Anthony Austin

Senior Product Leader · Florida

"Get closer than ever to your customers. So close that you tell them what they need before they realize it." — Steve Jobs

AI-builder, entrepreneur & product leader with over fifteen years in creating products that solve important problems.

I lead product teams through the full arc — vision, strategy, continuous discovery and delivery.

CEO · HearLoom Enabling families to co-create personalized AI stories with custom characters and voice clones.

Director of PM · Nexxen Rebuilt an adtech DSP from the ground up and embedded agentic AI into workflows.

Lead PM · Plex Systems Led UX & globalization across a manufacturing ERP, helping drive a $2.2B acquisition.

Founding PM · TribeHR Built the product function from scratch. Grew revenue 500% to an acquisition by NetSuite within 18 months.

Product Architect & Full-Stack Dev · HearLoom (AI Storytelling) Director of Product Management · Nexxen Formerly: Plex Systems · TribeHR · NetSuite

30×valuation increase at Plex ($2.2B exit)

500%revenue growth at TribeHR (acquired by NetSuite)

+25NPS points from Nexxen DSP redesign

20,000screens redesigned across 35 Plex modules

About

Hands-on. Entrepreneurial. AI-forward.

I build product value from the ground up — across products and culture. I translate complex ideas into narratives that move stakeholders to action, and complex workflows into intuitive experiences customers actually adopt.

Three things are true across every role I've held: I listen to customers carefully and often, I ship through small iterative bets, and I leave the teams stronger than I found them.

2026 — Present

HearLoom: AI-powered storytelling for multi-generational connection.

ProjectHearLoom Storytime — AI Storytelling Platform

RoleCEO · Product Architect & Full-Stack Developer

Tech StackFastAPI · Next.js · MongoDB · AWS S3

The vision

Enable families to co-create personalized AI stories with custom characters and voices. Bridge the gap between grandparents and grandchildren through storytelling that feels personal, authentic, and deeply connected.

The stack

A full-stack AI application built from first principles. FastAPI backend with serverless orchestration, Next.js frontend with real-time state management, MongoDB for flexible schema, and multi-model AI integration (OpenRouter LLMs, DALL-E image generation, Fish Audio for voice).

Desktop

Mobile

Core features shipped

Character creation with AI-generated personalized images via DALL-E
Story generation and refinement using OpenRouter LLMs with custom system prompts
Multi-language, multi-voice text-to-speech via Fish Audio
Real-time audio streaming and playback with progress tracking
JWT-based authentication with Google OAuth integration
Email sharing via Resend, SMS via Twilio, and social sharing
Admin dashboard for monitoring usage, errors, and cost tracking
Comprehensive error tracking and alerting pipeline

Technical highlights

Scalable backend architecture with async/await patterns for high concurrency
Multi-model AI orchestration with cost and latency optimization
Real-time job scheduling for async tasks (APScheduler, Redis-backed)
S3-based CDN delivery for audio and image assets at scale
Event-driven cost tracking and usage analytics
Comprehensive API design with OpenAPI documentation
Database optimization for fast querying across users, stories, and characters

Previous Product Leadership

Three products. Three turning points.

Case study 01 · 2022 — 2026

Rebuilding a demand-side platform, AI-first.

CompanyNexxen Inc. ($365M ARR)

RoleDirector, Product Management — DSP Apps & UX

Outcome+25 points NPS · reduced campaign optimization time

The problem

Nexxen's DSP had grown through acquisition. Inconsistent patterns, visual clutter, and fragmented workflows across 200+ screens meant every part of the platform looked and behaved differently, campaign optimization was slow, and QA consumed hours that should've taken minutes. Customers noticed.

The approach

Built and trained the PM team, defined the DSP vision end-to-end, and ran a multi-year redesign on Vuetify components. Embedded agentic AI directly into campaign setup, QA, and troubleshooting — not as a bolt-on, but as a first-class part of the workflow.

Nexxen New UI product vision and objectives — The product vision that drove the redesign — AI-powered, efficient, and built around campaign performance.

Embedded agentic AI capabilities directly into user workflows to enhance QA checking and troubleshooting efficiency.

Nexxen DSP before redesign — Before — the legacy DSP UI, inconsistent and difficult to navigate.

Nexxen DSP after redesign — After — a unified, AI-powered DSP built for speed and clarity.

Flyout panels in action — edit, analytics, audit log, and bid exclusions in a single context-preserving surface.

New pacing columns — delivery projections at a glance.

Comparative view — compare tactic performance across advertisers in one flat view.

What shipped

New pacing and projection visualizations for in-table decision-making
Flat View to compare tactic performance across advertisers
AI-powered analytics and deal troubleshooting, embedded in context
Redesign of whole layout and workflows

What I led

Built the PM organization and defined vision, strategy, and roadmap
Installed Design Thinking and Agile across three distributed teams
Deployed Lovable.ai, Pendo, Jira, Coda, Confluence as the working stack
Ran the program from concept → MVP → go-to-market

Nexxen AI Assistant – Troubleshooting — AI Assistant troubleshooting — diagnosing campaign delivery issues in context.

