From PM to Product Executive: Master Strategy, Finance & Executive Influence
Elena Leonova
ex-CPO Spryker | VP Product BigCommerce
Master the Executive Skills That Propel PMs Into Director, VP & CPO Roles
Most PMs don’t get stuck because they lack talent - they get stuck because no one teaches them the strategic, financial, and communication skills executives actually use to run the business.
Most product courses teach discovery and delivery. Companies reward leaders who can influence revenue, retention, cost, and risk.
That gap keeps thousands of PMs trapped at the “execution ceiling” for years. This course exists to close that gap.
You will learn the Product Executive Operating System™ - a practical, business-first way of thinking used by real CPOs to make decisions, communicate strategy, and drive measurable impact.
You won’t just know the concepts. You will apply them through live executive simulations, financial exercises, KPI storytelling drills, and strategy-building projects.
As a founding cohort, you’ll experience a 7-week, high-touch, cohort-based program with direct feedback, deep discussions, and personalized guidance. You’ll leave with the clarity, confidence, and executive presence needed to operate - and be recognized - as a true product leader.
If you’ve ever felt capable of more but unsure how to break through, this is the system that finally unlocks that next level
What you’ll learn
A complete operating system to think, communicate, and lead like a product executive.
Build a Point A assessment: revenue streams, cost structure, customer economics, and competitive pressures
Diagnose business performance using product, customer, and market dynamics
Translate business realities into strategic opportunities using executive-level frameworks
Build a mini financial model linking product decisions to revenue, margins, and cost structure
Evaluate strategic bets using ROI, payback, unit economics, and trade-offs
Apply ARR, NRR, CAC, LTV, EBITDA logic to justify prioritization
Turn insights into a sharp Point B vision with 3–5 defensible strategic bets
Use an executive-ready prioritization method tied to business goals
Produce a strategy executives take seriously - grounded in evidence and economics
Craft a cohesive narrative executives immediately understand
Build a 1-page strategic brief & board-style narrative
Handle CEO/CFO-level questions with structure and confidence
Tie product strategy to revenue, pipeline, customer experience, and retention
Create cross-functional alignment plans executives expect
Communicate in the language GTM teams trust
Run a quarterly operating rhythm like a real product executive
Grow your influence across engineering, finance, and GTM
Build your Strategic Executive Packet — the asset used for promotions and interviews
Learn directly from Elena
Elena Leonova
Founder & CPO, OneRank.io, ex-CPO @ Spryker, VP of Product @ BigCommerce
Who this course is for
PMs who deliver well but want to move into senior, strategic roles by building financial fluency, executive thinking & real business impact
Senior PMs and Leads preparing for Director/VP roles who need stronger financial acumen, strategic clarity, and executive communication
High-performing Marketing, CS, Ops, or Partnerships pros who want to transition into product with strategic, business-first skills
Prerequisites
Competence in core product management execution
You should already operate confidently as a PM or Lead. This course is for those preparing for senior, strategic, or executive product roles
Comfort with metrics and data-driven decision making
You don’t need to be a finance expert, but you must be comfortable using data, KPIs, and basic business logic to inform decisions.
A desire to grow into senior product leadership
This course is for PMs, Leads, and adjacent leaders who want to step into Director, Head of Product, or VP tracks.
What's included
Live sessions
Learn directly from Elena Leonova in a real-time, interactive format.
Lifetime Access to All Materials
Every lesson, slide deck, template, and recording is yours forever — build a repeatable strategic operating system for your career.
Executive Playbook Projects
Produce real deliverables product executives use: business assessments, strategy drafts, financial justifications, executive briefs, and KPI maps.
Weekly Office Hours & Coaching
Bring your toughest PM → executive challenges. Get direct guidance and personalized critique.
Private Community of Experienced PMs & Directors
A cohort of handpicked peers growing into VP/CPO roles — a network you’ll carry long after the course ends.
Capstone: Present Your Strategy Like an Executive
Deliver a polished strategy and executive brief in a live showcase, building confidence and executive presence.
Certificate of completion
A credential that reflects your strategic, financial, and cross-functional leadership capability.
Maven Guarantee
This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund through the second week of the course.
Course syllabus
15 live sessions • 22 lessons • 9 projects
Week 1
Jan
7
LIVE: The Product Executive Mindset: How PMs Become Strategic Leaders
Wed 1/76:00 PM—7:30 PM (UTC)Jan
9
(Optional) Weekly Office Hours
Fri 1/95:30 PM—6:00 PM (UTC)Optional
The Product Executive Mindset
Week 2
Jan
14
LIVE: How Product Executives Read the Business
Wed 1/146:00 PM—7:30 PM (UTC)Jan
16
(Optional) Weekly Office Hours
Fri 1/165:30 PM—6:00 PM (UTC)Optional
Understanding the Business (Point A Assessment)
Free resources
Schedule
Live sessions
2 hrs / week
Weekly deep-dive live session (~45 min content + ~45 min Q&A), designed to simulate real executive reviews, strategic discussions, and boardroom-style communication. Plus optional 30 mins weekly drop-in coaching for personalized feedback, Q&A, and support on your strategic deliverables.
Wed, Jan 7
6:00 PM—7:30 PM (UTC)
Fri, Jan 9
5:30 PM—6:00 PM (UTC)
Wed, Jan 14
6:00 PM—7:30 PM (UTC)
Projects
1-2 hrs / week
Weekly strategic assignments (Point A Assessment, Strategy Draft, Financial Model, Executive Brief, Alignment Plan, etc.). These are concise but high-impact deliverables.
Async content
1 hr / week
Short pre-reads, frameworks, templates, and video clips that prepare you for the live session and project work.
Testimonials
Working with Elena sharpened my strategic thinking at a crucial stage of my career. Her approach to pricing, P&L-driven prioritization and portfolio rationalization pushed me to operate with greater financial clarity and stronger executive judgment.
What I appreciated most was her ability to turn complex product strategy into actionable decision frameworks that improved how our team delivered outcomes.
Her coaching challenged me in the right ways and helped me elevate my impact as a product leader.
Ángel Hita Albarracín
Principal Product ManagerElena gave me the ability to think and communicate like a product executive. She breaks down complex decisions with clarity, connects product work to real business impact, and teaches the strategic mindset PMs need to rise. Her coaching reshaped our entire product organization — and my own career trajectory.
Volodymyr Lunov
Senior Product ManagerI realized I was missing strategic thinking until Elena taught me how to develop it. She gave me frameworks to decompose problems, see the bigger picture, and operate like an executive — not a product manager delivering features. Every conversation shifted how I approached my role. Elena didn’t just change my skills; she changed my mindset
Andrew Chekanov
Head of ProductElena transformed our product organization into a strategic, outcome-driven team. She taught us how to align roadmaps with value, use customer insights effectively, and think like executives. Her clarity, strategic depth, and leadership built the strongest product culture I’ve seen. Anyone wanting to become a stronger product leader should learn from her.”
Vasiliki Chatzivasileiou
Product LeaderElena is one of the most exceptional product leaders I've worked with. She pushes teams to think boldly and execute rigorously, always tying decisions to real customer and business value. Her strategic clarity and operational discipline are unmatched - she elevates everyone around her.
Pablo Kern
Customer Success LeaderElena’s session was filled with ‘aha’ moments — finally understanding how to frame features in business language, how to align roadmaps to outcomes, and how to think beyond the feature backlog. The ROI Canvas alone changed how we work. This is the kind of strategic education PMs never get but desperately need
Lightning Lesson Participants
PMs & Product Leaders from 5+ countries
Frequently asked questions
$1,500
USD