John McMahon
Fractional Product & Execution Leader
Build the right things.
Align execution.
Move the metrics that matter.
AI made building cheap. Deciding what's worth building is the new bottleneck. I help funded startups make the product bets that actually move the business — and execute them.
Or email hello@iamjohnmcmahon.com
For funded Series A/B teams building AI-enabled and complex B2B products.
Who I Help (And When)
AI can generate options. Choosing the right path still takes a human.
That's where I come in.
The common pattern: the team is shipping, but priorities keep changing. Sales, product, engineering, and leadership are not fully aligned. Everyone is busy, but no one can clearly explain which work will move revenue, retention, or growth.
I help the team make the hard calls, align around the right product bets, and turn execution into measurable business progress.
Common moments
- The team is executing, but progress feels harder than it should
- Roadmap priorities keep shifting
- Sales needs roadmap confidence
- The board wants sharper answers
- The founder needs product leadership before a full-time hire
What Makes Me Different
I work with leadership teams when the answer is not obvious, the tradeoffs are real, and the decision has consequences across product, sales, engineering, customers, and the board.
I bring the judgment that comes from 20 years inside startups: knowing what to build, what to stop, when to push, when to simplify, and how to align strong personalities when execution gets messy.
The work is part strategy, part operating system, and part leadership translation. The goal is not a prettier roadmap. The goal is better decisions, clearer execution, and measurable progress.
Outcomes I've Helped Deliver
$6M ARR
Took an AI product from concept to $6M ARR in Year 1 at a $300M B2B SaaS company
$100M+ GMV
Drove 50% revenue growth and $100M+ in GMV at a $75M marketplace
150% MRR
Grew MRR by 150% at a $225M B2B SaaS startup
0 → 16
Scaled product, design, and CX teams from 0 to 16 people while navigating internal conflict, pivots, and execution risk
How We Work Together
I offer focused engagements for teams that need clarity fast, plus ongoing product and execution leadership when the work needs senior ownership.
Engagements That Create Clarity and Momentum
Product Direction & Prioritization Sprint
Most common starting point Est. 4–6 weeksFor: Teams that need a confident answer to: What should we build next, and why will it move the business?
Outcome: Clear product direction, sharper tradeoffs, leadership alignment, and a board-ready narrative around the product bets most likely to move revenue, retention, or growth.
Post-Raise Execution
Est. 4–6 weeksFor: Teams turning the plan they pitched into measurable progress before confidence erodes.
Outcome: Board commitments translated into quarterly milestones, resource priorities, automated progress tracking, and an operating rhythm to course-correct early. Plus coaching on how to communicate adjustments while maintaining team and board confidence.
Execution Diagnostic
Est. 3–4 weeksFor: Teams that are busy but struggle to identify what's slowing progress.
Outcome: Honest diagnosis, prioritized fixes, trusted KPI visibility, and a practical path to faster, cleaner execution.
Ongoing Partnerships
Product & Execution Partner
3-month minimumSenior leadership that scales with you. I own product direction, prioritization, and execution while helping your team make better decisions and run without you.
- • Embedded fractional product and execution leadership
- • Interim VP Product or COO during an executive transition
- • Post-sprint execution support
Strategic Advisory
Month-to-monthAccess to a thinking partner who knows your business, available when timing matters. For board prep, a key hire, a pivot decision, a difficult investor conversation — the high-stakes moments that don't fit a project scope.
Why Leadership Teams Choose Me
Founder-recommended: 60% of my clients come from referrals
20-year pattern recognition: I know which paths create momentum and which waste runway
Board credibility: I frame progress so investors lean in, not pull back
Cross-functional alignment: I align sales, engineering, product, and CEO while strengthening relationships
Decision partner: I help leaders make hard calls — what to kill, who to hire, when to say no — with confidence
Product instincts: When data is ambiguous, I know what good looks like
About John
I've spent 20 years building and scaling products at startups, from Seed through Series C. I started as a software engineer, moved into product, and grew into leadership roles where I owned strategy, hiring, and execution.
I've shipped products that went from concept to $6M ARR in their first year. I've boosted revenue at marketplaces, grown MRR in healthtech, and scaled teams from zero to 16 people. I've worked through internal conflict, navigated downturns, and presented to skeptical boards. I've made the hard calls — what to ship, what to kill, who to hire, when to pivot — and learned which ones extend runway and which ones burn it.
Now I help leadership teams at funded startups, especially Series A/B, turn product direction into measurable progress and board confidence.
I'm based in Bend, Oregon, where I founded What the Tech, Bend? in 2023 — a tech community that's grown to 850 members and become Central Oregon's connector for founders, builders, and operators. It's where I practice what I help my clients do: build the right things, align people, and create momentum.
When I'm not working, I'm skiing, running trails, cooking, or traveling somewhere I haven't been.
Let's talk about where you're stuck.
If product priorities keep shifting, execution feels harder than it should, or the board wants sharper answers, reach out. Even if we don't work together, you'll leave knowing which problem to solve first.