Fractional head of product
I'm a fractional head of product for Seed–Series B B2B SaaS companies. I'm usually the most senior product person in the room, so I own the strategy. I also prototype and ship with AI, working alongside design and engineering toward production.
11+ years in B2B product · Currently with Grapevine · Previously LearnLux, Truepic, JW Player, PowerToFly
process
Requirements still matter. They're where the thinking gets written down, and I still write them. But it's not the only tool a PM has anymore.
step 1
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And for the small stuff that sits in the backlog forever, like UI polish and minor bugs, I open the PR myself. I make the change, do the QA, and your engineers review and merge. They spend minutes instead of a sprint, and nobody has to guess what I meant.
It also settles debates fast. It's hard to argue with a working version that's clearly better than what's live.
judgment
AI makes it cheap to build anything, which makes judgment matter more.
At Grapevine, we needed an inbox. Instead of inventing one, I got on a call with the lead and we walked through LinkedIn and Facebook messaging: what we liked, what users would expect, and what we didn't need. I turned that into requirements with one rule: when in doubt, do what iMessage does.
No prototype needed. Users already know how messaging works. My job was to not make them relearn it.
fit
outcomes
hands-on
I taught myself to code in 1999. AI didn't make me technical; it made me more valuable.
experience
Led 0→1 tools for showing where media came from, including an app built with Microsoft that was named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2022. Also made the call to sunset that product line when it wasn't meeting business goals.
Product areas
mobile SDKs, CLI, API, javascript SDK, mobile apps, developer tools
Owned video players powering billions of plays for the Super Bowl, CNBC, and IMDb, where any outage affected everyone. Shipped features globally and built processes that lasted.
Product areas
javascript SDK, mobile SDKs, web application, API, open-source, developer tools
They built for the wrong customer. I led the pivot upmarket to the Fortune 500, a full product rethink, and revenue rose 17% right after.
Product areas
web application, marketplace, search, integrations
services
Engagements are open-ended, with a 14-day out and monthly billing.
You get a senior product lead inside your Slack, meetings, and tools, plus someone who can prototype and ship.
I'm Alicia (uh-LEE-sha). I'm known for pattern matching, organization, judgment, and telling the truth, including when the truth is “we should kill this.”
I've been fractional since July 2025. Before that I spent 10 years leading B2B2C products that helped enterprises, newsrooms, and broadcasters reach audiences at scale. I've maintained this site since 2006 (documenting every iteration along the way).
I live in Brooklyn, where I take street photos on walks, play pickleball, and follow curiosity trails on Wikipedia. I work remotely.
Nice things former coworkers have said about me, after moving to new companies:
“I have a newfound appreciation for your level of knowledge and management skill, and it was truly a privilege working with you.”
“I wish you were [still] my PM!”
faq
Usually not. I tend to be the most senior product person at the company. If you already have someone doing product, I can work alongside them as a senior partner and help them level up.
No. I build prototypes, ship small UI changes and fixes, and set up workflows. Your engineers own the architecture and the codebase. What I do is give them clearer targets and fewer small tickets.
Less guessing. They get a working prototype instead of a written spec, and PRs for small changes instead of backlog tickets. Most teams also pick up how to build with AI by watching it happen in their own codebase.
No, I'm planning to stay fractional indefinitely.
I'm typically able to produce my first strategy doc or roadmap after about 60 hours of onboarding, with smaller wins along the way like attending and running meetings, assuming ownership over my scope, and process improvements.
blog
One of the most helpful tools out there for building is a really durable mission.
August 2, 2026
I went fractional a year ago last week, and I wanted to share an update on how it has been going.
July 22, 2026
Do you bill for breaks? No. I only bill when I’m actively working. If I step away to cook, take a walk, or scroll social media, the clock stops. If I’m eating lunch while working, that time counts.
May 13, 2026
“Fractional” describes an embedded way of working on a consulting, contract, or otherwise part-time basis.
May 1, 2026