Product Executive Job Search Bootcamp. Land Hidden Roles & Find Your Fit.

5 Weeks

·

Cohort-based Course

Access the 70% hidden Director/VP/CPO roles. Craft your market fit, ace interviews, and network with executive recruiters & VCs.

Unlocked opportunities at companies like

Meta
Stripe
LinkedIn
Patreon
Upwork

Course overview

Stop waiting for the perfect opportunity to land in your inbox.

Most executive roles aren’t on job boards.

Get the tools, strategies, and connections to navigate the hidden leadership job market and land your next Director, VP, or CPO role.


As a senior product leader, you know the next step in your career isn't just about finding any job—it's about finding the right role that aligns with your goals and values. But in a market where 70% of executive positions never make it to job boards, how do you uncover these hidden opportunities?


You’ve worked hard to get where you are, but landing your next leadership role requires more than product skills. You need to position yourself, tell a compelling story, compete with a flood of talent, and navigate a market where 70% of roles are hidden.


What this program delivers:

• Discover hidden roles by networking with executive recruiters, VCs, your champions and industry connectors.

• Get job search traction and save lost wages.

• Increase your compensation by $50,000 to $400,000+ with job search and executive negotiation techniques.

• Avoid being back on the job hunt in 8-12 months by finding the right role.


We'll work together to:

1. Uncover hidden roles and engage with executive recruiters & decision-makers

2. Craft your unique leadership story that resonates with executive recruiters & executives

3. Excel in executive-level interviews with strategic and authentic storytelling

4. Negotiate executive compensation and leveling with confidence

5. Execute a targeted job search aligned with your career aspirations


As one of my VP Product clients put it:


"Everyone says to network but no one shows you how to do that well - the practical scripts, discussions on an approach and strategy, and the warm and cold approaches to start a conversation with the right person have allowed me to accelerate my search. It's also allowed me to bring the speed in my search into my hands vs. waiting for the unicorn job posting."


Partly because of all of this friction and lack of transparency, product executives have some of the lowest tenures among the executive team. We can help change that.


This market demands more effort for fewer results than in previous years, but we will help you make the most of your effort.


What will it look like?


• 32.5 hours of live, interactive sessions

• 1 evening kick-off session (2 hours) to prepare for the executive job search.

• 4 half-day weekend deep-dive sessions (18 hours) covering strategy, networking, interviewing, and negotiation

• 5 evening workshops and office hours (12.5 hours) on Tuesdays and Thursdays: Guest speakers on key topics, live Q&A, and feedback on your job search activities


I will also be sharing lessons learned from executive recruiters and talent partners from some of the top firms in the US:


Daversa Partners • True Search • Riviera Partners • Artisanal Talent • Big 5 "SHREK" • SPMB • General Catalyst • Decibal Partners • Parker Remick • Fusion Talent

...and more


Is this program right for you?


This course is designed for senior product executives from tech companies who are serious about investing the effort to land their next Director, VP, or CPO role.


However, if you're unsure about the value or aren't ready to fully engage in the process, this program might not be the best fit right now. There are many other great coaches and resources available that may better suit your current needs. I'm happy to share some!


Compared to alternatives: Executive transition agents ($25,000+ including 10% of base salary), resume writers ($1,500+), and non-product specific courses are all useful, but many product leaders told me they wanted something more. We believe that this focused, intensive, product-specific program delivers a strong return for your time and investment.


Ready to Start?


1️⃣ Apply now to join the cohort and start building your career strategy.


2️⃣ Join live sessions and participate in hands-on workshops to accelerate your job search.


3️⃣ Sign up for a free 5-part email course to learn the basics of navigating the hidden job market before the cohort begins.


Free 5-part email series:


✅ Lesson 1: Understanding the Product Executive Job Search


Lesson 2: Your Product Executive Goals, Market Fit, and Candidate Dossier


✅ Lesson 3: Building a powerful network of executive recruiters, champions, and connectors


Lesson 4: Preparing for the toughest product leadership interview questions


Lesson 5: Negotiation tips to secure and choose between top-tier offers


Sign up now by joining the email list and get some clarity on your search!


Ready to take the next step in your career? Apply now!

