Product Advisor: When and Why Your Team Needs One

Every product faces a crossroads — the moment when potential meets reality. It’s the moment when an idea must prove it can solve a problem, resonate with users, and thrive. What often separates the success stories from the also-rans isn’t the idea itself but the clarity of vision and the decisions made at these junctures. 

This is the concept of strategic inflection points. 

Companies and teams encounter them constantly — moments when the right insight can transform a challenge into an opportunity. Yet, the hardest part about these moments is recognizing them for what they are and having the expertise to act. In a world where the margin for error grows slimmer by the day, the kind of guidance that product advisors offer can be the difference between stagnation and breakthrough. Doing this requires clarity and perspective, and these can be in short supply when you’re in the thick of things. Teams need to make the right calls, and seasoned veterans can give aid. S

Join us as we explore how Product Advisor can help founders and leadership make the right judgments at the right time.

What is a Product Management Advisor?

“We need to challenge creativity and innovation continuously; if we’re not bringing that to the table, we’re missing out on driving real value. ”

— Fabrice des Mazery, former CPO at Tripadvisor, on The Product Podcast

A Product Management Advisor, or simply Product Advisor, is a seasoned professional with deep expertise in product strategy, development, and management.

Their role is to provide guidance and actionable insights to product teams. In doing so, they help them make critical, data-backed decisions, avoid common pitfalls, and achieve their product goals faster and more effectively. 

Unlike a full-time Product Leader, a Product Advisor is typically brought in as a consultant or mentor. The point is to provide external perspectives and specific expertise that internal teams might lack.

Commonly Requested Roles and Requirements for Product Advisory 

“There's no perfect design. It's all a matter of what problems you're trying to solve. At different phases,the company might reorganize based on a new set of challenges.”

— Francois Ajenstat, CPO at Amplitude, on The Product Podcast

When companies hire a Product Advisor, they often look for specialized skills and unique perspectives. Here’s a deeper dive into the most requested roles and requirements:

1. Strategic Guidance

• What They Do:
  Product Advisors offer strategic oversight to ensure that the product aligns with both the company’s vision and its long-term business goals. They analyze existing roadmaps, challenge assumptions, and propose actionable adjustments that maximize impact. Advisors often facilitate workshops to prioritize features and refine product goals in the context of changing market conditions.

• Why It’s Needed:
  Teams often focus on immediate deliverables, which makes them drift away from strategic objectives. Advisors help anchor decisions to a cohesive strategy, ensuring the product aligns with broader organizational goals. For example, an advisor might identify an opportunity to streamline the outcome-based roadmap by cutting feature creep, a move often required to help the team focus on high-value initiatives.

2. Market Expertise

• What They Do:
  Advisors bring deep domain knowledge. They provide insights into specific markets or industries. They analyze products, run product comparisons, spot trends, and analyze user expectations to recommend strategies that resonate. For example, an advisor for a fintech company might suggest regulatory-friendly features or highlight trends in customer data security.

• Why It’s Needed:
  Niche markets often have unique challenges and opportunities. Teams may lack the specialized expertise to spot these trends or adapt their products effectively. An advisor can bridge this gap by providing tailored strategies. Their external perspective ensures no key detail is overlooked, particularly in competitive or heavily regulated industries.

3. Team Mentorship

• What They Do:
  Advisors coach product managers, product designers, and engineering leads on best practices. This includes helping them improve backlog management by showing good examples, stakeholder communication, or cross-functional collaboration. An advisor might mentor Senior Product Managers on best product practices or facilitate better handoffs between design and development teams.

• Why It’s Needed:
  Not all product teams have the benefit of experienced leadership. Advisors enable skill-building within teams, creating a sustainable path for long-term success. Companies that invest in mentorship often see lasting improvements, from culture-driven leadership to smoother workflows, better morale, and innovation.

