Amazon

Continuous Improvement Manager

Area Manager

Site Manager

Junior Site Manager

Syddansk Universitet - University of Southern Denmark

Junior Research Assistant

Kverneland Group Kerteminde A/S

Master Thesis Project

ForeFlight

Data Consultant

Odense University Hospital

Semester Project

Follow for daily posts about Lean, CI & Innovation | Continuous Improvement Manager @ Amazon

Hi!👋 Ivan here

I'm an industrial engineer with 7+ years of experience in Operations Management and Continuous Improvement.

I serve two main groups of people:

	• Business owners and executives who want to turn their broken processes into brilliant ones (and save so much damn money) through Kaizen and Innovation

	• Founders and consulting firm owners within CI, Lean or Innovation who want to promote their businesses and make LinkedIn a legit revenue channel

(DM me for the details) 


I started writing on LinkedIn in October 2023. 

Since then, I have been sharing actionable, educational, and entertaining content to support LinkedIn community members in their continuous improvement journey. This helped me grow my audience from 9,000 to 100,000 followers in a year.

Join my newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/ddQncJM5

Ivan Carillo

26 Kaizen Leadership Mantras

Here are the 4 principles that I believe are most powerful (and why):

1/ Gemba never lies; go and see for yourself.

I've seen leaders make terrible decisions because they trusted Excel sheets over their own eyes. The problems that cost us millions are often visible on the shopfloor, but nobody bother to look. Reports tell you what people want you to know. Gemba tells you what's actually happening. I think the moment you stop walking the floor is the moment you lose touch with reality. Your operators won't lie to you if you show up regularly, ask good questions, and actually listen to their answers.

2/ Without psychological safety, Kaizen dies.

I've watched brilliant Kaizen programs collapse because people were terrified to speak up. Companies that blame individuals for systemic problems get exactly what they deserve. Silence. Workers hide defects, skip reporting near-misses, and watch waste happen rather than risk looking stupid or getting punished. I think this is why most Kaizen initiatives fail within a year. You can't improve what people won't talk about, and people won't talk about problems in a culture of fear.

3/ The person doing the work knows it best.

I learned this the hard way early in my career when I implemented a Kaizen idea. The operators supported it, then immediately went back to their old method the moment I left. Every time I've ignored frontline expertise, I've wasted time and money solving the wrong problem. I think we underestimate how much knowledge lives in the hands and muscle memory of people who do the same task hundreds of times daily.

4/ Kaizen culture doesn't support strategy. Kaizen culture is strategy.

I spent years thinking CI was something that helped execute our "real" strategy. I was wrong. Companies with a strong Kaizen culture adapt faster, survive disruptions better, and outperform competitors with superior strategic plans. I think this is the principle most executives miss. Your competitors can copy your products in months, but they can't copy a culture where thousands of people solve problems every single day.

P.S. What's your fav one in the list?

Founder of Gemba Walk AI — I help executives cut waste and fix the broken processes costing them millions

Brutal truth: most Kaizen implementations fail within 6 months.

Here's why (and how to fix it):

Common failure pattern..

↓ Launch with great enthusiasm 
↓ Form improvement teams 
↓ Run some workshops 
↓ See initial results 
↓ Get distracted by other priorities 
 ↳ Kaizen activities fade away

The missing ingredient? 
Systems thinking.

Successful Kaizen requires these systems working together:

1/ Total Quality Management

+Customer focus throughout organization
+Process-oriented improvement mindset

2/ Just-In-Time Production

+Elimination of waste in all forms
+Flow-based operations

3/ Total Productive Maintenance

+Equipment reliability and efficiency
+Operator involvement in maintenance

4/ Policy Deployment

+Clear targets cascading from top to bottom
+Aligned improvement efforts

5/ Suggestion Systems

+Employee engagement in daily improvement
+Recognition of participation

6/ Small Group Activities

+Quality circles and improvement teams
+Collaborative problem-solving
 
Most companies try to implement Kaizen 
…without these foundations. 

Remember:

Success requires patience.

+Start with one system
+Build it thoroughly
+Connect it to others gradually

…and never stop improving!

Founder of Gemba Walk AI • I help executives cut waste and fix the broken processes costing them millions

Most companies create fantastic value stream maps.

Then file them away. (I've seen it dozens of times) 

Video credit to Krish Sengottaiyan. Give him a follow

Teams spend weeks mapping their current state. 

They identify waste. 
They draft the future state

Then ...nothing changes.

You know why?

No one is responsible for the customer experience.

Traditional organizations are function-based.

→ Finance reports to CFO 
→ Operations reports to COO 
→ Sales reports to CRO

Each leader knows their department.
But nobody understands how value flows end-to-end.

No single leader owns value stream performance.

"Everyone" is responsible = No one is responsible

VSM needs an owner with authority. 
One leader who can make decisions across silos.

CEO could, but they operate too high to manage CI.

So it's key to assign executive-level VSM ownership. 