Who is this course for

01

CPOs, VPs, and Directors of Product from growth-stage and large tech companies actively seeking their next role actively.

02

Senior Product Leaders with 3+ years managing PMs looking to run a more active search in today's competitive market.

03

Leaders looking to access hidden roles, refine their leadership stories, and land standout offers in today’s tough market.

04

NOT for:

• Early career

• Managed < 3 PMs

• Seeking only IC roles

• Seeking extensive PM case prep

By the end of this course, you will...

Uncover hidden executive roles and expand your opportunity pipeline

Build a Target Company List and Hidden Job Market Tracker. Conduct 5+ informational interviews using tailored templates. Get more high-quality opportunities than relying on job boards, saving search time and avoiding the wrong fit.

Engage Executive Recruiters and VC Talent teams to access top opportunities as a strong candidate

Spamming recruiters won't help. You'll learn to engage recruiters and stay top of mind based on their motivations in addition to outreach emails, a Recruiter Relationship Tracker, and practice for recruiter calls using a preparation checklist.

Craft a compelling profile, positioning, and messaging that resonates with executive recruiters

Develop your Product Leadership Archetype, 30-second pitch, and 2-minute career story. Outcome: Receive 5+ unsolicited outreach messages from top executive recruiters within 30 days of optimizing your LinkedIn profile.

Improve executive-level interviewing to consistently reach final rounds

Build a Triple-STAR Story Database and question-to-story map with 5-10 impactful narratives. Practice in mock sessions. Turn more interviews into offers.

Negotiate executive compensation packages with confidence

Learn strategies from 200+ real negotiations. Navigate complex equity and executive terms. Increase your total compensation by $50,000 to $400,000+, with many achieving 6-figure uplifts.

Execute a targeted job search to land roles aligned with your career goals

Create a Job Search Momentum Tracker and Opportunity Evaluation Scorecard. Outcome: Efficiently pursue fitting roles, reducing time-to-offer and increasing job satisfaction in your next role.

Develop executive presence that sets you apart in high-pressure situations

Create an Executive Presence Improvement Plan. Practice through recorded mock interviews. Benefit: Consistently impress hiring managers and boards, leading to stronger endorsements and faster decisions.

This course includes

18 interactive live sessions

Lifetime access to course materials

13 in-depth lessons

Direct access to instructor

54 projects to apply learnings

Guided feedback & reflection

Private community of peers

Course certificate upon completion

Maven Satisfaction Guarantee

This course is backed by Maven’s guarantee. You can receive a full refund within 14 days after the course ends, provided you meet the completion criteria in our refund policy.

Course syllabus

Week 1

Oct 29—Nov 3

    Understanding the Executive Job Search Landscape

    9 items

    Crafting Your Executive Product Leader Profile, Positioning, and Pitch

    15 items

    Networking for Product Leaders

    8 items

    Navigating the Hidden Job Market

    6 items

    Oct

    30

    Day 0 (Evening Session): Preparing for the Executive Job Search

    Wed 10/3012:00 AM—2:00 AM (UTC)

    Nov

    2

    Day 1: Launching Your Executive Job Search: Strategy, Goals, Positioning, and Narrative

    Sat 11/23:00 PM—7:30 PM (UTC)

    Nov

    3

    Day 2: Building Your Network and Targeting Hidden Opportunities

    Sun 11/34:00 PM—8:30 PM (UTC)

    Nov

    4

    Optional: Office Hour (Bonus)

    Mon 11/42:00 AM—3:00 AM (UTC)
    Optional

Week 2

Nov 4—Nov 10

    Nov

    6

    Evening Workshop and Office Hours: Positioning & Networking

    Wed 11/61:00 AM—3:30 AM (UTC)

    Nov

    9

    Day 3: Mastering Executive Interviews [Fixed]

    Sat 11/94:00 PM—8:30 PM (UTC)

    Nov

    10

    Day 4: Negotiating Executive Compensation and Evaluating Offers

    Sun 11/104:00 PM—8:30 PM (UTC)

    Engaging with Executive Recruiters and VC Talent Partners

    6 items

    Triple-STAR Leadership Stories & Executive Presence for Interviews

    6 items

    Nov

    8

    Somer Hackley Q&A - Author of Search In Plain Sight

    Fri 11/86:00 PM—7:00 PM (UTC)

