Product & digital diagnostic
An independent read of your product, customer experience, technology and team, benchmarked and prioritised.
- Maturity assessment
- Top opportunities, sized
- Board-ready findings
Why fractional
Product is behind your growth plan. No one senior owns it.
The signs are usually clear before anyone names the problem.
1
A roadmap that's really a wish list
Every team pushes its own priorities. Delivery is busy, but nobody can link the work to revenue, retention or cost.
2
Founder-led decisions don't scale
The business has outgrown one person deciding what gets built, but there's no product function to take over.
3
Digital spend without digital results
Technology investment keeps rising while customer scores, conversion and cost-to-serve stand still.
Services
Start small. Expand by phase.
Each engagement stands on its own, and each one sets up the next.
Strategy & 100-day plan
Set the product vision and strategy, then launch the first initiatives so the plan arrives already in motion.
- Vision, strategy and roadmap
- Outcome KPIs and OKRs
- First wins live in market
Fractional CPO
Part-time executive leadership of product and digital, reporting to the CEO and board, for as long as you need it.
- Leads product teams and delivery
- Builds the product operating model
- Hires and hands over to a permanent CPO
Playbooks
Proven plays, not blank pages.
Every engagement starts from a tested playbook, then gets tailored to your business. Choose one to see how it runs.
Playbook
The Fractional CPO playbook
How a part-time CPO creates full-time impact. A structured entry into the business that earns trust fast, delivers early wins and leaves a product function that runs without me.
- 1Weeks 1–2
Listen & map
Interviews with customers, leaders and teams. Map the product portfolio, the data and how decisions get made today.
OutputCurrent-state map - 2Weeks 3–6
Strategy & focus
Agree the product vision, the few outcomes that matter and a roadmap the business can fund.
OutputStrategy, roadmap, OKRs - 3Weeks 7–12
Deliver early wins
Launch two or three high-confidence initiatives to prove the approach and build momentum.
OutputWins in market - 4Ongoing
Build the function
Coach PMs, set up rituals and governance, then recruit and hand over to a permanent CPO.
OutputSelf-sustaining team
Playbook
Product operating model transformation
Move from a feature factory to empowered product teams. Staged in the order that works: technical foundations, then discovery, then insight-driven strategy.
- 1Stage 1
Foundations
Assess delivery, architecture and release cadence. Remove the blockers that stop teams shipping often and safely.
OutputDelivery baseline - 2Stage 2
Team topology
Form durable, cross-functional product teams with a product manager, designer and tech lead.
OutputTeam design - 3Stage 3
Continuous discovery
Introduce customer research, prototyping and testing so teams validate ideas before building them.
OutputDiscovery rhythm - 4Stage 4
Insight-driven strategy
Leadership sets strategic context and outcomes; teams decide how to achieve them.
OutputProduct strategy & OKRs
Playbook
PE value creation playbook
Product and digital levers built into the investment case. From diligence through the first 100 days to an equity story a buyer will pay for.
- 1Pre-deal
Diligence
Independent read of product, customer and technology. Upside and risk behind the plan.
OutputDD findings - 2Day 0–100
Value creation plan
Prioritised, sized initiatives across revenue, retention and cost-to-serve, with first wins launched.
Output100-day plan - 3Years 1–3
Execution
Fractional leadership of delivery, building the team and board-level KPI reporting.
OutputKPI dashboard - 4Exit
Equity story
Evidence of digital growth and a credible roadmap for the next owner.
OutputExit narrative
Playbook
NRR-led SaaS turnaround
For SaaS businesses where growth has stalled. Net revenue retention leads, because keeping and expanding customers is the fastest route back to efficient growth.
- 1Diagnose
Find the leaks
Cohort and churn analysis to see where revenue is lost and which customers are worth most.
OutputRetention diagnosis - 2Fix
Retention & adoption
Onboarding, product adoption and customer success plays aimed at the biggest churn drivers.
OutputChurn reduction plan - 3Grow
Expansion & pricing
Packaging, pricing and upsell paths that grow revenue from existing customers.
OutputExpansion roadmap - 4Sustain
Operating rhythm
Metrics, roadmap governance and team capability to keep NRR rising.
OutputNRR scorecard
Playbook
Customer & digital transformation
For traditional businesses where customers expect more than the systems can give. Fix the journeys that cost the most, and build a single view of the customer.
- 1Map
Customer journeys
Trace the journeys that generate calls, complaints and manual work, and put a cost on each.
OutputJourney heatmap - 2Unify
Single customer view
Align data feeds, standards and governance so every team sees the same customer.
OutputData foundation - 3Digitise
Self-service & tracking
Digital tools that answer customers before they call: tracking, updates, self-service.
OutputDigital roadmap - 4Measure
Experience metrics
NPS, enquiry volumes and conversion tracked against targets, reported to leadership.
OutputCX scorecard
Playbook
Digital, data & AI strategy
A practical plan for mid-market businesses ($20m–$500m) on where digital, data and AI create value, sequenced against capability and cash.
- 1Assess
Maturity baseline
Where the business stands today on digital channels, data quality and AI readiness.
OutputMaturity scorecard - 2Prioritise
Value cases
Shortlist use cases by value and feasibility, from quick automation to new revenue.
OutputRanked use cases - 3Plan
Roadmap & investment
Sequence initiatives against capability, budget and risk, with clear owners.
OutputBoard-ready roadmap - 4Govern
Data & AI guardrails
Data ownership, privacy and responsible-AI practices the board can follow.
OutputGovernance model
Maturity diagnostic
How mature is your business?
Rate twelve statements across customer, digital, data and AI. Example answers are filled in. Change them to match your business and your score updates as you go.
