nilsjeners consulting

You know that moment when everything just clicks? When you realize you're exactly where you're meant to be? That's where I am right now as a self-employed consultant.

It's not about the glamorous "laptop lifestyle" that floods your social media feeds. It's about something far more valuable: alignment.

Here's what that looks like for me:

- Collaborating with clients who inspire me and challenge my thinking
- Experiencing a constant stream of learning through different industries, company cultures, and business challenges
- Building meaningful relationships across various organizations and sectors
- Having the flexibility to be there for my family and kids

Every new project is like opening a different book, each with its own story, characters, and lessons. The beauty? I get to write my own chapter in each one.

The best part? This isn't a destination - it's an evolving journey. Each new company, each new challenge, each new culture adds another layer to my professional DNA.

Innovation Management and Agile Business Design

TH Köln

I teach several courses at the Technical University of Cologne:
- Business Design in the Master's program Media Informatics
- Cooperation Systems in the Master’s program Web Science

Adjunct Professor

Technical University of Munich

A coincidence of my consulting position was teaching in the Executive MBA program at Technical University of Munich (TUM). 

My students? Up to C-level executives and senior managers who challenge every concept, question every assumption. They force me to evolve my teaching with each batch. Their real-world experience adds layers to theoretical frameworks that no textbook could provide.

The best moments? When a student's perspective completely shifts my own understanding of a concept I've taught for years. That's the magic of executive education - everyone in the room is both teacher and student.

It reminds me: True expertise isn't about having all the answers. It's about staying curious enough to recognize that every interaction is a learning opportunity.

Uniper

Ever notice how learning curves flatten over time? That moment when your daily "aha!" moments become monthly, then yearly? That's not stagnation - that's your growth compass pointing to change.

My entrepreneurial heart was beating louder again, but this time, I was determined to make a smarter exit. No dramatic leaps - just strategic steps.

A one-year interim management contract, three days a week. Simple math: that left two days to build my freelance practice. Who said transitions had to be cliff jumps?

But here's the plot twist: Those years in an 11,000-employee corporate giant? Pure gold. They taught me three invaluable lessons:

The View from Inside: Transforming from "outside consultant" to "internal manager" completely rewired my understanding of corporate dynamics. I earned corporate DNA: Understanding how large organizations actually work (not how consultants think they work) became my secret weapon. Network Architecture: Learning to build and leverage vast corporate networks - a skill that pays dividends daily in my freelance life.

Sometimes, the best way to embrace your entrepreneurial spirit is to first master the system you're leaving.

Innovation Consultant (external)

Orange Hills GmbH

When my startup hit a dead end, so did I. Rock bottom makes every path look equally appealing - or terrifying. One wrong turn could have sent me spiraling into a completely different career trajectory.

But here's what made all the difference: I didn't just accept the first lifeline thrown my way. Before joining a boutique consulting firm, I met EVERY. SINGLE. EMPLOYEE. Yes, you read that right. Because when you're rebuilding, the foundation matters more than the facade.

What I discovered was more than a job - it was a masterclass in everything I wish I'd known during my startup days:

- A methodical framework that addressed precisely where my startup had stumbled
- A team where every single person had something unique to teach
- The ability to dive deep into multiple industries, each with its own lessons

The irony? Sometimes you need to hit rock bottom to build something stronger. Those startup "failures" became valuable war stories in consulting. That entrepreneurial spirit? It transformed into innovative solutions for clients.

Years later, I realize that not knowing what comes next isn't a weakness - it's an opportunity to adapt and grow. Every industry, every project, every challenge adds another tool to your toolkit.

Senior Innovation Consultant

Qwingo – Sports & Performance Analysis

My $0 MBA: What building (and failing) a startup taught me

I am enthusiastic about creating things and didn't want to make innovation solely. That burning desire led me from the structured halls of academia into the wild west of startup life. Little did I know I was enrolling in what I now call my "Private MBA" - except this one came with real stakes and real consequences.

The highs? Landing that dream client everyone in the industry knows. The lows? Watching my company hit a dead end. But here's the thing about startup life - every moment, even failure, is a masterclass in business.

