Kelly Devine

I’m wrapping up a year of fractional Product work, as I prepare to jump back into a full-time role (more on this soon!). I had never heard of fractional execs a couple years ago, and surely never imagined myself as someone who’d take a leap into such an amorphous career chapter. But after consulting with a half-dozen companies in the past year, I found a lot to love about the fractional model. Here were three unexpected learnings from my year as a fractional product exec 1️⃣ Fractional work was deeply fulfilling and rewarding. I was able to raise my hand to support leaders I admired, help friends launch new startups, and explore mission-driven companies adjacent to my own passions. Even though the roles were temporary, my role and impact were unexpectedly meaningful because I was selective about where to invest my time.  2️⃣ I was able to do some of my best work because of the sustained focus. This was an energizing luxury. I had not experienced this level of focus since I was much earlier in my career. But, as a fractional exec, I’d be tossed 1-2 projects by clients every couple weeks. Ten whole dedicated days to wrangle a roadmap, build a hiring plan, or lead customer discovery meant that I could be more thoughtful and intentional, without the drain of distractions. I learned to say no to meetings that wouldn’t push my work forward and would be wasteful hours for clients. 3️⃣ I precisely calibrated my capacity to show up better at work and home. In the wild world of startups, I was always ON. Through my experiment with fractional work, I learned my boundaries with unique clarity–the exact threshold when our family life would feel excessively hard or when my broader values and aspirations would feel back-burnered for too long. Fractional work allowed me to scale my work incrementally over controlled periods, enabling me to discover what interval / hours / locations work best for me. I have many more learnings I’ll share from my exploration into fractional work. Most importantly, through this period of discovery, I found a need and opportunity too compelling to only support fractionally and decided to take on a bigger, committed role. I’ll share where I’ll be extending full-time roots soon.

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TLDR: 🚀 In 6 months, I've transformed my challenging homebuying experience into Home inSights—an AI-driven app I built to help navigate Portland, ME's challenging market. Like, share and read on to see how you can help. 🏠 Like many of you, I've faced the challenges of today's housing market firsthand. In just one year, we made 10 offers, toured dozens of homes, and combed through hundreds of listings. After repeatedly coming up short, I had a realization — the current tools weren't serving the actual consumers: homebuyers and homeowners. 📈 In Portland, home prices have surged by 85% and mortgage costs have tripled in just five years. We're in the midst of a nationwide crisis marked by limited supply, skyrocketing prices, and escalating borrowing costs. With this increased pressure on consumers, homebuyers need all the help they can get. 🔍 Home inSights is built to empower buyers and homeowners with personalized insights, community discussion, and smart comparison tools. You may be a home owner wanting to better estimate the equity you can roll forward, waiting for the right home to popup within a school district, or a new buyer with constantly changing buying power. Existing apps prioritize lead generation, and maintain this information asymmetry. There is a better way. 🌅 This version of Home inSights is only the beginning, currently focused on the Portland market. I’m racing to keep building this, but I want to begin including you all. Here’s my backstory on why I’m embarking on this journey: 💼 My career began in the aftermath of the last housing crisis. I worked on mortgage-backed securities lawsuits worth billions, reviewing tens of thousands of mortgages. The countless stories of hardship have stayed with me, fueling a deep-seated desire to make a difference. 👔 As a CFA charter holder, I love markets and valuations and feel driven to help make the market better by empowering consumers through information and tooling. 🥒 Later, I grew my family's pickle company to $3M revenue, gained hands-on business management experience, learned to listen to customers, and how to grow and lead teams when the future is unknown. 📱 Most recently, at Appex, I managed dozens of mobile apps with hundreds of thousands of consumers, worked with many founders, and learned how to build a mobile business. 💡🤖 But I wasn't a coder. Determined to create a solution, I turned to AI. In a few months, I launched not one, but two apps. These unique keystone experiences laid the foundation for what has become Home inSights. If you have read this far, thank you thank you thank you. 🫵 Any help is appreciated: 👍 1. Like, share, comment and/or tag someone on this post 🫶 2. Follow my progress on Instagram: @Buildwithphil.ai 📲 3. Download Home Insights on iOS, subscribe to support ongoing development, and share feedback https://lnkd.in/eQQc8tm9