Customer
2.3 / 5How well you understand and serve your customers.
We measure customer experience (NPS or CSAT) and act on it
We have a single view of each customer across teams
Customers can self-serve the things they contact us about most
1 = not at all5 = fully in place
Digital
2.7 / 5How you build and run digital products and channels.
Digital channels are a primary way customers buy from or deal with us
We have a product function with a clear strategy and roadmap
Teams release improvements frequently and measure the outcome
1 = not at all5 = fully in place
Data
2.0 / 5How reliable and useful your data is.
Leaders trust the numbers in our core reports
Data is owned, governed and consistent across systems
Teams use data and experiments to make product decisions
1 = not at all5 = fully in place
AI
1.3 / 5How ready you are to create value with AI.
We have identified where AI could create measurable value
We have run AI pilots with clear success measures
We have guardrails for privacy and responsible AI use
1 = not at all5 = fully in place
The OptiProduct maturity framework
Five stages across four dimensions. Your answers place you on the map and show the next step in each.
Stage 1Foundational
Stage 2Developing
Stage 3Established
Stage 4Advanced
Stage 5Leading
Customer
Reactive
Feedback is ad hoc. Customer data sits in separate systems.You are here
Measured
NPS or CSAT is tracked, but insight rarely changes decisions.Next step
Connected
A single customer view. Key journeys mapped and owned.Proactive
Self-service and proactive updates cut contact and cost.Customer-led
Real-time insight shapes every product and service decision.Digital
Analogue core
Digital is a brochure. Change runs through IT projects.Channel add-on
Some online sales or service. Projects, not products.You are here
Product-led
Product teams with a strategy and roadmap tied to outcomes.Next step
Empowered teams
Teams own problems, run discovery and ship continuously.Digital business
Digital products are central to how the business earns.Data
Spreadsheet-run
Numbers are manual and often disputed.You are here
Reported
Core reports exist but take effort and lack trust.Next step
Governed
Data is owned, consistent and trusted by leaders.Insight-driven
Analytics and experiments guide decisions.Predictive
Models and real-time data drive operations.AI
You are here
Unexplored
No view yet on where AI could help.Next step
Curious
Individuals use AI tools. No plan or measures.Piloting
Prioritised use cases piloted with success measures.Scaling
AI in core processes, with guardrails in place.AI-native
AI embedded across products and operations.Where you are todayYour next step
Approach
The first 90 days.
A clear rhythm so you see progress from the first month.
Weeks 1–2
Listen
Customers, data, teams and leadership. Find where value is leaking.
Weeks 3–4
Diagnose
Size the opportunities and agree the few that matter most.
Weeks 5–8
Align & launch
Strategy, roadmap and KPIs signed off. First initiatives in flight.
Weeks 9–13
Embed
Rituals, team capability and reporting that keep it running.
Outcomes over outputs
Success is measured in revenue, retention, cost and customer scores, not features shipped.
Empowered teams
Teams own problems, not task lists. Capability is built, not just roles renamed.
An operator's view
Two decades accountable for P&Ls means recommendations that are commercial and doable.
Who I help
Tuned to your stage.
Founder-led tech companies
Around ten years in, growing, with no senior product leader. Delivery bottlenecks and a roadmap still run by the founder.
→ Optimise & scaleEstablished businesses
$20m–$500m revenue in services, logistics, retail or industrial, with low digital maturity and rising customer expectations.
→ Customer & digital transformationSponsors & portfolio companies
Product and digital levers in the value creation plan, from diligence through the 100 days to exit.
→ Value creation
About
An operator, not a theorist.
- 2025–OptiProductFounder & Fractional CPO
- 2025BioScoutFirst product hire, agtech IoT
- 2022–24Team Global ExpressHead of Product & Digital Solutions
- 2020–22NSW Customer Service, Employment Hero, Mable, WebcentralProduct leadership
- 2016–19OptusDirector of Product, Consumer · ~$1bn P&L
- 2015–16WooliesXDigital consultant
- 2014–15TelstraGM Product, Consumer & SOHO
- 2012–14FoxtelHead of Digital Products
“Strong product leadership is more than a feature factory. It's understanding customers, anticipating the market, and building teams that perform.”
Chris Walters has spent more than 20 years building and scaling products, launching award-winning platforms and driving revenue and EBIT growth for start-ups and large enterprises. He works alongside management and leaves behind capability that lasts.
TelcoLogisticsRetail & e-commerceSaaSIoTMediaGovernment
FAQ
Good questions.
Who does OptiProduct work with?
Founder-led tech scale-ups without a senior product leader, established mid-market businesses ($20m–$500m revenue) in sectors such as services, logistics, retail and industrial, and private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies. OptiProduct is based in Sydney and works across Australia.
What is a fractional CPO?
An experienced Chief Product Officer who works with you part-time, typically one to three days a week. You get executive-level product leadership, strategy and team coaching without the cost and lead time of a permanent C-suite hire.
How is this different from a consultancy?
Consultants advise and leave. A fractional CPO is accountable for outcomes from inside the business: leading the team, making the calls and owning the results, then building the capability to carry it on.
How much time do you spend with us?
It depends on the engagement. Diagnostics are intensive over a few weeks. Ongoing fractional work is usually one to three days a week, adjusted as priorities change.
How is it priced?
Fees depend on scope and time commitment, and are agreed up front for each phase. A discovery call is the quickest way to get a clear proposal.
What happens when the engagement ends?
The goal is to leave you stronger: a working operating model, a capable team and, where it makes sense, a permanent CPO I've helped you hire and hand over to.
Let's unblock your product potential.
Tell me a little about your business and I'll set up a 30-minute discovery call.
LinkedIn
I reply to every message within one business day.