Founding Product Manager

About handly

handly is an early-stage company backed by venture capital, developing an AI-first operating system tailored for craft businesses. Recently, it secured €3.75 million in funding from investors including 20VC, Stride, and Base10, and is assembling a small, efficient team that emphasizes high ownership and trust.

Role Overview

As the Founding Product Manager, you will have genuine ownership over product strategy, shaping direction, and taking decisive action even amid uncertain information. The role is hands-on, involving close collaboration with engineering to deliver features rapidly and adapt based on learnings. This position is not focused on process-heavy management but prioritizes building and iterating quickly.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the entire product lifecycle—from identifying user challenges to crafting solutions and shipping features.
• Convert company objectives into clear product priorities, bets, and tradeoffs.
• Collaborate tightly with engineering teams to scope, design, and launch features with rapid iteration.
• Create test datasets, define evaluation criteria, and own the product outputs.
• Make informed product decisions even with limited data and pivot strategies when necessary.
• Gain deep insights into user behaviors, workflows, and real-life constraints.
• Clarify to the team what is being built, why it matters, and when a task is considered complete.
• Contribute to shaping product development practices as the company scales.

Candidate Profile

• Highly proactive with strong ownership, pushing initiatives forward without waiting for approval.
• Familiar and comfortable with AI, embracing AI-driven product design and tools.
• Technically skilled with the ability to analyze systems and constraints logically.
• Possesses excellent product judgment and a strong perspective on what creates outstanding products.
• Attentive to user experience and detail-oriented, regardless of formal design training.
• Able to make decisions amid uncertainty and quickly adapt when proven wrong.
• Experience working in fast-moving, early-stage startup environments.
• Having side projects or personal building experiences is highly advantageous.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in German (speaking and writing) is essential, as the product interface and most partner communications are in German.
• Fluent English is necessary for internal communications.

Work Environment and Process

• Based in Berlin-Mitte in a bright, modern office with a large balcony.
• Fast feedback cycles without intermediate management layers.
• Opportunities for growth aligned with your capacity for responsibility.
• A close-knit, motivated team focused on building challenging products together.
• Minimal meetings—no stand-ups and just two brief meetings weekly.

Recruitment Process

• Introductory phone call.
• Discussion with Basti.
• Practical product thinking and collaboration session with Kais.
• On-site half-day session with Kais, Basti, Mauro, and Alain focusing on whiteboarding, product, and cultural fit.

Additional Information

No lengthy case studies or extended hiring procedures.