WHOLE PRODUCT BRAIN
Use THINK, LEAD, and BUILD
PRODUCT EXECUTIVE / CPO / BUILDER
I TURN
MESSY THINGS
INTO PRODUCTS
PEOPLE RELY ON.
01Make the problem smaller before making the solution bigger.
START HERE ↗
00:00:00 / MACHINE AWAKEFEED THE MACHINE ↓
01
INTERACTIVE PRODUCT APPARATUS
PUT SOMETHING
MESSY IN.
Results may contain products.A / INPUT HOPPER
Select at least one ingredient. In real life, all four are recommended.
QUICK RECIPE BOOKNO RANDOM OUTPUTS
EMPTY HOPPER22% PRODUCT / 78% USEFUL CHAOS
B / PRODUCT CORE
RUNS COMPLETED000STATUSREADY
C / SHIPPED OUTPUT
OUTPUT SLOT?
NOTHING SHIPPED YET
Complete steps 1–3. The machine will reveal a real piece of David’s product work here.
FOLLOW THE MAIN QUEST ↑PLAYGROUND PROGRESSQUESTS,
QUESTS,
NOT CHECKBOXES.
The more you play, the more of David’s product story you uncover. Progress stays on this device because even pretend gamification deserves a privacy position.
MAIN QUEST REWARD
PRODUCT PATHFINDER
For successfully moving one messy thing all the way to a real shipped output.
1/3
MAXIMUM USEFUL CHAOS
Ship with all four ingredients
PORTFOLIO TOURIST
Discover all four real outputs
REPEAT SHIPPER
Run the machine five times
SCOPE TAMER
Beat the unlocked 3D bonus level
COLLECTIBLE PRODUCT LORE1 / 4 UNLOCKED
THE ORIGIN STORY
David started close to the work—in QA and product management—before growing into a portfolio-level product executive.
??? LOCKED INSIGHT
Earn 150 more XP to reveal this part of the operator manual.
??? LOCKED INSIGHT
Earn 300 more XP to reveal this part of the operator manual.
??? LOCKED INSIGHT
Earn 450 more XP to reveal this part of the operator manual.
BONUS LEVEL / LOCKEDSCOPE
SCOPE
CREEP 3D
Ship before the backlog ships you. Navigate the product labyrinth and remove five rogue requirements from the sprint.
WASD / ARROWS TO MOVESPACE / CLICK TO FIRE5 TARGETS TO SHIP
COMPLETE THE MAIN QUEST TO UNLOCK ↑SCOPE CREEP 3D0/5
🔒PRODUCT PATHFINDER
BADGE REQUIRED
BADGE REQUIRED
02
MEET THE OPERATOR
CHIEF PRODUCT
OFFICER.
CHIEF PRODUCT
MAKER.
ACTUALHUMAN
“Strategy only matters when teams execute.”
David Obert leads product organizations with a simple mandate: build products customers rely on, and build teams that know exactly why the work matters.
His path runs from QA and product management to Chief Product Officer—twenty years spent close to complex workflows, enterprise platforms, insurance, restoration, and the people doing difficult work inside them.
He still ships consumer apps and websites on the side because making things is how product judgment stays honest.
OPEN THE FULL OPERATOR MANUAL ↗20+YEARS IN PRODUCT
15+PRODUCT PORTFOLIO
100K+CUSTOMERS SERVED
2APP STORE SIDE QUESTS
03
THE OPERATING PRINCIPLES
HOW THE MACHINE
DOESN’T BREAK.
START WITH THE WORK.
Real workflows are smarter than imaginary users. Go where the decisions are actually made.
CONTEXT, THEN AUTONOMY.
Strong teams move faster when they understand the system—not just the ticket.
MAKE IT LEGIBLE.
Complexity can be necessary. Confusion is a design choice.
KEEP BUILDING.
Leadership is not an exemption from curiosity, craft, or getting your hands dirty.
PRODUCT MACHINE ACCEPTS NEW INPUT