Three expensive lessons I'll never forget:

1. Diversity isn't a buzzword - it's survival. We were three IT nerds with similar mindsets. Great for tech talk, terrible for challenging assumptions. Today, I know: diverse perspectives aren't just nice to have - they're essential for innovation.
2. Tight budgets are secret weapons. When resources are scarce, you learn to execute fast, think lean, and never lose sight of your goals. No theoretical framework can teach you what a dwindling bank account can.
3. Product development isn't just about the product. Building from scratch taught me that great products aren't built in isolation - they're born from understanding markets, users, and business models simultaneously.

Years later, these lessons still shape every business decision I make. Sometimes the most valuable education comes without a diploma.

Founder & CEO

RWTH Aachen University

What seemed like a formal transition to RWTH Aachen turned into one of the most transformative chapters of my professional journey.

As a research assistant, I discovered three passions that would shape my career forever:

First, the joy of teaching returned to my life. There's something magical about standing in front of eager minds, sharing knowledge, and watching that 'aha moment' light up in students' eyes.

Then came the challenge of managing complex projects independently. No safety nets, no hand-holding - just pure responsibility and the thrill of steering projects from concept to completion.

But the most unexpected turn? This role planted the seed for my PhD journey. What started as a position soon evolved into a calling.

They say the best career moves often don't feel like massive leaps when you make them. Sometimes, it's those "simple switches" that lead to the most profound transformations.

Research Assistant

Fraunhofer FIT

You know: Choose your boss, not your job!

It couldn't have been more true for my first real job. The opportunity to work with Professor Prinz wasn't just a job offer – it was an invitation to join an inspiring journey to learn and grow.

What made this so special?

First, there was the incredible diversity. Imagine working alongside people with vastly different experiences and backgrounds, each bringing their unique perspective to every challenge. It wasn't just about what we knew but how differently we thought.

Then there was the environment itself. Not just an office but more a creative lab. The open mindset paired with the resources fostered innovation and collaboration.

But what really made the difference? Working on industry projects that went beyond theoretical concepts. Every day, we were creating solutions that made real impact in the real world.

Looking back, my first job already led to my enthusiasm for innovation.

I support corporates in all activities focusing on INNOVATION: 
Creating new ideas and transforming them into businesses, products, or services.

IDEATION
With my help, you and your employees will come up with new ideas to move your business forward.

INNOVATION SPRINTS
I support your team in the concrete implementation of ideas from project planning all the way to the market.

INNOVATION STRATEGY
Together we develop an innovation strategy to lead your company into the future.

INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM
I assist in building an innovation culture and an innovation ecosystem, which fosters creative work and implementation of innovation in your company.

INNOVATION TRAINING
I train your employees to enable them to perform better innovation activities.


My background: 

I am a digital native with over ten years of experience in the field of innovation. I support companies in implementing innovation strategies and new business models. I catalyze ideas from corporate leaders in the areas of strategy and innovation and provide advisory from the initial thought to market entry.

I have studied computer science and business administration with a focus on human-computer interaction and management accounting at RWTH Aachen University. I continued as a scientist at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Information Technology FIT. I hold a Ph.D. (Dr. rer. nat.) in computer science and founded a start-up for algorithmic sports performance analysis based on big data.

Furthermore, I hold several teaching positions at the TU Munich, TH Cologne, and TU Dortmund. 

Dr. Nils Jeners

Miro

Lead the product team for Content Security and Compliance including Enterprise Guard which offers an advanced layer of security & governance controls for Miro.

Group Product Manager, Content Security & Compliance

Product Academy

LevelUp! is a condensed 6-months mentoring program by Product Academy supporting junior product managers and those who would like to transition into product from a related role. A crew of over 30 experienced product leaders from companies such as Google, Zalando, trivago and more are sharing their experience with the next generation of product people. With at least 50% female participants per edition this program is also fostering diversity in product, making it a priority to support female talent in the tech space.