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Big news from WeaveGrid! We are excited to announce that we have raised $28M in strategic funding led by Woven Capital, Toyota's Growth Fund. I came to WeaveGrid three years ago with the goal of building a real ecosystem of OEM partners to create a more efficient grid full of EVs. Today we're taking that one step further in announcing investment from the world's largest automaker, Toyota Motor Corporation. With this strategic round fundraise, I look forward to continuing to scale our solutions across brands, utilities, and geographies, allowing us to support grid resilience and enable widespread EV adoption. Consider the grid… WOVEN 🪡 ⚡ 🚘 Woven Capital 🤝WeaveGrid = #WovenGrid #electricvehicles #ElectricFabric #climatetech #sustainability #energy

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I'm looking for senior front-end engineers to build tools that enable healthcare providers to get paid fairly and quickly. https://lnkd.in/gXUzdCvJ At Anomaly we're solving one of the biggest problems in healthcare-- payments. We are on a mission to fix the broken payment system in healthcare. Despite billions of $ invested in EMRs, revenue cycle vendors, clearinghouses and insurance companies, the outcomes have only gotten worse for everyone (except...shockingly...insurance companies). Providers see 15%+ of all claims get denied and lose 3%-5% of net revenue due to fatal denials, millions of patients have care delayed and receive unnecessary bills, and we all end up paying for the $300+ billion in annual administrative waste that plays a big role in the double digit annual increases in insurance premiums. We are using healthcare expertise, modern ML techniques, and common sense to break through the crap and reinvent the way financial transactions work in healthcare. We are early in the process and have a lot of work ahead of us, but we have the best client partners, a big vision, backing from great investors, and an amazing team...if anyone can do it, we will. Please share and email me at [email protected] if you're interested

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At Buffer we aim to ship value quickly, often incrementally. We maintain a tighter feedback loop with our customers by keeping product releases small in scope. Ship fast, learn, and iterate accordingly. The upside, from a marketing perspective, is that there's a steady drumbeat of new releases or enhancements to share with customers. Delivering improvements consistently generates goodwill. The downside is what I call 'launch fatigue.' Product announcements feel like a grind rather than something to celebrate, and engagement with your launch campaigns starts to wane. Imagine if you had a birthday every week instead of once a year—eventually, you'd stop caring. Most product marketers have a tiering system for product launches to help navigate launch fatigue. The idea is to reserve major launch campaigns for Tier 1 products. I’ve found these tiering systems to be both helpful and awkward. Helpful because they provide a framework for managing marketing resources and internal expectations. Awkward because the tiers are subjective and often applied retroactively. We try to fit features into tiers after they’ve hit the roadmap, rather than build the roadmap around tiers. Another way to manage launch fatigue is bundling “smaller” releases together into larger, seasonal launch events. I'm looking to lean into this approach in 2025. Here's why: Predictability: People can expect and look forward to a major release on a predictable schedule. It also allows our product and marketing team to plan and resource accordingly. Cohesion: Having a set schedule for seasonal launch moments enables us to organize our roadmap, strategy, and entire team more cohesively around a single theme. Specialness: Launch moments should feel special. There is a level of build-up and excitement that can’t be replicated with regular launches. Innovation: Knowing that we have a major launch penciled in will encourage us to innovate in both product and marketing. It pulls us away from the “treadmill” of regular campaigns. I wrote more on this in my new monthly newsletter. 🔗 to the full post in the 💬

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If anyone is looking out for opportunities or if you know someone who is looking out, this is my single biggest advice: When I set out to find my next gig, even before I started the search, the first thing I did was reach out to three of my closest friends who are also in product space. I created a WhatsApp group called "Job Hunt" with them. They helped me with everything - reviewing my Resume, suggesting companies, finding references from their networks, helping me prepare for interviews, extending so many of their own resources from interview preparation. And most importantly, infusing me with necessary confidence for tough rounds, and helping me understand and stick to my core strengths. All of this, became my most critical support system during the process. I knew where my confidence was about 6 weeks ago. I know where it is today and what I have in hand. I converted most of the companies that I got an opportunity for. And I know that my friends played a huge part in helping me get there! So, it's this experience that made me realize that I needed to share this with the LinkedIn community as a sincere advice. Any of us, who is on the lookout for opportunities, do try to reach out to your friends or well wishers and see if they will be interested to help you out in forming those Whatsapp groups that are your foundation. Also to those friends who are NOT looking out - do offer this support to your friends who are looking out and help them. Trust me, it's a big difference. Worst case, everyone involved will have fun doing it with your friends and would surely have picked up something about the industry. Hunt like a team. Hunt in a pack. PS: Huge shout out to my friends. I can't thank you enough for the time spent and the innumerable calls, advices throughout. Abhishek Ruthvik Ribhu You kept me in the hunt!

