Ian Johnson

Multiple Companies

Selected client work:

Paramount Pictures: (Fractional Product Lead) Designing the software for greenlighting movies.
ChatLabs: (Fractional CPO) 
Tonic Labs: (Fractional Product Lead) Working with leadership at high-growth startups in Fintech, Genomic Breeding, and Recruitment on product strategy and execution. 
Ultra VC: (Validating demand, pricing, and UXR Strategies) Advised 2023 batch of companies on strategies for validating demand, pricing, and execution of user research. 
Titans Legal: (AI Product Strategy) Consulting on Gen AI implementation strategy for major law firms.
Helios: (Product Strategy) Enabling anyone, anywhere, to profit from saving our planet through Solar investment.

Product Management Consultant

On Deck

Founder Fellow

Lasso (Acquired)

A pioneering AI-powered platform designed to redefine the creator marketing space for SaaS marketers. By facilitating the efficient discovery, management, and performance analysis of millions of creator profiles, Lasso enhances marketing strategies with data-driven insights and automates key processes to measure ROI effectively.

Co-Founder and CEO

Flow Commerce (acquired by Global-e)

The leading platform for cross-border ecommerce, enabling SMB brands to go global and technology that powers Shopify's native cross-border ecommerce platform (Shopify Markets Pro). Selected by Shopify through competitive RFP as sole technology provider for native cross-border ecommerce API/capabilities.

Responsible for product strategy that helped scale and grow some of the fastest-growing DTC brands in the world.

Flow is a SaaS platform that enables retailers to sell and expand internationally, providing end-to-end functionality, including localized pricing, marketing and payments, tax and duty calculation, and global logistics. Supported by venture partners, including Bain Capital Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, and Fung Capital.

Principal Product Manager

Senior Product Manager

Showtime Analytics

Responsible for the product portfolio of business intelligence, customer, and marketing analytics products for Showtime Analytics and Showtime's joint venture with Alibaba Pictures in China.

Showtime Analytics is a SaaS platform aimed at providing the movie industry with an intelligent software solution that is built to understand, communicate, and optimize relationships with moviegoers. Showtime Analytics is supported by partners including Alibaba Pictures and comscore.

VP of Product Management

Accenture

Consultant at Accenture experienced working with large organizations in the technology & financial services industries. 

Client work included;
- Product Marketing Production lead for EMEA at Google 
- Product lead at global financial institutions 
- Analytics and reporting across ad tech sectors

Consultant @Google

Management Consulting Analyst 

eir Ireland

Programme manager of eir's Customer Experience (CX) programme for eir Technology.

Program Manager

Business Operations Specialist

Product leader specializing in helping B2B SaaS and Consumer companies explore new segments, tap into emerging markets, and scale up existing ones.

Key Clients include;
ChatLabs by Writingmate.ai: (Product Strategy and GTM) Bringing private, secure, and customizable AI models in one place.

Paramount Pictures: (Fractional Product Lead) Designed the software used to greenlight movies.

Tonic Labs: (Fractional Product Lead) Working with leadership at high-growth startups in Fintech, Genomic Breeding, and Recruitment on product strategy and execution. 

Ultra VC: (Validating demand, pricing, and UXR Strategies) Advised 2023 batch of companies on strategies for validating demand, pricing, and execution of user research. 

Helios: (Product Strategy) Enabling anyone, anywhere, to profit from saving our planet through Solar investment. 

Track record of enabling B2B SaaS companies to accelerate their path to product-market fit through hands-on product strategy development, rapid experimentation, and execution. 

Designing processes and systems that enable high-growth teams to leverage market and user research to quickly ship the right solutions to end users.

Leveraging experience spanning pre-seed startups to Fortune 500s, including other collaborations with Andreessen Horowitz and ReFace.

For fractional or speaking engagements, please email contact @ ianjohnson.io

If sending a connection request, please include a note.

Founder

Dogpatch Labs

• Reviewed 5000+ startups and maintained direct relationships and interactions with over 100 angel investors both in Ireland and overseas, as well as over 150 global VCs.
• Responsible for scouting startups and directly supporting founders to secure rounds with top investors such as Cavalry, Entree Cap, Tribal VC, Outsized VC & Nomad Capital
• Organised investor networking events for global VCs such as Sequoia, Atomico, Balderton, and Notion VC alongside leading local investors including Frontline, Delta, Elkstone, ISIF, and Enterprise Ireland. 
• Co-developed and supported the local implementation of the SAFE (as originally developed by Y Combinator) into Irish law.