4. Decision Support

• What They Do:
  Advisors assist in evaluating critical trade-offs, such as which features to prioritize or whether to delay a launch. They rely on frameworks like the RICE scoring model (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) or Kano analysis to make data-backed recommendations. For example, they might suggest focusing on a smaller feature set that aligns with immediate user feedback rather than pursuing a sprawling release.

• Why It’s Needed:
  Decision-making can become paralyzed by competing priorities, internal politics, or limited information. Advisors provide an objective perspective, helping teams make confident, well-informed decisions. This reduces the cost of delays and ensures resources are allocated to the most impactful initiatives.

5. Crisis Intervention

• What They Do:
  Advisors are often called in when things go wrong. Whether it’s a failed product launch, poor user retention, or negative reviews, they diagnose the root issues and implement recovery plans. This might include running user feedback loops, reworking underperforming features, or creating a communication plan to manage customer expectations.

• Why It’s Needed:
  When stakes are high, internal teams can struggle to remain objective or find solutions quickly. Advisors bring a calm, experienced approach. They leverage their past experiences to guide teams through crises efficiently. Their ability to act as a neutral party often fosters quicker resolution and buy-in.

6. Scaling Expertise

• What They Do:
  Advisors help businesses evolve from startup to scale-up by refining processes, product team structures, and operational workflows. For instance, they might suggest splitting a product team into feature-focused squads, creating specialized roles, or introducing Agile frameworks like Scrum or SAFe.

• Why It’s Needed:
  Growth introduces complexity. Scaling often exposes weaknesses in processes or gaps in team capabilities. Advisors provide actionable strategies to navigate this transition while minimizing disruptions. They ensure companies maintain product quality and innovation as they implement Product-led Growth strategies.

Expanded Requirements for Product Advisors

• Experience: Advisors typically have over 10 years of product management experience, including leadership roles such as Director of Product or VP of Product. Their experience spans industries, giving them the versatility to address various challenges.

• Proven Success: Companies often seek advisors with a portfolio of achievements, such as launching successful products, scaling teams, or driving significant revenue growth. This proof of impact builds trust in their recommendations.

• Industry Knowledge: Familiarity with the company’s market is crucial. Whether it’s SaaS, e-commerce, or healthcare, advisors are expected to understand the competitive space, customer behavior, and emerging trends.

• Data-Driven Mindset: Advisors need to leverage data to inform strategies and decisions. They’re skilled in analyzing product metrics and product adoption metrics like retention rates, customer acquisition costs, and feature adoption to identify actionable insights.

• Exceptional Communication: Clear, concise communication is non-negotiable. Advisors must translate complex insights into actionable steps for diverse audiences, from C-suite executives to product teams.

• Flexibility and Adaptability: Advisors must adapt their approach to fit the company’s culture and maturity level. Whether working with a small, agile team or a large enterprise, they tailor their strategies to meet specific needs.

When Should Companies Hire a Product Advisor? 

A Product Advisor can provide immense value, but the timing and purpose of their involvement often depend on a company’s stage, challenges, and objectives. Product Advisors are usually employed at the later stages of the product management process, but there are exceptions to the rule.

Below is a detailed guide tailored to companies of different profiles. It offers insights to Product Leaders and CPOs on when and why to bring in a Product Advisor.

1. Startups: Navigating Uncertainty and Achieving Product-Market Fit

When to Hire a Product Advisor:

• Early-Stage Startups: When the founding team lacks product management experience or struggles to validate ideas, a Product Advisor can help create clarity amidst uncertainty. They bring a structured approach to defining target markets, validating assumptions, and designing an MVP that focuses on solving a real user problem. This ensures the startup avoids wasting resources on ideas that lack traction.

• Pre-Launch: Before releasing an MVP, teams often face challenges in prioritizing features or understanding their ideal users. A Product Advisor ensures that the product aligns with market needs by identifying the most impactful features and validating them. This increases the chances of a successful product launch and avoids feature creep

• Post-Launch: After launch, early feedback may reveal issues with usability, functionality, or product-market fit. A Product Advisor can help synthesize user feedback, diagnose adoption barriers, and guide the team on iterative improvements. Their insights can speed up the cycle of learning and adapting, essential for building a loyal user base.