Before you map your next value stream, answer this:

Who owns the complete customer journey?

If you can't name them...
save yourself the effort.

P.S. Does anyone in your organization have E2E accountability for value delivery?

Antler

Entrepreneur in Residence

Boltd Solutions

Advising tech startups and enterprises on AI/ML product strategy and digital transformation

• Generated $600K+ annual revenue with focus on health tech and B2B SaaS sectors
• Developed AI agent trained on 10K+ solar/battery specifications, reducing commercial off-grid system quoting time by 80%
• Drove 60% revenue increase for health tech client through product-market fit optimization
• Delivered $500K annual savings for HVAC enterprise through digital transformation
• Identified $300MM market opportunity through TAM/SAM/SOM analysis influencing Seed strategy
• Helped 3 portfolio companies secure $2MM+ funding through product vision refinement
• Developing health AI platform connecting wearables/biomarkers to behavior change; targeting B2C wellness market

Strategy Product Manager | AI Agent & Business Transformation

Stan

Creator Economy B2C SaaS Platform ($35MM ARR, 65K+ Creators) - Brought in to drive rapid results

• Architected AI-powered customer reactivation system, recovering $600K ARR in 30-day sprint
• Built multi-agent AI system using Claude and GPT-4 APIs for personalized journey optimization, improving engagement 34%
• Led cross-functional initiative with engineers and product managers to build Spotify + LinkedIn partnership integration
• Designed PLG features enabling creator niche expansion, driving 40% adoption increase
• Ran 12 A/B tests in 8 weeks with average 15% conversion improvement

Lead Growth Product Manager | GTM & Partnerships channels

Branch Energy

Series A Clean Energy Startup ($10MM raised, $42MM valuation) - Company pivoted to B2B model post-departure

Employee #1 who built and scaled consumer product from zero to $7MM revenue, leading team of 15.


As Founding PM (Nov 2020 - oct 2021):
• Scaled product from idea to $7MM revenue achieving PMF with 1,000 customers in first 90 days
• Built platform architecture serving 6,000 customers with 3-person ops team (2000:1 efficiency)
• Built proprietary AI pricing algorithm and recommendation engine processing 100K+ data points daily
• Shipped 3 products: B2C energy marketplace, automated audit tool, B2B hardware/software solution
• Designed automated systems handling 80% of customer inquiries, achieving industry-leading NPS

As Head of Product & Growth (Oct 2021 - Apr 2023):
• Scaled B2B SaaS product from beta to $200K MRR in 5 months
• Managed $500K acquisition budget achieving CAC:LTV of 1:4 (industry standard 1:2.5)
• Built viral referral program generating 30% of new customer acquisitions
• Hired and managed 6 Product Managers across 5 squads, implementing 30-60-90 day onboarding playbooks
• Positioned company for strategic pivot with scalable systems enabling smooth B2B transition

Founding Product Manager → Head of Product & Operations → Head of Growth

Just Energy

$4B revenue energy retailer | 1M+ customers (residential & commercial) - Executive product leadership role.

Led enterprise-wide business systems transformation and product strategy across 10+ product lines, managing 30 direct reports and 50+ cross-functional team members.

• Drove $30MM impact through product optimization and digital transformation
• Migrated 1M+ customers and 1000+ employees from legacy systems to modern stack (Amazon Connect, Salesforce), with zero downtime, reducing operational costs by 70%
• Managed product strategy across residential and commercial segments serving 1MM+ customers globally
• Aligned 3 VPs and 8 Senior Directors on unified product vision, accelerating roadmap delivery from 2 years to 3 months

Chief of Staff to President | Group Product Manager

Amaris

Global Technology Consulting (6,000+ employees)

Rose from IC to partner track in 18 months, leading North American engineering center and strategic client engagements.

• Generated $1MM+ monthly revenue through 6 new product/service offerings and strategic partnerships
• Managed 20-30 engineers across Fortune 500 implementations (Zimmer Biomet, PointClickCare)
• Influenced critical decisions in $85M acquisition through technical due diligence
• Established partnerships with SAP, Salesforce, Oracle driving $3MM+ annual revenue
• Launched North American delivery center achieving $60K monthly revenue from day one

Technical Product Manager → Associate Partner

Engagement Manager - Lead Consultant

Technical Product Manager

Engineer IT Consultant

McKinsey & Company

- Contributed to digital transformation strategies for Fortune 500 clients
- Developed analytical frameworks still used in current product work

Consultant Internship

Rugby Club Toulonnais

- Developed elite performance mindset and discipline that directly translates to leadership

Professional Rugby Player

Product & Business Leader | Scaling Growth & Digital Transformation | Ex-Pro Athlete Applying Sports Principles to Drive Business Excellence | Leadership & Peak Performance Advocate

Product Manager with 8+ years building AI/ML, digital and SaaS products from 0→1, and scaling product and teams from 1→10, with proven ability to scale operations 1000%+ while maintaining lean teams. Track record includes $600K ARR recovery in 30 days, scaling from 0 to $7MM revenue with 3-person ops team, and driving $30MM+ enterprise impact.