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🥁 🥁 🥁 drumroll please..... announcing Ribbon! it's no secret that i've been working on something Shopify related for the better part of the last year! today - Ribbon is live in private beta! it all started with a simple question: "how do we streamline gifting for Shopify merchants?" i built and launched an MVP with Jumbo Time Wines late last year and validated he opportunity. then a bigger question was posed: what if you could transform every gift into a meaningful connection that boosts both customer experience and your bottom line by turning gift recipients into repeat customers? that’s exactly what Ribbon is all about—and today, i’m extremely excited to officially announce it!! Ribbon breaks down traditional gifting friction points —like needing to know someone’s address, size, or color preference—and replacing them with a seamless, personalized experience that your customers will love. 1️⃣ reduce returns, increase satisfaction: when recipients choose their own preferences, returns drop, and satisfaction soars. 2️⃣ unlock customer insights: unlike traditional gifting, Ribbon gives merchants insight into gift recipients, helping them build stronger relationships and craft targeted marketing campaigns. 3️⃣ say goodbye to impersonal gift cards: gift cards often feel like a cop-out and go unspent. Ribbon offers a more thoughtful, engaging alternative 4️⃣ boost revenue: with upsell opportunities during redemption and customizable branding, Ribbon isn’t just about a better customer experience—it’s about creating new, sustainable revenue streams. ... and plenty more Ribbon is live on Jumbo Time Wines and Elemind Technologies, Inc. with a few more brands coming online in the next few weeks! want to see Ribbon in action? let’s set up a demo—just drop me a message, and let’s start transforming your brand’s customer experience together!

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🤔 It may be an unpopular opinion, but I think it's always best to be first to the party 🥳 Innovation is the engine of growth, and the partnership between MikMak and DoorDash is a testament to this principle. This first-of-its-kind integration is a game-changer, revolutionizing how consumers shop and brands sell. Imagine this: you're scrolling through your favorite social media platform, see an ad for a product you love, and within moments, you can have it delivered to your doorstep via DoorDash. This is the power of MikMak's integration with DoorDash, a seamless fusion of social commerce and on-demand delivery. But this partnership isn't just about convenience; it's about empowering brands with valuable data and insights. MikMak's closed-loop attribution provides a granular understanding of consumer behavior, enabling brands to optimize their marketing strategies and drive sales. 🚀 This is the future of omnichannel shopping, a world where every interaction is a potential purchase, and every purchase is a data point. MikMak and DoorDash are leading the charge, and I'm excited to see where this journey takes us. 🗞️ Read the Press Release here: https://lnkd.in/e-VqFtSb? #MikMak #DoorDash #Omnichannel #ecommerce #innovation #marketing #attribution #data #insights #partnership #futureofretail

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Strategic alignment across product and field is complex and not easy to get right, but it's a pleasure to work alongside Brett Crane, Trevor Jett (Childers), and Jarod Greene. It's wonderful to be in conversation with them, sharing what we have learned, in this webinar: https://lnkd.in/gc-qp7Hk

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After hearing the insights from Claire Vo, CPO at LaunchDarkly, I’m more energized than ever about the transformative potential AI brings to our craft. Claire hit on some of the current challenges we all know too well: • The intensive effort to carve out a winning strategy, • The time (and countless slides!) spent aligning cross-functional teams. But what’s exciting is how our roles are evolving and how AI is set to revolutionize our craft. The future product manager is so much more than responsible for strategy and product implementation — they’re empowered to work smarter, iterate faster, and create value on a whole new level across the product team. Here’s what I’m seeing as essential for future PMs to thrive: • Learn & Leverage: It’s time to automate the tedious through AI, so we can focus on the next 2 points • Networked & Commercially Minded: We need to build strong connections internally and externally, becoming champions for our products and aligning with Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success. • Add new skills to speed up the process: The evolving PM continuously learns and multiplies their impact by embracing skills that drive efficiency and keep the process agile. (Design, Marketing, etc) https://lnkd.in/gnv4qqcE I’m excited about what’s ahead! How are you preparing for the AI-powered evolution in Product Management? #ProductManagement #AI #Innovation #FutureofWork