Why It’s Crucial:
Startups often operate under tight constraints — limited funding, small teams, and pressure to achieve rapid growth. Advisors bring clarity to ambiguous situations. They help prioritize efforts with cost efficiency for maximum impact.

What They Usually Do:

• Conduct market research to identify unmet needs or underserved audiences.

• Validate product concepts through user research and data-driven insights.

• Advise on MVP scope to avoid overbuilding or missing core functionality.

• Create an actionable plan to iterate toward product-market fit.

Example:
A health-tech startup launches an app for chronic condition management but struggles with low user retention. A Product Advisor conducts interviews with users, discovers usability pain points, and recommends redesigning key workflows. Within months, the advisor sets up mechanisms in place to track success, enabling the startup to understand the worth of changes made and secure further funding.

2. Scaling Companies: Balancing Growth and Product Excellence

When to Hire a Product Advisor:

• Rapid Growth Stage: As companies scale, managing growing user bases and expanding teams can lead to operational inefficiencies or misaligned priorities. A Product Advisor can provide strategic frameworks for a Growth Product Manager to streamline operations and align cross-functional teams. This ensures scaling efforts don’t compromise the product's quality or core mission.

• Expanding Product Lines: Adding new features or products often leads to resource bottlenecks or difficulty balancing innovation with maintaining the existing product mix. A Product Advisor helps prioritize initiatives based on business impact and user needs, preventing overextension. They also mentor teams to adopt scalable Agile methodologies that accommodate multiple product lines.

• Entering New Markets: When expanding to new markets, companies often struggle with understanding local user preferences or navigating regulatory requirements. A Product Advisor with market expertise can identify cultural nuances and guide localization strategies. This ensures the product resonates with local audiences while staying compliant with regional regulations.

Why It’s Crucial:
Scaling brings operational complexity. Advisors with experience in managing large product portfolios or navigating market expansions can ensure growth efforts remain efficient and sustainable.

What They Do:

• Develop frameworks for managing multiple product lines.

• Facilitate product prioritization workshops to optimize resource allocation.

• Guide the integration of user feedback into scalable solutions.

• Advise on market-entry strategies, including localization and compliance.

Example:
A SaaS company doubling its user base struggles to handle customer support issues, leading to a drop in NPS scores. A Product Advisor introduces automated workflows for managing user feedback and prioritizing bug fixes. Over six months, the team would measure reductions in churn and, if things are done right, regain customer confidence.

3. Established Enterprises: Driving Innovation and Maintaining Leadership

When to Hire a Product Advisor:

• Market Disruption: In industries undergoing rapid innovation or disruption, staying competitive often requires fresh thinking. A Product Advisor challenges established norms and identifies opportunities to innovate. Their external perspective can unlock strategies that internal teams might overlook.

• Stagnant Growth: When a product plateaus, internal teams may find it difficult to identify areas for improvement. A Product Advisor brings an unbiased view, leveraging industry trends and user research to reinvigorate growth. They can also help redefine the product’s value proposition to attract new customer segments.

• Digital Transformation: Adopting modern technologies or Agile product management can overwhelm large organizations with legacy systems. A Product Advisor facilitates this transition by breaking it into manageable phases, ensuring teams adopt new methodologies effectively. They also provide guidance on selecting the right business tools and frameworks to modernize workflows.

Why It’s Crucial:
Large companies often face inertia — established processes, siloed teams, and risk aversion. Advisors challenge the status quo and inject fresh perspectives.

What They Do:

• Analyze market trends to identify opportunities for innovation and product positioning.

• Help build cross-functional teams to accelerate go-to-market efforts.

• Act as a neutral facilitator for restructuring roadmaps or aligning leadership goals.

• Recommend new methodologies or technologies to improve efficiency.

