Kole Hainz, a Chicago-based product manager by way UX

Hi! I'm Kole.

I'm a product management professional by way of UX. I have over 10 years’ experience crafting enterprise-grade solutions, managing teams and helping others do the same as a part-time instructor.

 

 
 

Things I'm really
good at

 
 

Navigating shifting priorities

I approach my work with an entrepreneurial spirit and have helped established organizations and teams adopt startup-like mindsets and Lean practices. I thrive operating in the grey, facing rapid changes and finding new approaches and efficiencies. 

 

Facilitation + requirement gathering

From user story mapping workshops to stakeholder interviews, I have identified, organized and prioritized business, user and technical software needs for Fortune 500 clients

 
 
 

Product strategy

I’ve helped define strategy for organizations large and small, new-to-market products and legacy software. I’ve conducted competitive analyses, business model canvas evaluations and market and user research to define product vision, goals and key initiatives.

 

Roadmapping + prioritization

I have developed delivery plans, product roadmaps and release plans for enterprise-level software. During development, I have experience serving as Scrum Master and bring my broad understanding of software development to define user stories, provide estimates, plan sprints and identify critical dependencies and milestones.

 
 
 

Building stakeholder consensus

I've formally worked in all aspects of product development and have a deep understanding of each functional area involved in successfully delivering software. I can effectively communicate with a cross-functional product team and clients, identify alternative approaches when needed and sell solutions to external and internal stakeholders.

 

Product Design

I came to product management by way of design. I’ve served as lead UX designer for clients ranging from L'Oréal to Starbucks. From wireframing to user flows to card sorting, I bring expert-level experience with all aspects of product design. I’ve also directly supervised design teams and led major initiatives to improve processes to better meet the needs of my users and cross-functional product teams.

 
 

Things I've done recently

 
 
 

Defining product strategy for the world's first converged commerce retail software suite

 
 
 
 

Creating a unified product roadmap to integrate six disparate applications

 
 

Things I know

 
 

Approaches

Tools

 
 

 

Things people have
said about me

Kole brings clarity and determination to the products he guides and teams he leads. He’s a fast thinker, and he deftly parlays that quickness into compelling product designs and actionable plans for his teams and himself.
— CAMELLIA GEORGE, DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT, INFOR
Kole is an advocate for the user and the product stakeholders - blending the requirements and business needs of the product while ensuring that end-users can still successfully interact with the software, and be delighted while doing so.
— STACI BLACK, PRODUCT OWNER, SAVO GROUP

Kole-17_preview.png