Case study
The expansion I argued against
TECH COACH MANAGER · OUTCO · DEC 2021 – JUL 2023
The situation
Outco helped software engineers get hired. I joined as an instructor, teaching data structures and system design — 500+ hours of live instruction. Then I took over the coaching organization and grew it from 20+ part-time coaches to 40+, supporting 1,000+ learners across multiple programs.
I built what the team ran on: onboarding, roles and responsibilities, performance policy, ten training modules, class templates, scheduling, and 1:1 technical sessions.
The decision
The company wanted to add program types to reach more learner segments, and wanted it quickly.
I pushed back. The coaching infrastructure could not hold quality at that volume, and the metric that mattered was job placement rate — which moves on coaching consistency, not on how many segments you cover. Adding surface area would have spread the same coaches thinner across more kinds of learners.
The placement rate held. The expansion happened two quarters later, with the infrastructure in place to support it.
Why this is product work
I was not called a product manager here. But the shape is the same: a metric I answered for, a stakeholder pushing for scope I did not think the system could hold, a decision to say no with a reason, and a number that proved out.
The record
- Grew the team from 20+ to 40+ part-time coaches
- 1,000+ learners supported across multiple programs
- Contributed to 300+ job placements
- 500+ hours of data structures and system design instruction; 30+ hours of system design