Specializing in product-led growth, operational excellence, and AI-powered solutions for health tech, B2B SaaS, and Utilities Industry.

Known for systems thinking, collaborative leadership, and high-velocity execution. I bring customer obsession to every product decision, with proven platform thinking that scales from startup to enterprise.

Currently: Building AI-powered health and longevity products to gain hands on experience with Agentic products.

Let's connect - I specialize in making the impossible look inevitable.

Robin Ayme

Most health founders I know are unhealthy.
Sounds crazy. But it's true.
Was joking about this with Scott Marcaccio the founder of Myo recently.

We're building companies to help millions get healthier.
While burning ourselves out in the process.

The irony isn't lost on me.
When I coached founders and CEOs, I saw the same pattern every time:
They'd come to me wanting to optimize performance, high achievement and pro-athlete mindset level. Get that last 1%.

Then a few weeks in:
"Robin, I actually have two problems:

1 - My health is falling apart
2 - My relationship with my wife and kids is broken"

My answer was always honest: "I can help with #1. Still figuring out #2 myself."

Here's what I learned from working with top performers (people advising Meta executives):

Congruence is everything.

If you sleep 4 hours, run on stress, but your company preaches wellness?
You're not building a brand. You're building a lie.

Now I'm back in the builder seat with my own longevity venture.
And I'm doing it differently this time.

My bet? I need to be my hardest customer.
I need to build this company while:
-> Running a startup
-> Training for Hyrox (Yes, moving away from Rugby ...)
-> Trying to be the best dad and husband possible 
-> Actually having a life

If my product can't work for me when life is chaos, it won't work for anyone else.
Most health products are built for perfect conditions.
But we're human. Life is messy.
I focus on the human behind the body.

Because what's the point of winning if in 20 years I'm asking someone:

1 - Can you help me with my health?
2 - Can you help me save my relationships?

That's not ambition. That's insanity.
I'm building this company the right way. Or not at all.

-------
BTW - If you're near a Myo clinic. 100% worth your time.

Building AI Health & Longevity Products | Cross-functional Leader | 0→1 + Scale Expert | Ex-Pro-Athlete

More data doesn't make you healthier.
As a pro athlete, and then in my business career, I learned something important:
We collected tons of data. But we only obsessed over metrics that had:

-> High leverage/correlation to the outcome
-> Clear action we could take

Everything else? Ignored.

Now I see health tech making the opposite bet—collect ALL the data, figure it out later.

But that's backwards.

Data without a clear path to action is just noise.

People chase the 143rd biomarker when they don’t do anything about their lack of sleep, and eat processed food like candies … 

I’m not here to sugarcoat the truth: the next biomarker will not change anything in your life, you’re just procrastinating. 

Same concept as people chasing the next information, waiting to “be ready” to start. 

Start with what you have, the basics will already bring you to the top 5%.

That's what I'm building into my next venture. 

Ruthless focus on what moves the needle. Cut the rest.

Already in closed beta with longevity clinics and high-end gyms.

Consumer launch coming soon.

Want early access? Drop a comment or DM me to join the waitlist.

For years, people told me I was “too scattered.”

Journalist. Coach. Athlete. Founder. Systems nerd.

“Pick a lane, Robin.”

Then AI happened.

And suddenly, being a polymath became my edge.

Here’s my morning now:
☕ Coffee
📋 Assign Notion tickets to my Claude Code agent
🚶 Walk to office (20 min)
💬 Arrive to Slack: “Done. Tests passing.”

Code written. Reviewed. Ready to ship.
Before my first meeting.

All those years going deep on productivity systems, automation, research methods?

Felt like procrastination at the time.

Now it’s the foundation for orchestrating AI agents.

The new leverage isn’t being specialized.
It’s knowing enough about everything to direct AI that does the rest.

Polymaths used to be scattered.
Now we’re dangerous.

No alternative text description for this image

If you're in the top 1% of health ... read this.
If you're tired of them ... read this.

Ever talked to someone obsessed with fishing?
They hit you with line weights, drag systems, tippet sizes, moon phases...

And suddenly, you have zero interest in trying it.
Health is the same.

You're passionate. You love the deep dive. 
You spend weekends reading studies on NAD+ and Zone 2 training.
That's great ... for you.

But here's the problem: most people don't want a PhD in longevity. 
They just want to feel good and live longer.

When you overwhelm them with details, you lose them.
Your job isn't to show how much you know.

It's to make health fun and approachable.
Teach people how to fish - and make them actually want to do it.

I'm sure you once loved a subject because the professor teaching it made it fun and approachable - I did (Quantum Mechanics - nerdy on paper, one of my professor made it memorable .. a story for later). 

PS - I consider myself in the top 1% of health. So that's a letter to myself ;)

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