Example:
A global retailer sees its e-commerce platform lagging behind competitors. A Product Advisor leads a cross-departmental effort to adopt Agile methodologies, modernize the product stack, and launch a mobile-first platform. The result would be a substantial increase in online sales within a year.

4. Companies in Crisis: Stabilizing and Recovering

When to Hire a Product Advisor:

• Failed Launches: After a product fails to meet expectations, teams can become paralyzed by uncertainty or internal blame. A Product Advisor quickly assesses what went wrong, whether it’s a misaligned feature set, poor messaging, or a flawed go-to-market strategy. They then develop a recovery plan to address gaps and rebuild momentum.

• High Churn Rates: Losing users at a rapid rate indicates serious gaps in meeting user needs or expectations. A Product Advisor conducts a deep dive into customer feedback, identifies pain points, and recommends targeted improvements. By addressing these issues with urgency, they help stabilize the user base and restore confidence.

• Revenue Declines: When product performance impacts business sustainability, drastic action is needed. A Product Advisor analyzes the root causes—whether pricing strategy, product positioning, or competition—and suggests course corrections. They also assist in creating a roadmap to rebuild revenue streams with minimal disruption.

Why It’s Crucial:
Crises demand rapid, well-informed action. Product Advisors excel at diagnosing root issues and implementing recovery plans under pressure.

What They Do:

• Conduct root-cause analysis to identify where things went wrong.

• Create turnaround strategies, such as redesigning features or adjusting pricing models.

• Advise on customer communication to rebuild trust and loyalty.

• Establish new workflows to prevent recurring issues.

Example:
A streaming platform launches a poorly received feature, leading to a wave of cancellations. A Product Advisor steps in to gather customer feedback, redesigns the feature with a customer-centric approach, and guides the rollout of a customer re-engagement campaign. Within three months, churn stabilizes, and user satisfaction scores improve.

5. Multinational Corporations: Aligning Global Operations

When to Hire a Product Advisor:

• Global Expansion: Entering new regions often requires adapting a product to meet local preferences, compliance laws, and competitive landscapes. A Product Advisor specializes in market-specific insights, helping tailor the product and strategy for success in diverse environments. This ensures global initiatives are both culturally relevant and strategically sound.

• Cultural Challenges: Managing teams and products across regions can lead to miscommunication or conflicting priorities. A Product Advisor facilitates better collaboration by aligning global and regional teams around shared goals. They also mediate differences to ensure a cohesive product experience across markets.

• Complex Portfolios: When managing multiple global products, redundancies or inefficiencies can drain resources. A Product Advisor audits the portfolio to identify overlapping functionalities or underperforming products. Their insights guide decisions on consolidation or optimization, ensuring the portfolio remains lean and effective.

Why It’s Crucial:
Operating across geographies introduces unique challenges. Advisors with global experience can harmonize strategies and streamline operations.

What They Do:

• Develop tailored strategies for regional market entry or product localization.

• Establish frameworks for collaboration across distributed teams.

• Audit global product portfolios to identify redundancies or opportunities.

• Recommend adjustments to pricing, positioning, or features for different regions.

Example:
A tech giant expanding into Asia sees poor adoption of its flagship product. A Product Advisor identifies gaps in localization and partners with regional leaders to redesign the product for cultural relevance. The company achieves growth in the region within six months.

BONUS: Key Inputs for Senior Leaders

• Start Early for Foundational Guidance: Startups and growing teams benefit most when Advisors are brought in before critical milestones.

• Involve Advisors During Strategic Shifts: For scaling or expanding companies, Advisors can guide teams through transitions with minimal disruption.

• Don’t Wait for a Crisis: For larger enterprises, hiring Advisors preemptively can prevent stagnation and fuel innovation.

• Match Expertise to Your Challenges: Whether navigating new markets, managing crises, or driving innovation, align the Advisor’s background with your immediate needs.

By recognizing the right time and context to hire a Product Advisor, leaders can maximize their investment and position their teams for sustained success.

