From Seed to Series A: Building Product Operations that Impress Investors

Special thanks to Productside for hosting!

In this insightful talk, product operations expert Matt McGuire reveals the hidden operational gaps that consistently undermine Seed-stage companies as they approach Series A funding. Drawing from 15+ years of hands-on experience rescuing struggling product teams, Matt uncovers why even the most promising startups hit operational walls that damage their fundraising potential.

What You'll Learn:

• The Operational Excellence Gap: Discover why Series A investors now scrutinize the team's ability to execute and operate efficiently, and how your development processes directly impact investor confidence and valuation
• Common Product Operations Pitfalls: Understand the five critical mistakes non-technical founders make that silently erode investor confidence and burn runway with no return
• The $125K-$500K Hidden Cost: Quantify what inefficient development processes are actually costing your business every year, and how this translates to millions in potential valuation impact
• From Feature-Focused to Outcome-Driven: Learn how to transition from features-first planning to the business outcome documentation that investors actually want to see
• Roadmap to Operational Readiness: Gain a practical framework for implementing the foundational product operations that will strengthen your position during technical due diligence

Agenda:

7:00 - 7:30: Networking
7:30 - 8:30: Talk

Who Should Attend:

This talk is designed for anyone looking to build or improve product operations that drive real business outcomes. Whether you're a founder preparing for Series A funding, a product manager aspiring to work at high-growth startups, or a team leader transitioning from execution-focused to outcome-driven work, this session will provide actionable frameworks you can implement immediately.

You'll especially benefit if you're:

• Founders approaching Series A funding or experiencing post-Series A growing pains
• Product managers wanting to work at Series A startups and understand what operational excellence looks like at that stage
• Teams ready to move from feature-focused execution to product/outcome-focused operations
• Product operations professionals or those interested in breaking into Product Ops
• Technical leaders whose development teams are missing sprint goals or struggling with roadmap execution
• Anyone who dreads investor meetings because the operational story doesn't match the business pitch