About Ask for 10
I’m Tim Sloan, Product Strategy Consultant.
Hi there. I’m currently helping businesses define and build digital products as an independent consultant.
Background
Over 2 decades of experience. Dozens of products. Thousands of projects.
Since, 2001, I’ve worked in several award winning digital agencies, heading up the technical departments. My work has produced several exits, Webby awards, and many successful products.
Located in greater Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
With over 20 years of management and hands-on technical experience, I focus on solving complex problems and delivering on strategic business objectives. I have conducted several hundred business analysis and requirements gathering sessions, and I always work to uncover how clients can realize value from their project.
Education: Bachelor of Arts, U of A; WebBuilder Diploma, U of A; Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute
Values
Strategy first
It doesn’t matter how fast you’re going if you aren’t pointed in the right direction.
Clear, honest communication
I’ve been “translating” from technical to normal for a long time.
Reasonable
Practical and reasonable. Keeping costs under control while still maximizing the value and impact.
User Experience First
People use enjoyable products more. A good user experience saves users time and effort, and provides more value.
Constant Improvement
The best time to pivot to the right thing is as soon as you see the evidence. The best businesses are always trying to get better.
Design has value
Why buy an Eames chair? There is value in taking care of the details, and tailoring the experience to the folks using the product.
Consulting Principles
Act like a co-pilot
I will never care about your business as much as you do, but I’m going to try. I will try to align my work with business impact, rather than project deliverables.
What’s the next most impactful thing?
We want momentum. Once the wheel is turning, I’ll work hard to unblock the next activity, even if that’s hands-on work.
Strategy and ongoing stewardship
I like to get involved at the start with strategic thinking and planning. This is the biggest impact I can have. However, as we iterate, I want to stay involved.
Yes! And…
I am optimistic, and comfortable exploring all sorts of possibilities. IF we’re bogged down, we’ll find a way through.
Mental Models
I highly encourage trying on different ways of thinking about opportunities. Mental models like “inversion”, “the map is not the territory”, and “second-order thinking” can unlock ideas and solutions to problems.
Narratives (and numbers)
Numbers matter, but telling the story matters more. How we position the ideas will help others embrace the changes, and improve the outcomes.
Technologies & Services
Front End
CSS: Tailwind, Bootstrap, Foundation
Javascript: React, Vue, Alpine
CMS: WordPress, Wagtail
Back End
Django, Python, FastAPI, Flask
PHP, Laravel
DBs: PostgreSQL/PostGIS, MySQL, No SQL
Product Strategy
User Research and Analysis
System Architecture
Competitive Analysis
Value Proposition Design
Project Management
Agile / Scrum
Waterfall
Hybrid (custom)
Servers & Infrastructure
AWS, Azure, VPS (Digital Ocean, Linode)
DevOps, CI/CD
Automated Testing
AI
ChatGPT, OpenAI, Assistants, Custom GPTs
Langchain, StreamLit, Gradio
Private AI Projects
Software Design
Architecture consulting
Technology choice review
Cloud-first Principles
Security
Accessibility
Twelve-factor design
Design & UX
Design Thinking
Human-centered design
Wireframes
Interactive Prototyping, No-code prototyping