How to Find the Right Product Advisor to Hire

Hiring the right Product Advisor requires a cautious approach. Here are actionable tips to help you identify and choose the ideal candidate:

1. Define Your Needs Clearly

Start by identifying the specific challenges your company faces and the outcomes you want to achieve. Whether it’s improving product-market fit, scaling a product, or navigating a crisis, clarity about your needs will help you target the right expertise. 

Set OKRs in advance, like reducing churn or increasing retention, to evaluate potential advisors against your expectations. Consider whether you need a generalist with broad experience or a specialist with deep knowledge in your problem area.

2. Look for a Proven Track Record

When evaluating potential advisors, prioritize those with a history of delivering tangible results. Ask them to share case studies or examples of similar challenges they’ve addressed successfully. 

Don’t just fall for the label. Look for Product-Led Growth metrics like increased revenue, faster product delivery, or better user engagement to confirm their effectiveness. Reach out to previous clients or references to validate their claims and understand the impact they’ve had on other teams.

3. Prioritize Relevant Experience

Ensure the advisor has experience relevant to your business stage, whether you’re a startup, scaling company, or enterprise. 

Industry expertise is essential. Someone familiar with SaaS challenges, for instance, will bring valuable insights that can’t be learned on the job. 

Additionally, prioritize advisors with cross-functional experience who can collaborate effectively with different product teams. This ensures their recommendations are practical and can be implemented across departments.

4. Evaluate Their Approach

Gauge how they approach problem-solving by asking them to tackle a hypothetical challenge you’re facing. Look for structured, actionable answers that demonstrate their ability to think critically and adapt solutions to your context. Check if they were able to find a disruptive approach to solving problems. 

Assess their collaborative mindset — do they involve the team in decision-making, or do they prefer a top-down approach? A good advisor will balance providing direction with empowering your team to take ownership of solutions.

5. Test Their Communication Skills

Effective communication is critical for an advisor’s success. During initial conversations, observe how well they articulate complex ideas and whether their advice is easy to understand and actionable. 

Look for active listening skills; they should ask probing questions to fully grasp your challenges rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions. Assess whether they show genuine interest in your business goals and engage meaningfully.

7. Focus on Cultural Fit

Cultural alignment between the advisor and your team is essential for effective collaboration. Assess whether their values and working style match your culture-driven leadership. 

Consider how well they connect with your product leadership team, as they’ll need to build trust and rapport with key stakeholders. Involve team members in the interview process to ensure their presence feels additive rather than disruptive.

8. Use Trusted Networks

Start your search by asking peers, industry contacts, or investors for recommendations. The consultancy niche is a modern-day Wild West - there are basically no rules of entry. Trusted referrals often provide needed guidance to find the right match that you know, like, and trust. 

Leverage professional platforms like LinkedIn or Product School. This is where experienced advisors showcase their expertise. Alternatively, explore advisory firms if your needs are specialized or require a team of experts.

Leverage professional platforms like LinkedIn or Product School. This is where experienced advisors showcase their expertise. For tailored guidance, consider Product School's custom product advisory services, which connect you with our team of experts to address your specific challenges. Alternatively, explore advisory firms if your needs are highly specialized or require a team of experts.

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9. Agree on Clear Terms

Set clear terms for the engagement, including the advisor’s responsibilities, deliverables, and expected outcomes. 

Define measurable OKRs that will help you evaluate their success objectively. Clarify compensation arrangements, whether it’s an hourly rate, retainer, or equity, to ensure transparency. 

A well-documented agreement provides a foundation for a productive relationship.

Unlock Your Team’s Full Potential

The right Product Advisor is a catalyst for smarter decisions, sharper strategies, and sustainable growth. 

Whether you’re navigating a startup, scaling, or striving to stay ahead in a competitive market, their expertise makes a difference. So, whatever you do, take the time to find the right fit. The odds are you’ll watch your product — and your team — thrive.