Product lead for early-stage founders
I help founders decide what to build, design it, and lead the team that ships it. Product strategy, UX and AI, from someone who has started, run and sold a company.
How I help
Most founders come to me at one of three moments. Each one needs a different kind of help, so I start from where you are.
Starting out
Before you spend on design and development, we make sure the problem is real, the model works and the first version is the right size.
If something in the model doesn't hold up, I'll tell you before it costs you time and money.
Stuck
Users don't convert, the roadmap changes every week, or the team and the business want different things.
You'll get a clear diagnosis first, then a plan your whole team can follow.
Adding AI
In your product, or in the way your team runs. Without spending months on features nobody uses.
I build AI agents and internal tools every week, so this comes from hands-on use.
Ways to work together
Every engagement starts with a short call and a written proposal, with the scope and timeline agreed before any work begins.
A short block of work with a clear result at the end: a validated concept, a redesigned flow, or a build-ready plan with designs, specs and priorities.
Best fornew ideas, a specific problem, or getting ready for a build or a fundraise.
I join your team as its product lead, without a full-time hire. I run the roadmap, work day to day with your developers and designers, and keep every product decision tied to the business.
Best forteams with developers but no one owning the product.
Optional add-on
I can put together and lead a senior team of designers and engineers in Buenos Aires, matched to your project.
Process
No long sales process. You'll know quickly whether I'm the right fit, what it will cost and what you'll get.
30 minutes, free. You tell me where you are and I tell you plainly whether I can help.
Within two working days: scope, timeline and cost, in writing.
A shared workspace, a weekly check-in and something real to review every week.
Everything is yours, in a form your team can use. If it's working, we keep going.
About
I'm Sol. In 2016 I started Rise & Shine, a breakfast delivery business in Buenos Aires. I ran the brand, the UX, the logistics and the operations, grew it to more than 3,000 orders a year and sold it profitably in 2020.
Since then I've worked as a product designer and product manager with a London studio, helping startups across the UK, Europe and Latin America turn ideas into products, and products into businesses.
I trained in industrial design at the University of Buenos Aires and studied product management and strategy with Wharton.
Products I've worked on
FAQ
Founders and small teams from pre-seed to Series A, mostly in the UK and Europe. Usually B2B SaaS, fintech, marketplaces and AI products.
Yes. A sprint gets you to a validated, build-ready plan. From there I can lead the build as your fractional product lead, with your developers or with a team I put together.
Yes, and it's the most common setup. I work alongside them to decide what gets built, design the flows and write clear specs, so they spend their time building instead of guessing.
Sprints have a fixed price agreed before we start. Fractional work is a monthly fee based on days per week. After our first call you'll get a written proposal with the exact numbers.
Buenos Aires is three to four hours behind London, so we share your whole afternoon for calls and reviews. I lived and worked with London teams for years, and I can keep working after your day ends.
Get in touch
A 30-minute call, with no pitch. You'll leave with at least one useful next step, whether or not we work together.
solbarbieri.design@gmail.comProduct lead for early-stage founders
I help founders decide what to build, design it, and lead the team that ships it. Product strategy, UX and AI, from someone who has started, run and sold a company.
How I help
Most founders come to me at one of three moments. Each one needs a different kind of help, so I start from where you are.
Starting out
Before you spend on design and development, we make sure the problem is real, the model works and the first version is the right size.
If something in the model doesn't hold up, I'll tell you before it costs you time and money.
Stuck
Users don't convert, the roadmap changes every week, or the team and the business want different things.
You'll get a clear diagnosis first, then a plan your whole team can follow.
Adding AI
In your product, or in the way your team runs. Without spending months on features nobody uses.
I build AI agents and internal tools every week, so this comes from hands-on use.
Ways to work together
Every engagement starts with a short call and a written proposal, with the scope and timeline agreed before any work begins.
A short block of work with a clear result at the end: a validated concept, a redesigned flow, or a build-ready plan with designs, specs and priorities.
Best fornew ideas, a specific problem, or getting ready for a build or a fundraise.
I join your team as its product lead, without a full-time hire. I run the roadmap, work day to day with your developers and designers, and keep every product decision tied to the business.
Best forteams with developers but no one owning the product.
Optional add-on
I can put together and lead a senior team of designers and engineers in Buenos Aires, matched to your project.
Process
No long sales process. You'll know quickly whether I'm the right fit, what it will cost and what you'll get.
30 minutes, free. You tell me where you are and I tell you plainly whether I can help.
Within two working days: scope, timeline and cost, in writing.
A shared workspace, a weekly check-in and something real to review every week.
Everything is yours, in a form your team can use. If it's working, we keep going.
About
I'm Sol. In 2016 I started Rise & Shine, a breakfast delivery business in Buenos Aires. I ran the brand, the UX, the logistics and the operations, grew it to more than 3,000 orders a year and sold it profitably in 2020.
Since then I've worked as a product designer and product manager with a London studio, helping startups across the UK, Europe and Latin America turn ideas into products, and products into businesses.
I trained in industrial design at the University of Buenos Aires and studied product management and strategy with Wharton.
Products I've worked on
FAQ
Founders and small teams from pre-seed to Series A, mostly in the UK and Europe. Usually B2B SaaS, fintech, marketplaces and AI products.
Yes. A sprint gets you to a validated, build-ready plan. From there I can lead the build as your fractional product lead, with your developers or with a team I put together.
Yes, and it's the most common setup. I work alongside them to decide what gets built, design the flows and write clear specs, so they spend their time building instead of guessing.
Sprints have a fixed price agreed before we start. Fractional work is a monthly fee based on days per week. After our first call you'll get a written proposal with the exact numbers.
Buenos Aires is three to four hours behind London, so we share your whole afternoon for calls and reviews. I lived and worked with London teams for years, and I can keep working after your day ends.
Get in touch
A 30-minute call, with no pitch. You'll leave with at least one useful next step, whether or not we work together.
solbarbieri.design@gmail.com