Product & Technology Execution for PE and Growth-Stage Software

I help growth-stage and PE-backed tech-enabled companies align their product and engineering with the investment thesis and navigate the AI disruption that is reshaping how software is built and sold.

Erik de Kroon — Value Creation Advisor


The problem

Product and technology in most software companies fail to execute the investment thesis at the required speed.

Similar problems typically surface:

Too many initiatives run in parallel
AI is reshaping the competitive landscape
Product portfolios become complex
Engineering capacity spread too thin

Technology spend increases without a clear link to growth or margin. The company lacks a clear AI strategy and impact asssessment.


What I change

I translate the investment thesis into product roadmaps and engineering priorities the organisation can actually deliver.

Investment thesis
Product & AI strategy
Roadmap
Engineering
Outcomes

That means concentrating engineering capacity on the few initiatives that drive growth and margin, removing work that doesn't, and making trade-offs explicit at leadership level.

It also means assessing competitive exposure to AI, and helping leadership prioritise the right AI investments in the right order.

The result is a simpler, more focused product portfolio and faster, strategy-aligned execution.

How I work

I work in three phases:

1

Rapid Diagnostic(4–6 weeks)

Identify execution risks and immediate improvements

2

Value Creation Roadmap

Translate the investment thesis into a realistic plan

3

Execution Support

Ensure delivery happens and momentum is maintained

Why me

Former strategy consultant (Booz & Co) and software CEO, understands both the board room and the engine room
Worked directly with Bain Capital and Advent International at Worldpay
Founder & CEO of multiple fintech and software startups
AI practitioner and former AI researcher
Hands-on, not slideware. Grounded in how software organisations actually work

White paper

The Execution Gap in PE-Backed Software

Why portfolio companies struggle to execute the investment thesis through product and technology, including:

  • where engineering capacity is lost
  • why too many initiatives slow execution
  • how product complexity destroys value
  • what changes actually improve delivery

Discuss your situation with Erik