We’re starting a brand-new product at Ikigai. Nothing exists yet — no legacy code, no bloated processes. You’ll be the founding Product Manager, shaping what we build, how we build it, and how we take it to market.
This is not a “manage the backlog” job. You’ll be working directly with the founder, 3 high-agency engineers, and 1 designer to take an idea from a blank page to paying customers.
What You’ll Do
- Turn early ideas into real products — from concept to launch.
- Talk to users, find their pain points, and design solutions.
- Write clear, no-fluff specs and wireframes.
- Work closely with 3 engineers and 1 designer to ship fast.
- Balance short-term wins with a long-term product vision.
- Own the go-to-market plan — landing pages, campaigns, early customer acquisition.
- Measure what’s working, kill what’s not, and iterate.
What Makes This Different
- Mindset over résumé — we care more about what you can do than how many years you’ve done it.
- You have real authority — you’re not just executing someone else’s backlog.
- You’re in the room where decisions happen — directly with the founder.
- You’ll ship weekly — every Friday, we demo progress.
- You’ll see impact immediately — what you build will be in customers’ hands within days or weeks.
You Might Be a Fit If You
- Can move from idea to live without getting stuck.
- Switch easily between strategy and hands-on work.
- Have technical curiosity — you don’t code daily, but you understand trade-offs and can push back when “no” doesn’t make sense.
- Care about good taste in product design and UX — you notice the details.
- Are action-oriented — you’d rather ship and iterate than wait for perfect.
- Can own both product and GTM in the early days.
Your First 4 Months
- Ship an MVP
- Launch GTM
- Bring in 50 paying customers
Why You’ll Love It Here
- You’ll build without bureaucracy
- You’ll have ownership from Day 1
- You’ll be surrounded by people who care deeply about what they make
- You’ll leave your mark on the product, the team, and the culture
Interview Process
We keep it quick and practical — most candidates complete the process in under 10 days.
- Application + Short Challenge
- Send the three short answers listed in “How to Apply”. This lets us see how you think and work before a call.
- Founder Intro Call (45 min)
- A conversation with the founder to go through your answers, mindset, and why this role excites you.
- Working Session (2–3 hours, remote, flexible timing)
- A small, relevant product exercise to understand how you approach problems, make trade-offs, and communicate decisions. You can do this in your own time within 48 hours.
- Final Call (30–45 min)
- Review your working session, answer questions, and discuss next steps.