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A career update - After three incredible years at Enigma leading product, I’m off to different pastures - I am deeply deeply grateful to Hicham Oudghiri, Scott Steinberg, Ryan Green, and all my talented and kind teammates. I’m extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished together, and excited to see us on the road to profitable growth! I’ve taken on a role as VP of Product at EvolutionIQ, and consider this a public broadcast that Matt Gillespie and I are hiring for Senior PMs. https://lnkd.in/etzCZMuP Just to list some of the reasons I joined: - An opportunity to completely transform how insurance operates and define what it means to help get people get back to work, done together with some of the most thoughtful and smart people I've met. - At the forefront of human-in-the-loop + AI decision-making - equal parts behavioral psychology and AI prediction + LLMs. I’d guess that this skill set will be THE PM skillset to have for the coming years! - GTM momentum and ARR growth, where despite my deep hatred for the 🚀emoij, I was almost unconsciously possessed to repeat 🚀 paste🚀 it 🚀🚀🚀🚀. I truly found it unbelievable at first. If you know of talented individuals that would be a good fit, please let me know!

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Shreyas Doshi’s Product Sense course =  🤯 I asked myself if an 8-day course is worth $1,800. Honestly, the pay back for me is going to be 100x. My key takeaways: ✨ Whatever your current skill level is, this course improves your core Product skills in a genuine way. ✨ Changed the way I approach problem solving and how I find solutions. ✨ We each have a natural range of talent, and this course can push you to the very top of yours. Hit the link to learn more. https://lnkd.in/gRDB6W9X

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I used to work with Ethan Eismann and always admired his passion for craftsmanship and high-quality experiences. My main takeaways: ▀ There’s a real shift today toward making enterprise tools as high-quality as possible, creating fantastic work environments for employees. ▀ The best companies focused on quality blend roles and phases of building. ▀ They don’t spend too long defining something; they make a bet and start building and shaping (planning and building blended) ▀ Engineers, PMs, and designers collaborate in the design process, working together to refine the solution through prototyping and feedback (blending roles)

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One of my favorite questions to ask a hiring manager is: "What are the ideal qualities you're looking for in a PM?" The responses give me a better idea of what kind of experiences I should promote from my background, and even if I don't get the job, I learn what kinds of skills are in demand as I consider my own longer term career trajectory. Another beautiful feature is that this question can be used for any role too, not just product management. What are great conversation starters you've used while #interviewing?

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life update + hiring announcement: if you haven't seen me around the past few months, it’s because i’ve been building Seekeasy with Erick Hachenburg, Bryan Hart - two serial founders with multiple successful exits and whom i had the privilege working with at google and Tenor (acquired by google) - and Andrew Greenstein, ceo of the developer agency for the initial tenor app. now, we’re reinventing the recommendations space with genai and we're starting with restaurant recs (think google maps x ig, demo here: https://lnkd.in/gJpGpS3A). building for consumer is hard, messy, and maybe kind of crazy with all the existing incumbents. but we believe how people discover places, products, and content is ripe for disruption especially with what genai unlocks today. so if you’re an engineer looking for your next challenge, come join us!!

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Engineers aren’t the only team members who ship product—marketers can, too. Let me explain. Last week, we rolled out something big at OpenPhone. A gorgeous monthly stats email that gives our customers a snapshot of their usage. I’m so excited! Here’s why: → It's been on our wishlist forever. One of those "wouldn't it be cool if..." ideas that kept popping up in meetings. → Our Marketing team pulled this off without a single line of code from Engineering. They shipped this. All on their own. → As an OpenPhone user myself, I get to show off just how much I rely on it. It’s not “marketing” in the traditional sense. But it’s going to become a core part of our product experience now.  It adds value. It delights our customers. It makes OpenPhone stickier. Whoever said Marketing can’t ship their own “products”? Huge shoutout to my colleagues, John MacGaffey Carolyne Gardener Brian Sun and Phil Jones for knocking this out of the park. John recently shared some behind-the-scenes of how they built this on his profile, so go check that out. And for all our OpenPhone customers—hope you're enjoying your new monthly stats! ps - we're growing our Marketing, Customer Success and Engineering teams. If you love to ship stuff as much as we do, join us :)

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I sat down with Reforge to talk about Sprig on Sprig 🌱 Check out some examples of how I use our product to make impact strategic & product decisions! In-app survey for product experience research: https://lnkd.in/g32rWs4s Process (and FigJam) used to audit a core user journey: https://lnkd.in/gqNQHHxq In-app survey to recruit beta testers: https://lnkd.in/ghmnzhA9

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