    Nov

    8

    Evening Workshop and Office Hours: Networking

    Fri 11/81:00 AM—3:30 AM (UTC)

Week 3

Nov 11—Nov 17

    Nov

    13

    Evening Workshop and Office Hours: Executive Interview Storytelling & Negotiation

    Wed 11/131:00 AM—3:30 AM (UTC)

    Negotiation Strategies for Executive Compensation

    7 items

    AI and Emerging Tech in Product Leadership

    4 items

    Advanced Job Search Strategies

    6 items

    Nov

    16

    Peer Office Hour (Executive Presence, Board-Level Finance, FAANG+ Insights)

    Sat 11/161:00 AM—2:00 AM (UTC)

    Nov

    16

    [OPTIONAL] Working session #1 with peers (Product Leader Job Search)

    Sat 11/166:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

    Nov

    17

    [OPTIONAL] Co-working session #2 (Product Leader Job Search)

    Sun 11/176:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

Week 4

Nov 18—Nov 24

    Nov

    20

    Product interview workshop with Bhaskar Krishnan from Meta/ex-Stripe (case and technical interviews)

    Wed 11/201:30 AM—2:30 AM (UTC)

    Nov

    22

    Check-In Workshop + Executive Recruiter Q&A (Chris Running from Sterling Strand + Grant from Parker Remick)

    Fri 11/221:00 AM—3:30 AM (UTC)

    Nov

    22

    Exec Search Q&A with 2 Recruiters + Marc Baselga (founder of Supra, ex-Asana)

    Fri 11/226:00 PM—8:00 PM (UTC)

Week 5

Nov 25—Nov 29

    Nov

    27

    Product Case Workshop with Robert Hamilton (Ex-Meta, Google) + Office Hours with Colin

    Wed 11/271:00 AM—3:30 AM (UTC)

Post-course

    Dec

    4

    Exec Search Chat with Alex Klein (Nucleus Talent, SF) + Office Hours with Colin

    Wed 12/41:00 AM—3:30 AM (UTC)

What people are saying about our approach

        I followed the playbook and now have a dozen interviews lined up. Great job and much appreciated.
VP Product

VP Product

ex VP Product at Salesforce & a Series F Unicorn
        Everyone says to network but no one shows you how to do that well - the practical scripts, discussions on an approach and strategy, warm and cold approaches to start a conversation with the right person have allowed me to accelerate my search. It's also allowed me to bring the speed in my search into my hands vs waiting for the unicorn job posting.
VP Product

VP Product

Marketplace Unicorn
        Colin helped me navigate a huge career leap, securing a bigger role...and landing...over $120K/year more than initially offered. What really stood out was how well he understood my priorities and guided me to ask the right questions and position myself strategically...I was able to connect with key people...and I felt that I was set up for success.
Nourhan Shaaban

Nourhan Shaaban

Director of Product at Noom
        Colin helped me negotiate a +$115,000 per year offer increase for the first two years and a level-up. My hiring manager said I was one of the best negotiators she’s come across, and I have Colin’s coaching to thank for it! Colin gave me confidence and skills to advocate for myself and ensure I was properly valued in my next job.
Robin M.

Robin M.

Product Leader at Adobe
        I did my 'tell me about yourself' response we crafted for VC convos and the VC talent partner said "that was the best job summary I've heard."
Director of Product

Director of Product

Consumer Unicorn
        I landed at one of the top companies on my list and increased my total compensation package by over six-figures.
Chris P.

Chris P.