Nexxen AI Assistant – Workflow — AI Assistant embedded in the DSP workflow — intelligent guidance at every step.

Case study 02 · 2014 — 2022

From flat 2012 UI to a Smart Manufacturing Platform.

CompanyPlex Systems — Manufacturing ERP

RoleLead PM, Platform Globalization, Product Analytics & UX

Outcome30× valuation · $2.2B exit · 35 modules · 20,000 screens

The problem

Plex's ERP was originally designed by customers. The platform had no unified design standards, no rapid prototyping, and no systematic customer empathy. Complexity drove down NPS; training costs were climbing. Leadership knew it, but the path forward wasn't obvious.

The approach

Built a six-person UX team, introduced Design Thinking and Jobs-to-be-Done as operating practices, and led end-to-end redesign across 35 modules. Accelerated customer insight by 40% and cut feedback cycles from four weeks to one.

What I installed

A unified Design System and workflow guidelines
Product and Design bootcamps for onboarding
OKR-based execution discipline across the team
Gainsight PX analytics and Customer Advisory Boards

Anthony Austin champions things about which I feel passionately — and with surprising success considering how difficult it is to morph UX at the platform level.
— Plex internal feedback, 2020

Anthony worked for me for several years during my time as Head of Product at Plex Systems. His leadership and passion resulted in a true cultural shift within the engineering function at Plex.
— Head of Product, Plex Systems

Plex checksheets on desktop and mobile — Checksheets — quality inspection on any device, on the floor.

Plex Knowledge Center — Knowledge Center — in-product contextual help across all ERP modules.

Plex Developer Portal API documentation — Developer Portal — REST APIs enabling third-party integrations at scale.

Industrial IoT expansion

Partnered with engineering to launch five new IIoT modules in 10 months. Measured outcomes through OEE, product quality, throughput, and machine downtime. The work opened new smart-manufacturing verticals and geographies.

Plex IIoT asset dashboard with live sensor data and scheduling — The IIoT Asset Dashboard — live sensor data, OEE tracking, and workcenter scheduling in one view. Five modules shipped in 10 months.

Case study 03 · 2012 — 2014

500% growth, then acquired by NetSuite.

CompanyTribeHR — Social HR platform

RoleDirector & Principal, HCM Product Management

Outcome500% revenue growth in 18 months · acquired by NetSuite/Oracle

The mandate

A self-service HR product searching for product-market fit. I led redefinition of positioning, pricing, and product-led growth tactics, then rebuilt product, UX, and QA from scratch — ten direct reports inside eighteen months.

Responsible for ARR, Churn, Sign-up rate, Engagement and Customer Satisfaction.

What I brought in

Rigorous A/B testing on acquisition and retention. Social engagement and gamification woven through the product experience. Build-partner-buy analysis for strategic integrations. And a design language that felt human — in a category full of spreadsheets.

The TribeHR dashboard — personal, social, and scannable. Unusual for HR software in 2013.

Employee profile with kudos feed.

TribeHR job posting detail — ATS / job posting detail.

TribeHR performance review form — Performance review flow.

How I work

Design Thinking, in action.

Not just a framework but a philosophy and disciplined practice. Empathy interviews, contextual enquiry, research-based personas, journey mapping, and validated prototypes. Applied across adtech, manufacturing ERP, and HCM.

Design Thinking framework: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test

Empathy interviews and shadowing in the field — Empathy interviews & shadowing — 50+ per PM per year, on-site at customer facilities.

Contextual enquiry methodology — Contextual enquiry — talk about their job, not your ideas. Own the problem; let them own the solution.

User and buyer persona creation — Research-based personas — built from field interviews, not assumptions.

User journey mapping — Journey mapping — identifying friction points and moments that matter.

Validating user journeys through product analytics — Product tracking — validating journeys with behavioural data, not just attitudinal research.

Design validation focus groups with 300 volunteer users — Design validation — 300 volunteer users, 100 sessions a year. Dev, Design, Sales, and Execs in the room.

Empathy mapping and shared learnings across teams — Shared learnings — synthesis sessions that turn raw interview data into problem statements the whole team owns.

Resume

Anthony Austin

Senior Product Leader · Jacksonville, FL

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Summary

Entrepreneurial, hands-on software product leader with 10+ years of experience scaling product organizations and driving business transformation at fast-growing startups and PE-backed ventures. Known for building value from the ground up — across products and culture. Translates complex ideas into clear, compelling narratives that move stakeholders to action. Skilled in defining product vision, strategy and roadmaps, embedding AI-driven capabilities, and translating complex workflows into intuitive, high-adoption user experiences.

