Product leadership in complex environments
Experience across Booking.com and PayPal, working on payments, risk, platform strategy, experimentation, and decision systems in high-scale environments.
About
Product leadership experience combined with a real teaching foundation
I am a product leader, mentor, and educator with 12 years of experience working across payments, risk, platform strategy, and AI-driven decision systems.
My mentoring is built for Product Managers who want to think more clearly, make better decisions, communicate with more confidence, and grow faster in their careers.
What makes my approach different is that I bring both real-world product leadership and a formal academic background in Education. I hold bachelor’s degrees in History and Education, which gives me a strong foundation in how people learn, develop, and build practical skills over time.
Credibility
Built on real product leadership and formal teaching credentials
Education background
Bachelor’s degrees in History and Education, giving me a formal and legal teaching foundation, in addition to industry experience.
Data-driven product expertise
Strong background in experimentation, A/B testing, KPI design, metrics creation, and product decision-making using real signals.
Global and cross-functional experience
Worked across engineering, analytics, business, operations, and compliance in global transaction ecosystems.
Who I Help
Mentoring for PMs at different stages
Aspiring Product Managers
For people preparing to move into product and build strong foundations early.
Junior and Mid-Level PMs
For PMs who want to improve prioritization, communication, product thinking, and day-to-day decision-making.
Senior PMs
For Product Managers who want to operate more strategically, influence better, and strengthen leadership presence.
PMs in Transition
For people preparing for interviews, promotions, role changes, or more complex product environments.
What I Help With
Practical mentoring built around real product challenges
1:1 Product Mentoring
Personalized mentoring sessions tailored to your role, goals, and current challenges.
- Product strategy and prioritization
- Stakeholder communication and influence
- Roadmap clarity and decision-making
- Working with engineering, data, and design
- Product thinking and structured problem solving
Experimentation & Metrics Coaching
A focused area of mentoring for PMs who want to make stronger decisions with data.
- Designing A/B experiments
- Defining hypotheses and success criteria
- Creating meaningful metrics and KPIs
- Interpreting test results and trade-offs
- Avoiding common experimentation mistakes
- Using data to support product judgment
Career & Interview Mentoring
Targeted support for PM interviews, career transitions, and stronger professional positioning.
- Interview preparation
- Storytelling using real product examples
- Career growth conversations
- Promotion readiness
- Confidence and executive presence
Common Problems I Help Solve
What PMs usually come to me with
“I’m not confident in my product decisions.”
We work on structured thinking, prioritization, and decision quality so you can make choices more confidently.
“I struggle to influence stakeholders.”
We improve how you communicate priorities, trade-offs, and strategic reasoning.
“I don’t know how to define the right metrics.”
We build stronger KPI and metrics frameworks that actually support better product decisions.
“I’m not sure how to structure experiments.”
We work on A/B testing, hypotheses, success criteria, and interpretation so experimentation becomes useful, not confusing.
Teaching Approach
Structured, practical, and built for real growth
I believe strong Product Managers are not developed through generic advice. They grow through reflection, structured thinking, practical feedback, and repeated exposure to real product decisions.
My approach combines mentoring and teaching. I do not just share opinions. I help you understand principles, apply them to your context, and improve how you think over time.
I place special emphasis on experimentation, A/B testing, and metrics creation, because many PMs are exposed to them but few are taught how to use them well in practice.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Who is this mentoring for?
It is for Product Managers at different stages, from aspiring PMs to experienced PMs who want to improve strategic thinking, communication, experimentation, and leadership.
Do you only mentor PMs in payments or risk?
No. My experience comes from complex product environments, but the mentoring focuses on core PM skills that apply across industries.
Can you help with A/B testing and metrics?
Yes. This is one of my strongest mentoring areas. I help PMs define hypotheses, choose the right metrics, interpret experiment results, and make better product decisions.
Is your teaching backed by formal education?
Yes. In addition to my industry experience, I hold bachelor’s degrees in History and Education.
Contact
Let’s talk about your growth as a PM
If you want more clarity, stronger judgment, better product communication, or more confidence in experimentation and metrics, I’d be glad to help.
Email
funnykitos@gmail.com
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/marcos-portella-8b610b46
Location
Haarlem, Netherlands
Next Step
Book a mentoring conversation by email or LinkedIn