Quick intro
Hi, I’m Karen Schmikl. I work with B2B software companies to simplify, modernise, and scale their product organisations.
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I partner with teams facing growth challenges: scaling beyond product-market fit, restructuring portfolios after M&A, shifting from sales- or consulting-led models to PLG, or transitioning legacy products to SaaS.
Every company’s starting point is different, so I don’t bring a fixed playbook. Together, we define what success looks like and build the structures and habits to make it happen.
What I offer
Every company or team's challenges are different, whether it’s scaling, modernising, or realigning after change.
I work with leadership teams, product organisations, and investors to define the right outcomes and create the momentum to reach them.
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Who I work with
I work with B2B software companies navigating growth, change, or complexity, where product needs to connect better with business outcomes.
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Scale-up and mid-market execs who need to bring structure, focus, and commercial clarity to their product organisations.
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Heads of Product and product leaders looking to strengthen their teams, improve alignment, and lead with more confidence.
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Investors with portfolio companies that need sharper product execution and stronger cross-functional collaboration.
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Cross-functional teams (product, marketing, sales, and engineering) who need better alignment around goals and delivery.
Why work with me
I meet you where you are, because every company and team's challenges are different.
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I’ve spent 20+ years leading product and GTM in B2B software, from modernising legacy products to cleaning up post-M&A portfolios and shifting from sales-led & bespoke software businesses to product-led.
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What I bring is a pragmatic, calm, and hands-on approach:
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grounded in experience across SaaS and on-prem,
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shaped by both product and commercial ownership,
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focused on results that last after the engagement ends.
Salomie, Director PM
"Karen is a creative and detail-oriented leader with a knack for problem-solving. She is adept at understanding the needs of customers and stakeholders and is able to think strategically and develop innovative solutions to the most complex problems."
Gerfried, VP Engineering
"Karen is an exceptional product leader with the rare combination of a product mindset and deep understanding for technology. Her ability to manage complex portfolios enabled transparent roadmaps, kept pressure from the engineering teams, and created room to innovate."
Todd, CEO
"Karen is an well organized and thoughtful Product leader. She regularly challenges the status quo and proposes the right way forward when the group is looking for a direction. She championed business model changes and then delivered on the hardest part of making that change real."
Contact
Living in Austria, but working with you wherever you are