Work with me
Work with me
About me:
Hey there! 👋 I’m Afonso, and I’m the Founder of Scandinavian Product Group.
I’m on a mission to share everything I’ve learned from my experience as a Product Leader and from various thought leaders in our industry - with whom I talk to regularly.
I’m a former Vice President at one of the world’s largest EdTech companies for Healthcare, and Ex-Product Director at Easee - once one of the fastest growing tech companies in Europe.
Throughout the years, I've seen how many startups, scaleups, and large organizations struggle to consistently build better products, sooner, and with happier teams.
And I really wish more companies and leaders would experience the power of empowered teams focused on outcomes - with a clear product strategy, and equipped with the skills and toolkit they need to succeed.
I help startups, scaleups, and large organizations succeed with this.
I specialize in:
Product Discovery / Testing ideas to Product Market Fit / Business model innovation / Scaling Product Orgs / Product Strategy / OKRs (or whatever works best in your context) / Coaching & Advising (Product Leaders, Product Managers, Product Teams)
How we can work together:
—> Product Leader
Full-time: Open to discuss.
Fractional: Need a product leader to set things up but don’t want to commit to a full-time employee yet? No problem. I can join your company temporarily - either full-time for a defined period or part-time.
—> Coach & Advisor
Product Leadership Advisor: Are you a CPO or Product Leader needing to discuss, brainstorm, or want to become an even better leader? I work together with CPOs and product leaders throughout Europe and would love to hear about your challenges. See a few testimonials below of leaders I worked with.
Product Coach: I coach product managers and teams, as well as startup founders in everything related to building great products, faster, and with happier people.
Talks, Podcasts, and Public Speaking:
🗣️ I speak at some of the largest Product & Design Conferences in Europe, such as Y Oslo and La Product Conference - as well as at different companies.
Get in touch (contact below) if you want me to come over for a talk, either at your company, your podcast, or your conference (or other events)!
Workshops and Masterclasses:
Tailored workshops and masterclasses, remote or in-person.
I can tailor a workshop or any speaking engagement according to your needs. But I am running two workshops at the moment:
Harnessing the Power of OKRs
Product Discovery: Testing business ideas
Resources
Check out some of the guides I have currently available.
Contact:
Drop me an email with your challenge and let’s discuss how we can help you!
Contact: amalofranco@gmail.com
Some testimonials
Martin Spinnangr, CPO at Munu:
“Afonso possesses one of the brightest product minds I have encountered throughout my professional journey. His deep understanding of the product craft is not only impressive but also serves as an inspiration for everyone lucky enough to work with him.
What sets Afonso apart is his exceptional communication skills. We had this internal joke that Afonso's words tended to come out as inspirational TED talks. This skill fostered effective collaboration and ensured everyone was on the same page, working towards a common goal.
As a natural coach, Afonso has been instrumental in my professional growth.
He has an innate ability to identify areas for improvement and, with unwavering dedication, guides individuals towards their full potential. His dedication to excellence is contagious, inspiring everyone around him to strive for greatness.
Any team or organization fortunate enough to work with him will undoubtedly thrive.”
Eirik Skaar, VP of Product at Laerdal Medical
“Afonso has developed, rolled out, and grown kick-ass products. He’s been instrumental in setting us up for future success by scaling the use of OKRs and Business Model Innovation. Our teams are becoming more skilled and autonomous already.
To me, what separates him from most others, is his passion and humility. His passion for Product, high-performing teams, continuous learning, and constant search for feedback. It’s evident in everything he does. He always shares and uses every opportunity to help, coach, and provide candor feedback. Downwards, upwards, sideways. It doesn’t matter. And the people, teams, and organization are better because of it.
Any organization would be lucky to have him, especially as a Product Leader.”
Stian Øien, VP of Product at FutureHome
Afonso is an up-and-coming product figure that I have high beliefs in. His broad background in several industries and truth-seeking abilities give him unique perspectives, and he is great at connecting the dots.
Afonso is a true believer in others and empowers his peers over time to learn and truly understand.
He will seldom give you the answer to something; he will ask great questions and help you reflect and find the way yourself. His coaching abilities are some of the best I have witnessed.
If you are off track, he will nudge you in the right direction. Afonso has showcased several times that he is able to transform both individuals and organizations into better ways of working, ensuring outcomes with more value both for end users and for the company.
Where Afonso really shines is on stage, whether it be a small or large audience. His way of public speaking is something I really look up to. He will make hard things look simple and is able to relay his mind in such an engaging manner.”
Ole Martin Dahl, COO at Amina Charging
“Afonso possesses a rare combination of relevant and proven product leader experience as well as a very strong theoretical foundation. He balances theory with practice better than most leaders and has the competency and self-confidence to ditch any new framework or model that doesn’t drive progress in the real world. Combined with excellent communication skills, he’s a gem.”
Paul Mayer, ex-Service Designer at Easee
“Afonso is an amazing product leader, especially for designers. Because he knows design thinking and helps designers to advocate for it throughout the organization. I felt heard and valued. It was a pleasure working under his leadership!”
Magnar Gya, Platform Team Manager at Laerdal Medical
“I cannot emphasize enough how highly I recommend Afonso. I have never experienced such a passionate and knowledgeable leader and coach before! The way he explains, listens and lifts everyone’s spirit is truly incredible and inspiring. He taught me the true essence of product management, how you communicate context, lead by example, and bring everyone onboard with the strategy.”