About me
Product leadership & strategy for B2B startups & scale-ups
Edita Dermontaité
I spent over a decade in visual communication, advertising and research before moving into startup & scale-up tech scene in Ghent, Belgium.
At Bizzy, I led the product from day one, viral growth, 10,000+ professionals. At Lighthouse, product discovery for 50,000+ customers. At Leadcamp, clarity during a 360-degree pivot. Across all of it: building for SME and enterprise customers, working through the messy parts with founding teams and leadership by helping to set direction, manage pivots, grow teams and turn ideas into working products. I know how to get to the bottom of complex ideas and turn them into something customers, teams and investors can relate to.
Now I work directly with founders and leadership teams who need a product team yesterday. I find where strategy breaks and turn it into ROI the whole team can get behind.
Off the clock: been deep in the no-code game since 2020, now into everything AI. If I'm not working, I'm most likely testing a new tool or vibe coding a new idea.
Based in Ghent, Belgium, and always up for a coffee at Wintercircus. Let's talk about products, teams, AI and the stuff nobody talks about out loud.
My motto: Your success is my success.
Product leadership & strategY
Product-market fit alone doesn't guarantee the next phase of product growth.
7 out of 10 scale-ups eventually slow down. Growth stalls not because people aren't talented, but because the system around the product is misaligned.
Why now
Your product moves fast. Can your team keep up?
AI is changing how products get built, but it's not solving how teams work together. The bottleneck isn't speed anymore, it's knowing what to build, for whom and getting product, engineering and commercial aligned on it.
Product-market fit got you here, but it doesn't get you to the next stage.
What worked with 5 people breaks at 20 when you add complexity of new markets, enterprise customers or a second product line.
AI is changing how products are built. Product-market fit isn’t something you find once, you need to go through multiple cycles to keep your market share.
The cost of misalignment multiplies.
Every quarter without clear product direction is a quarter where engineering builds the wrong thing, sales sells what doesn't exist and the roadmap resets again.
Experienced team members are hard to find.
And expensive to hire full-time. Especially for the 6-12 month window where you need someone to untangle things, not a permanent Head of Product.
What I do
Product leadership: from product strategy to execution.
I embed with leadership to find where product alignment breaks, so we can pull everything that is product together, and make sure product strategy, positioning and go-to-market is moving in the same direction. I also mentor product managers, while working shoulder to shoulder with engineering, revenue and creative teams.
Product strategy & direction.
Product leadership, defining product vision, goals & north star metrics; aligning product direction with engineering & commercial teams; turning strategy into clear roadmaps; prioritisation & focus (deciding what not to build next); market & user research; product-market fit validation.
Product story.
Clarifying how the product is positioned in the market; shaping the product narrative for customers, internal teams & investors; groundwork for product marketing & messaging.
Product experience.
Simplifying user journeys & flows; structuring products for clarity & scalability; UX audits & AI prototyping.
Who I work with
Embedded, not outsourced
I work with startups and scale-ups who need both product leadership and hands-on execution.
Startups & scale-ups ready to align product, engineering and commercial for the next phase of growth.
The team is in place, the traction is there, but now it's about getting everyone pulling in the same direction.
Leadership teams navigating a growth transition.
What got you from 0 to 10 people isn't working at 20. The product org needs to mature without slowing everything down.
Companies building a product function for the first time.
There are engineers, a CEO or sales shaping the product, but no one fully owning product direction yet. I fill that gap and help with getting the right team together.
Companies thinking about ROI.
The ROI isn't about having a process. It's about engineering building the right things fast, the product story being clear internally and externally and founding team getting time back to focus on the areas where only they can add value.
Testimonials
They figured it out first
Teams I work(ed) with
From scale-ups developing new products to startups finding their PMF.
Get started
Start with a free product intro session.
Let's talk over a video call or at Wintercircus in Ghent with a coffee. We'll have a straight conversation about what's blocking your next 90 days of product growth and discuss how to fix it.
My Rates
How we can work together
1.
Product clarity sprint, €1,600-2,400 excl. VAT.
2–3 days, depending on the size of your team and the scope we define in advance.
You get a clear picture of where the misalignment is, what to prioritise and concrete next steps.
This isn't a surface level audit. I talk to your key people, look at your product, positioning, market, process and team alignment to surface where the problems are and what to do about them. Most clients use this as a starting point to decide if and how we keep working together.
2.
Embedded into your team. Custom rate, lets talk.
2–5 days per week, long term commitment depending on what your needs are + my availability.
I work alongside your team as your Product Leader and Strategic Partner.
I pull everything that is product together. From product vision, roadmap, positioning and go-to-market to UX, USPs, user personas and market segmentation. I also make sure all these elements actually move in the same direction. This is for teams who need ongoing clarity and embedded product ownership, not a one-off deliverable.
3.
Are you early-stage? Discounts apply.
Let's figure it out together.
Are you're pre-revenue or early in your growth?
I offer flexible pricing for early-stage companies with brilliant product ideas. I'd rather work with the right team at the right moment than let budget be the blocker. Reach out and we'll find something that works (email me for more info at edita@thisisnewnorth.com or let's meet at Wintercircus in Ghent with a coffee or lunch).
FAQs
Questions I get asked the most
What does a product lead actually do?
I own the product direction. That means figuring out what to build, for whom, and in what order. Then making sure engineering, sales and leadership are aligned on it. I also handle positioning, prioritisation, research, analytics and mentoring product managers if you have them.
Why would I need a product lead?
If your roadmap resets every quarter, engineering and sales aren't aligned, product doesn't solve what it should or you're the bottleneck on every product decision – that's usually the sign. Nobody's doing anything wrong, there's just no one connecting the dots between teams.
When is the right time to bring a product lead in?
Usually between 10 and 50 people. You've got traction and a team, but product decisions are getting harder and nobody fully owns them.
How does my role as a founder change?
You stop being pulled into every product decision and get time back for fundraising, partnerships, hiring and long-term strategy. You set the vision and make the big calls. I make sure the product execution follows.
How is this different from hiring a full-time Head of Product?
No 6-month recruitment process, no onboarding ramp, no risk of a senior bad hire. You get someone who's done this across multiple companies and can start within weeks.
How is this different from hiring a full-time Product Manager?
A PM handles execution: coordinating with engineering, managing delivery, making sure things ship. A product lead sets the direction: what are we building, for whom, and why this and not something else.
If your PM is great at execution but your team still argues about priorities every quarter, you don't need another PM. You need someone to set the direction they can execute on.
What if we already have a Product Manager?
Then they probably need a strategic sparring partner, not a replacement. I handle direction-setting and stakeholder alignment while mentoring Product Managers.
Will you be as committed as a full-time hire?
Yes. My reputation depends on every single engagement. If your product doesn't move forward, that's on me. I also bring the advantage of having done this across multiple companies, so I'm not learning on your time.
How many days per week do you recommend?
Three. That gives enough room for strategic work, hands-on execution, and being present with the team. Less than that and you lose continuity. More than that and you're probably paying for time that doesn't need a product lead.
How long does an engagement usually last?
Embedded engagements usually run minimum 3-6 months, and some become permanent. We figure out the right setup together.
Product leadership & strategy for B2B startups and scale-ups who need a product team yesterday. I find where strategy breaks and turn it into ROI the whole team can get behind.
New North BV
BE 1025.547.940
9050 Ghent
Belgium