I'm a product leader with deep roots in design and a growing practice in code. I figure out what the real problem is, then do whatever it takes to solve it: strategy, team building, design, development, or all of the above.
12+ years shipping B2C and B2B products. Most recently leading product design at Optavia, where I took a 2.3-star app to 4.7+, built a design organization from zero, and introduced AI-powered workflows that cut prototype-to-test cycles in half.
I'm looking for my next role at a company where I can own product direction and stay hands-on. Best fit: smaller teams that need someone who can think strategically and ship personally.
Work

2.3 → 4.7+ App Store Turnaround
Diagnosed a failing app as an organizational problem, not a UI problem. Built the team, strategy, and process to turn it around. +35% retention, +40% DAU.

Turning a CEO-Level Crisis into a New Way of Working
Used a high-pressure moment to prove that designers who get closer to code ship faster. Proved it myself first, then scaled it. 50% faster prototype-to-test cycles.

Group Nom
Built a collaborative restaurant discovery app from zero to live product, solo. Product strategy, design, brand, and full-stack development. Pivoted the data model mid-build when the original approach hit a wall.
About Me
I work the way I do because I've never been comfortable staying in one lane. I've always cared about strategy, design, and how things get built. For most of my career, the tools limited what one person could actually execute. That's changed. AI removed the ceiling, and the way I've always thought about product work is now the way I can actually operate.
The common thread across my work is this: I look for the real problem underneath the surface request, I figure out the fastest path to solving it, and I do the work myself when that's what it takes. Sometimes that means building a team from scratch and shifting a company's mindset. Sometimes it means writing prototype code that ships to production. Usually it means several things at once.
I lead with deep curiosity. The most useful questions are “why?” and “what else?” Why, because surface-level requests usually hide the real problem. What else, because there's almost always more to the story, and being exhaustive in the work is how you avoid solving the wrong thing. I build teams where everyone is encouraged to ask both.
I care about the people I work with, and I believe a healthy, empowered team is the only way to build something worth using. I hire for curiosity, craft, and collaboration. I mentor by giving people autonomy and real ownership. I partner across functions by building shared understanding, not by protecting territory.
When I'm not working on products, I'm adventuring with my kids and exploring whatever catches my attention: AR/VR, 3D printing, video games, art, concerts, waves, and sand.
Connect
Feel free to contact me at trentpetersen@gmail.com