Product Leader at Fintech Startup
        I was blown away by Colin's deep understand of the tech job market. I thought I knew how it worked, but Colin sees the bigger picture - your career story, trajectory, culture fit, and how to unlock doors in the market others can't. In this tight market, I've found more opportunities than I ever expected, thanks to his insights.
VP Product

VP Product

Unicorn
        For me, 'goal setting' was a crucial conversation when we first started working together: it became the foundation for how we worked through all the other content in your phases you define, and pushed me to really define what I wanted beyond just "I need a new job with a higher title and more pay"
Director of Product

Director of Product

Unicorn
        I worked with Annie for a VP of Product Management role at a startup during which Annie coached me on negotiation of TC, and eventually helped me achieve the desired outcome. Annie is passionate about work and can truly think from customers' benefits perspective. I'd highly recommend Annie if any leader needs a professional coach and negotiator.
VP Product

VP Product

Startup
        [Your tech executive job search guide] is the best guide I’ve read for exec roles. Fantastic job. Thank you Colin! It’s so good I’m reading it again 👏 ...It maps what I’ve heard from mentors but adds more angles/perspectives.
David Krell

David Krell

VP Product at Going
        Amazing [product leadership archetypes] article. This really helped to structure my career progression so far! Made me reflect a LOT and craft a unique statement for myself. Super helpful.
Mandeep Makkar

Mandeep Makkar

VP Product
        Wow, this [product leadership archetypes article] really helped me rethink my entire career progression path. It clarified how I work and why I'm better suited for certain companies. Thanks for sharing!
Product Leader

Product Leader

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Course schedule

12-18 hours per week

  • Pre-work Week

    Self-paced

    1. Job Search Strategy Blueprint
    2. Channel Priorities Spreadsheet
    3. Job Search Activity Tracker Template
    4. 30-Second Elevator Pitch (First Draft)
    5. 2-Minute Career Story (First Draft)
  • Saturday (4.5 hours): Candidate-Market Fit & Profile for Product Leaders

    8:00am to 11:30am PST

    • Product Leadership Archetype and Leader-Culture Fit
    • Crafting Your Executive Narrative
    • Resume and LinkedIn Profile Optimization for Tech Executives
    • Positioning for VP, CPO, and Senior Director Roles
  • Sunday (3.5 hours): Strategic Networking

    8:00am to 11:30am PST

    • Networking Strategies for Product Leaders
    • Engaging with Executive Recruiters and VCs
    • Targeting Top Tech and Hypergrowth Companies
    • Building and Leveraging Your Professional Network


  • Weekday Evening Q&A Sessions (4 hours)

    Tuesday & Thursday 5-7pm PST

    Tuesday: Deep Dive on Personal Branding Strategies

    Thursday: Networking Tactics and Pipeline Building


  • Saturday (3.5 hours): Interview Mastery

    8:00am to 11:30am PST

    • Advanced Interview Techniques for Product Executives
    • Handling Leadership and Strategic Product Questions
    • Reverse Interviewing: Assessing Company Fit and Potential


  • Sunday (3.5 hours): Negotiation and Decision Making

    8:00am to 11:30am PST

    • Negotiating Complex Executive Compensation Packages
    • Equity and Special Terms for Product Leaders
    • Evaluating Opportunities Across Different Company Stages
  • Weekday Evening Q&A Sessions (4 hours)

    Tuesday & Thursday 5-7pm PST

    Tuesday: Interview Preparation and Case Study Practice

    Thursday: Negotiation Strategies and Offer Evaluation


  • Thursday (2 hours): Final AMA with Colin

    5-7pm PST

    • Open Q&A on landing top product leadership roles in tech


Meet your instructor

Colin Lernell

Colin Lernell

Colin Lernell is a seasoned Product Leader and Job Search & Negotiation Expert with 14+ years of experience.


Before coaching product executives on the job search and founding the tech job offer negotiation service Valued:


• Senior product leader at Patreon, Noom, and Udacity, helping scale companies of $60M to $600M and led teams of up to 25, including Directors.


• Landed offers of VP at public companies, Director at Big Tech, and Sr. Director through CPO positions at high-growth Pre-IPO companies.


• Negotiated or helped negotiate multiple 7-figure offers, including a $605K per year increase in a single private company offer.


• His clients have secured over $10M in total compensation increases, with some achieving up-levels and +$100K/year increases.

Free resource

Take the Product Leadership Archetype & Culture Fit Quiz

Curious how to speak to your unique strengths as a product leader? Discover your archetype, superpowers, and product culture fit in just a few minutes. This quick quiz will reveal what makes you stand out and how you can leverage your leadership profile to thrive in the right role.

Take the quiz

Frequently Asked Questions

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Product Executive Job Search Bootcamp. Land Hidden Roles & Find Your Fit.