The Product Manager To Founder Journey

Not every PM-to-founder story is about "following your dream" and everything magically working out.
This event goes beyond the usual highlight reel to explore the real transition: the uncertainty, the trade-offs, the skills that transfer, and—crucially—the ones that don’t.

Join ProductTank Madrid for an open, honest conversation with Patrick Williamson and Ernesto Pino. They’ll share exactly how they went from product management to entrepreneurship, what pushed them to take the leap, and what they wish they had known earlier.

## 🎙️ What You’ll Hear

• The Catalyst: Why they decided to leave product management and start companies.
• The Toolbox: How product skills actually helped them as founders.
• The Reality Check: The biggest, unexpected struggles they faced during the transition.
• The Growth: What they learned about leadership, resilience, and execution when the buck stops with them.
• The Playbook: Practical advice for anyone thinking about a founder path.

## 👥 Meet the Speakers

### Patrick Williamson

Product and operations executive with 20+ years of experience in PE and VC-backed companies. Patrick specializes in product turnarounds, team rebuilding, and driving growth, delivering up to 70% revenue increases and 5x investor returns. His background spans companies like Symantec, Unity, EMTEK, and arago, as well as founding an AI-native automation platform, with a focus on AI-driven product innovation and value creation. 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn

### Ernesto Pino

Founder at **Bektor.ai**. Ernesto has built his career across product management, startups, and entrepreneurship, with experience spanning product strategy, payments, and founder-led execution. He brings a practical view of what it means to move from managing products to creating a new venture from scratch. 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn

## 🤔 Why You Should Attend

This event is for anyone who is curious about the founder journey, especially if you work in product and have wondered what it would take to build something of your own.
You’ll leave with a clearer sense of:

• What PM experience gives you as a founder (and where it falls short).
• Where the transition is harder than expected.
• How to think about risk, timing, and momentum.
• Whether the founder life is truly the right next step for you.

## 🎟️ RSVP

Seats are limited, so make sure to reserve your spot early here!