Founder & Partner @ Kanvas | Foster Innovation, Develop Business Strategy, Drive Growth

Katie Nowak

It’s been 3 years without my dad.
Here’s what I'm reflecting on today -

My dad taught me to build a career that I loved.

He did that by taking me to his medical presentations and dinners around the world when I was young.

I remember I joined him at a private investigator meeting in Munich, Germany, and his colleagues were torn over whether or not Dr. Nowak’s 12-year-old daughter needed to sign an NDA to attend. 😂 

In that same meeting, he introduced himself as being from “Day-toi,” instead of Detroit, as everyone else was from various European cities. Lots of laughter ensued, and the whole room suddenly felt warmer, kinder. It was his magic.

Every time I travel internationally for work or step on stage (virtually or in-person), I think of my dad. 

Every time I make a pun or a joke in a meeting (approx 23408 times a day) and see my team light up, I think of my dad.

I wish I could share with him how watching his love of his work, and thus his love of people, all over the world fundamentally shaped who I am today….

…someone who loves what she does.

I often reflect on how I could someday pay this forward to my future family, someday.

How could I involve them in international travel? Have them attend my presentations or panels? Ask them to join me while I write invoices in my office? (That was hilarious - “what do you think, Kate, let’s add an hour, I read fast!!”) … and how might I make each shared moment more fun than the last?

Today, I’m reflecting that I hope to be even half of the role model that he was for me.

I hope this inspires a reflection for you, too - he would love that.

Miss you, dad.

—
I'm Katie Nowak, an investor, innovation leader, and new venture designer sharing examples & lessons weekly. Follow me + hit 🔔 to stay tuned.

Innovation Leader, New Venture Designer, Speaker @ Kanvas || Investor @ Altra Venture Partners

Founders, are you struggling to scale your startup?

I’ve seen it over and over again.

B2B SasS startups raise a funding round and feel the pressure to put in place an aggressive growth strategy.  

All while maintaining a tight grip on budget and runway.  

I get it, Venture Capital firms have high expectations for performance.  

They want to see Key Metrics consistently growing.

You’ve been successful up to this point. 

→ But how are you going to continue growing at this aggressive pace?
→ Will your systems break as you start aggressively hiring more people?
→ Will you be required to sacrifice the dynamic culture that got you here?
→ Can you maintain speed and growth at the same time?
→ Can you afford to hire experienced people that can help you navigate this tricky transition?

I’ve seen this struggle play out numerous times during my career.

I’ve been hired as a Head of Product at early stage startups during this chaotic growth stage.

I’ve been a part of well-intentioned teams doing their best to grow the business while still maintaining the key ingredients that got them to this point.

That’s when I realized the status quo is broken.  

There is a better way for startups to navigate this growth phase:

→ Leverage experienced resources to build the foundation for growth early on in the transition.

Too many SaaS startups are “reinventing the wheel” because they don’t believe they can afford experienced Product leaders or they wait too long to hire them.

When growing your B2B SaaS business in order to achieve the next round of funding, your Head of Product has a massive impact on your success. 

This is exactly why hiring a Fractional Head of Product is the right way to go

Hiring me as your Fractional Head of Product shortly after raising a funding round is a: 

→ Fast
→ Efficient
→ Affordable 

Way to boost your team by leveraging my 15+ years of B2B SaaS startup experience to short-cut the learning curve of what it takes to scale and grow your business.

I’ll work with you to build the necessary foundation of your Product Organization that will fast-track your company to your next round of funding.

Stay ahead of the competition by maximizing your transition out of fundraising into Growth.  

Congratulations on the success you’ve had so far!  

Let’s ensure your success continues!

Click the link in the Featured section and schedule a FREE 30-min consultation to find out how.

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The Battle

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Engagements

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