Hi, I’m Shuba Swaminathan. I’m a product and leadership advisor based in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’ve spent 20+ years as a VP, GM, and product leader, and before that, I co-invented the USB thumb drive and earned 17 patents as a systems engineer at Micron Technology.
I write about strategic product thinking for leaders in resource-constrained environments where every decision needs to serve multiple objectives and you can’t just “throw resources at it.”
My focus is helping product and engineering leaders develop three strategic capabilities:
PATTERN RECOGNITION Seeing opportunities where adjacent pieces fit together (technology capabilities, customer behaviors, business constraints) into solutions that create cascading value.
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION Translating product intuition into executive-ready strategy. Getting buy-in by framing complexity in ways that help stakeholders understand why it matters.
AI-AUGMENTED THINKING Using AI as a strategic thought partner for brainstorming, synthesis, pattern matching, and refining communication before high-stakes moments.
MY BACKGROUND
I’ve led companies through critical strategic inflection points:
Building unified platforms from fragmented products (Telenav)
Adding enterprise capabilities to developer platforms (Mapbox)
Enabling self-serve growth in enterprise businesses (Vonage)
Before that, I co-invented the USB thumb drive and earned 17 patents as a systems engineer at Micron Technology.
I now advise product and engineering leaders through Product Unblocked and teach AI + Business Communication at Diablo Valley College.
WHAT YOU’LL FIND HERE
Strategic frameworks for navigating the “messy middle”
Real examples from my leadership experience
How to use AI for strategic thinking (not just productivity)
Communication patterns that get executive buy-in
Lessons from platform transitions and GTM pivots
Perfect for Directors, VPs, Heads of Product, Engineering Leaders, and GMs who need to maximize impact without unlimited resources.
WORK WITH ME
I work with 2-3 clients at a time on advisory, consulting, and coaching engagements. Interested in working together? Email: shuba@productunblocked.com
