From Service-Led Growth to Product-Led Transformation

Project Overview

Joining Arete, a cybersecurity startup specializing in ransomware and business email compromise investigations, as the founding designer presented a compelling challenge: there was no existing product, no product team, and no structured approach to product development. Since 2022, I've led product design as the foundational designer, researcher, and design strategist, tackling our biggest challenge—building the company's first client-facing digital product.

The cybersecurity industry had been primarily focused on tools for internal investigators, but our opportunity was different. Insurance carriers needed a solution that would enable them to:

• Develop data-informed cyber insurance policies

• Offer competitive guidance to their clients

• Access timely incident response data

• Assess potential cyber risks with greater accuracy

The Design Question

How might we provide effective tools for our clients, Insurance Carriers, to better address cyber incident response while transforming from a service-led to a product-led organization?

Strategic Approach & Vision Development

Cyber insurance companies needed real-time access to cybersecurity claims data to assess risk and expedite underwriting. However, existing processes relied on inefficient, manual communication channels, leading to delays and fragmented decision-making.

As the product design lead reporting directly to the VP of Product, I:

1. Established Product Discovery: Secured senior-level buy-in on the importance of product discovery and continuous consumer insights

2. Developed a Structured Roadmap: Created a strategic roadmap that aligned business goals with user needs

3. Facilitated Cross-Functional Collaboration: Led the first product requirements workshop to bring stakeholders together

4. Implemented Research Standards: Established user research protocols to uncover the unique challenges facing insurance professionals

With limited resources, we couldn't build an entirely new system overnight. Instead, we focused on incremental, high-impact changes that improved communication while evolving the product.

Guiding Principles & Cultural Transformation

"Good products are pain killers, not vitamins." - Tony Fadell

To drive adoption and establish trust within the organization when executing with never-before-used methodologies, I developed a series of C-level presentations to build the narrative for product-led growth and design thinking implementation.

I depicted our teams as an interdependent system that creates a stronger whole when working together—establishing design as a strategic partner alongside product management and engineering.

A core principle of our approach was continuous discovery—establishing an ongoing cycle of user research, testing, and iteration to drive meaningful product outcomes. Key initiatives included:

• Implementing structured feedback loops to validate product assumptions

• Shifting from output-based metrics to outcome-driven metrics

• Embedding research into the product development lifecycle

By fostering a discovery mindset, we aligned the product team around tangible business impact rather than vanity metrics, reinforcing the strategic role of design in decision-making.

Design Process & Decisions

Starting with a blank canvas, I crafted an end-to-end experience while making critical decisions:

• Technology Foundation: Evaluated and selected the appropriate tech stack (choosing between React and Vue.js) based on scalability needs

• User Validation: Conducted iterative testing sessions with insurance carriers to validate design concepts

• Design System Development: Created a comprehensive design system that ensured consistency while accelerating engineering handoff

• Platform Strategy: Prioritized a robust desktop solution while ensuring mobile responsiveness

• Data Visualization: Integrated visualization capabilities based on user feedback to transform complex cyber incident data into actionable insights

To demonstrate the value of design, I focused on key areas where product innovation could drive business efficiency.

Existing State of Workflows and Data Storage:

Targeted Optimal State for Data Storage and Product Development:

Starting Point - An internal dashboard before any design thinking or iteration:

Iterative Development Process

My role extended beyond initial design to encompass the entire product development lifecycle:

• Workflow Optimization: Continuously refined user journeys based on real-world usage patterns

• Feedback Integration: Established channels for ongoing user input

• Marketing Visualization: Created marketing visualizations based on the product design

• Engineering Partnership: Set standards for engineering handoff, describing element states, key components, and design changes as we progressed through product development sprints

Design Explorations:

Streamlining Internal Workflows

• Existing internal tools were difficult to use, leading to low adoption rates

• Conducting design audits and applying usability best practices significantly improved integration, increasing efficiency and adoption

Aligning Metrics with Business Goals

• Initially, our focus on usage metrics led to misleading success indicators

• By redefining success in terms of decision-making efficiency, we ensured our product evolution aligned with user needs and business outcomes

Reevaluating Product Direction

• Early product iterations focused on feature richness rather than solving core business problems

• By re-engaging stakeholders and refining discovery methods, we pivoted toward delivering foundational value instead of incremental enhancements

Final Product:

Impact & Results

The initial release of the MVP engagements overview in Q1 2023 delivered measurable transformation for both our clients and internal teams:

• Operational Efficiency: Product-led enhancements reduced inefficiencies, resulting in 80 hours saved per month and an estimated $200K in annual cost savings

• Real-Time Visibility: Clients now conduct cyber engagement analysis swiftly, without waiting for updates from the incident response team

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Enabled efficient communication within incident response teams, consolidating findings in a single location

• Productivity Boost: Team members reported saving approximately 8 hours per day on researching and updating each other regarding specific engagements

Strategic Reframing for Long-Term Growth

Not every product journey follows a straight path to success. While we successfully shipped a product that met initial business requirements, we recognized the need to refine our trajectory. Through stakeholder engagement and continuous learning, we presented leadership with insights that reshaped the company's product strategy.

The real success wasn't just launching a functional product—it was establishing a product-first mindset within a traditionally service-driven firm. By championing product discovery, driving iterative improvements, and aligning design with business impact, we set the foundation for sustainable growth and innovation.

This experience underscores the power of design leadership—not just in shaping great products, but in driving meaningful organizational change. By integrating design thinking into the company's DNA, we laid the groundwork for a more agile, customer-centric, and business-driven product strategy.