Competencies

Customer-Centric Discovery
Design Thinking & Jobs-to-be-Done
Full-Stack Development (FastAPI, Next.js, MongoDB)
Multi-Model AI Orchestration & LLM Integration
Agentic AI & AI Product Architecture
Real-time Systems & Async Architecture
Vibe-coding: Cursor, Lovable.ai, Claude Code, OpenAI, Gemini
Agile & Iterative Delivery
GTM Planning & Product Operations
Cross-Functional Leadership
Market & Competitive Analysis

Experience

CEO · Product Architect & Full-Stack Developer

HearLoom Storytime — AI Storytelling Platform

Jun 2024 – Present

Architected and built a full-stack AI storytelling platform from first principles using FastAPI, Next.js, MongoDB, and AWS S3.
Integrated multi-model AI orchestration: OpenRouter LLMs for story generation, DALL-E for character images, Fish Audio for voice synthesis across multiple languages.
Implemented real-time audio streaming, JWT authentication with Google OAuth, and transactional email via Resend and SMS via Twilio.
Built admin dashboard, event-driven cost tracking, comprehensive error logging, and monitoring for a full-featured AI application.

Director of Product Management, DSP Apps & User Experience

Nexxen Inc. — Programmatic Advertising Platform

Jan 2022 – Present

Built high-performing PM team; defined the Apps & UX Product Vision, Strategy, and Tactics to build a world-class DSP from the ground up — from initial concept through MVP to go-to-market launch.
Led multi-year DSP platform UI and workflow redesign integrating adaptive Vuetify components and automated user guidance. Reduced campaign optimization time and elevated NPS by 25 points. Embedded agentic AI capabilities into user workflows to enhance QA checking and troubleshooting efficiency.
Established Design Thinking and Agile practices across three distributed teams. Deployed AI vibe-coding toolsets including Lovable.ai for rapid prototyping, Pendo for in-product analytics, and usability studies.
Drove systematic product simplification through rigorous user journey analysis and workflow optimization, eliminating redundant interactions and improving task completion efficiency.

Lead PM, Platform Globalization, Product Analytics & UX

Plex Systems — Manufacturing ERP

Dec 2016 – Jan 2022

Company sold for $2.2B; valuation increased 30× during tenure.
Recruited and coached a team of six PMs, UX designers, and analysts. Accelerated customer insight by 40% and cut feedback cycles from four weeks to one through Design Thinking, JTBD, and Lean Startup frameworks.
Led platform-wide UX transformation — end-to-end redesign of 35 modules and 20,000 screens. Implemented a unified Design System that decreased average task completion times by 15%.
Pioneered IIoT product expansion: launched 5 new modules in 10 months, delivering measurable improvements in OEE, product quality, throughput, and machine downtime.

Senior Product Manager, HCM

Plex Systems — Manufacturing ERP

Sep 2014 – Dec 2016

Managed HCM product strategy within the Plex ERP platform, overseeing enhancements to HRIS, ATS, Performance Management, and Time Tracking modules.

Founding Product Director, HCM Product Management

NetSuite | TribeHR — HR Platform

Dec 2012 – Sep 2014

500% revenue growth over 18 months; contributed to successful acquisition by NetSuite/Oracle.
Directed product vision, strategy, and roadmap. Built product, UX, and QA organizations from the ground up — team of 10 direct reports.
Redefined GTM strategy including product-market fit, positioning, pricing, and PLG tactics. Implemented A/B testing to optimise customer acquisition and retention.
Recruited and trained a team of 10 personnel: Rigorous A/B testing on acquisition and retention. Social engagement and gamification woven through the product experience. Build-partner-buy analysis for strategic integrations. And a design language that felt human — in a category full of spreadsheets.

Senior Product Manager, Strategy and Development

Canada Post Corporation Digital Group

Sep 2008 – Dec 2012

Launched a self-service encrypted cloud storage and collaboration platform as Lead PM within Canada Post's Digital Group.
Developed and launched the epost mobile app — #2 most downloaded app in iTunes Canada.
Pioneered Agile transformation at Canada Post, delivering over $1M in measurable savings. Initiative became company-wide standard methodology.

Education

MBA, Master of Business Administration (Distinction)

Warwick Business School, UK — Strategy, Statistical Methods

BEng, Energy Engineering & Computer Science (Honors)

University of Leeds, UK

Certifications

AI Product Management Bootcamp — Maven/Google (2026)
Agentic AI Engineering Bootcamp — Maven/Google (2026)
AI Evals — Maven/Google (2026)
Mastering Design Thinking Diploma — MIT
UX Master Certification — Nielsen Norman Group
Certified Scrum Master & Product Owner
Product Management, Requirements, Marketing & Launch — Pragmatic Marketing