Mentor

Thomson Reuters

Leading the Product Management function for HighQ Contract Analysis: helping lawyers extract critical information from contracts more quickly, more accurately and giving them superpowers to uncover new actionable insights

Director of Product Management

Chatroulette

Led the relaunch of one of the internet’s fabled and at times notorious brands.  Exceeded the key KPIs set out for the relaunch, connecting over four million plus people every month driven by innovative artificial intelligence algorithms to maximize engagement and minimize content quality issues.
Conceived and successfully launched new business-to-business (B2B) offering with 20% m/m growth successfully iterating to product-market fit. Responsible for product strategy, product vision, market analysis and roadmap as well as feature discovery and prioritization.

Chief Product Officer

Doodle AG

Transformed and built-up the product and data team to be high-impact, data-informed and customer-driven providing scheduling tools to 200+ million monthly active users. Led a team of 21 Product Managers, Data Scientists, Customer Support and Customer Success working with around 50 software engineers.
3x growth in SaaS revenue in 12 months and the successful launch of significant new features. Established the data science function to improve customer experience through scheduling recommendations.  Transformed the customer service function to offer a better customer experience (20 percentage point rise in satisfaction score, 50% reduction in resolution time) without increasing headcount.
Responsibilities included:
•	Manage, hire, mentor, coach and lead team of product managers, UX/UI designers, data scientists
•	Define product vision, product strategy and metrics (KPIs) including relaunch of B2B offering
•	Champion a data-informed approach and process with a deep understanding of customer needs through improved analytics, user research, user testing, heat-map analysis and A/B testing.
•	Member of the Doodle C-Suite Senior Leadership Team, responsible for setting business strategy and driving company culture.  Present to the board of directors on product vision and progress.

SPORTTU

Led the Product Management organization at a startup to deliver an online sports platform and responsive website including content management systems, sports statistic engine, reporting, analytics and mobile applications.  Built-up a 20-person Product, User Experience and Design group.  Winner of the 2016 Innovation award from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
Responsibilities included:
•	Define and own product vision, strategy and product roadmap based on business goals, technology trends, usage and understanding of customer priorities.
•	Hire and lead high performing cross-functional team of Product, Project, UX and Design.
•	Build a deep understanding of customer needs and user behaviors. Create amazing user experiences.
•	End-to-end delivery of new features and enhancements to responsive web application, mobile apps, white label solutions, customer analytics, statistics ingestion and processing, APIs, NLP tagging engine, content management system (CMS) to drive key business KPIs.
•	Prioritize and communicate product roadmap and new features to senior management, customers and sales team.
•	Work closely with the product marketing team on positioning, pricing and content marketing strategy.

VP Product Development

Responsible for collaboration strategy across Thomson Reuters focused on technology leverage and innovation as well as best practices for community building.

Asset Owner Collaboration

Senior product manager overseeing a team responsible for delivering Collaboration and Multimedia applications for Thomson Reuters.  Accountable for end to end product suite covering content creation, distribution and delivery on Thomson Reuters products and customer applications.  Drove a cross functional team to deliver end user focused applications. Responsibilities included requirements gathering, definition and management, end-to-end delivery and roadmap prioritization.

Reuters

Product Manager for an instant messaging and collaboration service for the financial industry with over 80 thousand active users. 50% growth in user base during this time. Delivered two major releases of the desktop client and a new Server API platform. Based in New York with a 6 month assignment to Thailand during this time to build a team there.

Product Manager

Business Analyst (Market Data Volume Reduction, Reuters, Saint Louis, MO)	
Software Engineer (Product A-Z & Data Feeds, Reuters, London)	
Implementation Support Engineer (Operations, Reuters, London)

Graduate Management Trainee

Chief Product Officer | Product Leader | Coach | Product Vision & Strategy | Team Leadership | Product Discovery | Machine Learning | Generative AI | GTM Strategy | Pricing

I have more than 20 years experience as a Product Manager and Leader working across a number of industries with both B2B and B2C software products.  I believe great products don’t happen by accident: my success to date has come from understanding customer problems and needs, a deep understanding of the opportunities and constraints of existing and emerging technologies combined with the ability to inspire and lead cross functional teams.

Specialties: team leadership, product strategy, product vision, roadmaps, competitor analysis, pricing, UX design, user experience, requirements gathering, requirements prioritization, product management, writing user stories, software development life cycle, collaboration software, online video, agile, scrum, change managementI

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