Head of Platform at Dogpatch Labs & NDRC

In his role as Chief of Staff, Menno focuses on working with the CEO & Founder of Dogpatch Labs to deliver strategic projects and accelerate the growth of the company. 

Responsible for co-leading the €17M competitive tender to secure NDRC Ireland’s National Accelerator.

Chief Of Staff

• Menno is the co-creator of the Alltech Accelerator, a global leading late-stage AgTech accelerator. 
• The 22 portfolio startups went on to secure $240m follow-on funding. 
• During the first year of the accelerator 6 out of 10 startups were ranked in the CB Insights Top 100 Agtech startups.

Programme Manager

• Developed ‘First Fridays for Startups’, now “The Islands largest monthly ecosystem event” which has had 7000+ attendees and featured Ireland’s top entrepreneurial talent keynote speakers including Des Traynor, Brian Caufield, Peter Coppinger, and Nora Kaldi, among many others.
• Built a Sales & Operations process, resulting in an increase of over 50% of MRR within 3-months.

Membership Strategy

Galvanize Inc

• Increased MRR over 50% within the first two quarters in the role while owning the full sales cycle. 
• Maintained 30-person mentor program and facilitated logistics and communication for weekly mentor sessions.
• Utilized a data-driven approach to outbound through gathered metrics for a repeatable formula for success.

Membership Development Manager

• Launched new campus location in downtown Ft. Collins
• Managed campus operations for 100+ members and students
• Communicate the Galvanize brand and experience as the 1st touch point on our campus

Community Coordinator

Crimson Oak Clothing

• Co-Founder of Crimson Oak Clothing, building a fashion platform for emerging designers.
• Built a complete Web 2.0 platform and oversaw the production of two production runs
• Accepted into university accelerator (Venture Accelerator Programme), receiving mentorship from unicorn founders (BillGo & Milk). Selected for Blue Ocean Enterprise Challenge, a nationwide pitch challenge hosted by Otterbox's holding company.

Co-Founder

Droam

• Founding team member of Droam, focused on making data roaming affordable. 
• Raised funding from Euronext listed Value8. 
• Part of the transition team to KeepGo upon acquisition.

Sales & Operations

As the longest serving and founding team member of Dogpatch Labs, Menno has been a central driving force in creating Crunchbase’s one of the "top 10 incubators around the world” over the last 6.5 years, with now over a decade of startup experience. 

During this period Menno has reviewed & interviewed over 5000 startups and has direct relationships and interactions with over 100 angel investors both in Ireland and overseas, as well as over 150 global VCs. His incredible energy and perseverance has made Menno recognised as “one of the most connected people in Ireland’s startup ecosystem”.  He invests as an angel alongside investors such as Jack Pierse (Co-Founder WayFlyer) & Steve O’Hear (ex-TechCrunch).

As Head of Platform Menno is responsible for scouting startups and directly supporting founders to secure rounds with top investors such as Cavalry, Entree Cap & Tribal VC. He is a regular organiser of investor networking events for global VCs such as Sequoia & Balderton.

Menno has stepped forward as a national thought leader & supporter of Irish startup investing. He co-developed and supported the implementation of the SAFE (as originally developed by Y Combinator) into Irish law. Furthermore, he designed multiple NDRC Masterclasses including ‘Angel Investing’ and the ‘Raising a Round’ attended by over 300 people, who widely praised the events which received NPS scores of 80+. 

Previously, Menno was the Chief of Staff at Dogpatch Labs reporting directly to the CEO and was responsible for leading the €17M competitive tender to secure NDRC Ireland’s National Accelerator, beating off intense competition from a 14-year incumbent and globally renowned investor SOSV. 

In 2017, Menno co-founded and led the Alltech Accelerator, which was recognised as “top late stage agtech accelerator in the world”, based on the metric of 22 startups securing $240M follow-on funding.  

Prior to this, Menno was the Membership Manager of Dogpatch Labs. He developed ‘First Fridays for Startups’, now “The Islands largest monthly ecosystem event” which has had 7000+ attendees and featured Ireland’s top entrepreneurial talent keynote speakers including Des Traynor & Nora Kaldi and others

Originally from the Netherlands, Menno has on numerous occasions acted as an ambassador for Ireland’s startup community including working directly with the Department of Foreign Affairs and hosting a visit of the King & Queen of the Netherlands.

Previously, Menno was the Membership Development Manager at Galvanize, a 21st Century school for entrepreneurs, engineers, and data scientists.

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