome - Client accepted the proposal, increasing spend by **20% YoY** - Delivered **on time** for **fiscal year-end** - Established a foundation for **configurable workflows**, enabling **reuse across other clients** - Project success generated an **internal referral**, expanding into **additional opportunities** within the client's organization ## Recent Work Experience ### Senior Product Manager — Pivott Software [Pivott Software](https://pivott.io) · Victoria, BC · May 2025 – Present 3-person product team, 8 developers - **Built and deployed agentic AI workflows** for automated data extraction, reducing manual processing time and enabling quick time-to-value. - **Collaborated directly with the CEO** to define product vision, translate business strategy into a prioritized roadmap, and identify new revenue opportunities. - **Designed a formal product–design–engineering operating model**, including hiring and onboarding a 3-person product team, establishing department processes, and managing professional development. - **Scaled the engineering team from 5 to 8** by hiring and onboarding 3 developers and a QA engineer, establishing agile best practices and team rituals from the ground up. ### Product Manager — Pivott Software [Pivott Software](https://pivott.io) · Victoria, BC · Jan 2024 – May 2025 Team of 8 developers - **Led 0→1 launch of a contract management SaaS platform** from market analysis and ideation through to revenue in under a year. - **Designed and executed a product-led growth (PLG) strategy** including freemium tiers, self-serve onboarding, and TTV optimizations, resulting in free-to-paid customer conversions. - **Implemented a sandbox environment and sign-up workflow** to demonstrate features to new users and convert them to freemium or paid. - **Ran go-to-market launches** alongside marketing; tracked feature adoption and release cadence weekly. ### Product Manager — PostEngine [PostEngine](https://postengine.com) · Victoria, BC · April 2021 – Dec 2023 Team of 6 developers - **Served as product owner and SME for PostEngine**, a B2B SaaS marketing automation platform. Owned roadmap and stakeholder relationships. - **Spearheaded 0→1 launch of multiple features**, applying MVP principles to reduce time-to-market and validate value hypotheses. - **Led agile delivery for a team of 6 developers**; conducted backlog refinement, sprint planning, estimation, and retrospectives. - **Established OKR & KPI reporting** for the product team, including story point velocity, project budget tracking, and release cadence. ## Volunteering ### Mentor — PM Mentorship Program [ProductBC](https://productbc.ca/) · Vancouver, BC · September 2024 – Present - **Mentored 3 product managers** across separate 6-month engagements, ranging in roles from Associate PM to PM through hands-on support and career coaching. - **Held bi-weekly 1:1s** focused on real-world product challenges, team dynamics, and the day-to-day realities of working in product. - **Fostered a space for honest, practical conversation** — balancing structured feedback with genuine camaraderie and peer support. ## Education & Certifications ### Bachelor of Science — Computer Science Faculty of Engineering, [University of Victoria](https://uvic.ca) · September 2014 – August 2019 ### Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) Scrum Alliance · Credential ID 001394694 · July 2022 ## Contact Open to opportunities. If you're building something interesting, I'd love to be a part of it. Reach out to me at the links below. - [trstndvll@gmail.com](mailto:trstndvll@gmail.com) - [linkedin.com/in/trstndvll](https://linkedin.com/in/trstndvll) Contact form available on the live site at [trstndvll.com/#contact](https://www.trstndvll.com/#contact). --- © Tristan Douville · Made in Canada 🇨🇦 · [LLM resources](/llms.txt)