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Nice to meet you!

Kevin De Silva

Product Transformation | Agile Leadership | Scaling Digital Tech

Listen. Create space. Interactively break down conflicts and complex content to the essentials. Deliver impact.

Kevin De Silva
OTTO Group Agile Center
share
EXIN Agile Foundation
OTTO
shine
Product Manifest
BonPrix
Hermes
Lascana
Business Trends Academy Berlin
Lascana
ucm.agency
About me

What do others say?

First things first: Let’s establish a little trust and get you a feeling of „who I am“.
Hence, before we dive into topics like „What’s my work about?“ we start with „What are my values?“.

And who’s better to review that, then those people I actually worked with?

Katrin Behrens - CEO of OSP

“Especially in large transformation programs, Mr. De Silva succeeds in taking people with him on the path and building confidence and trust even in uncertain times. He has an excellent methodical knowledge of change processes with focus on Product Transformation but is also extremely skilled in facilitating and bringing any kind of transformation projects to success.”

Katrin Behrens, CEO at OSP (Otto Group Solution Provider)

“…mostly, I’ve enjoyed his ownership. To really take something on, shape it, create it, try it, change it, improve it, and own it. A full 100%. It is a display of responsibility that makes customers happy, and businesses go forward. Without asking. It just happens. And you’d be happy to give Kevin the freedom to make a sustainable impact. He is a guy to blindly rely on.”

Paul van Weerdenburg, Head of Product Development at Eigensonne
Paul van Weerdenburg, Head of Product Development at Eigensonne

“…mostly, I’ve enjoyed his ownership. To really take something on, shape it, create it, try it, change it, improve it, and own it. A full 100%. It is a display of responsibility that makes customers happy, and businesses go forward. Without asking. It just happens. And you’d be happy to give Kevin the freedom to make a sustainable impact. He is a guy to blindly rely on.”

Paul van Weerdenburg, Head of Product Development at Eigensonne
A Personal Intro
Kevin De Silva, Founder Product Manifest

What do I say?

Current events show us we live in a fragile construct. Economically and socially. Introducing value-focused processes and smart organizational structure is a way to prepare companies for the dynamics and unpredictability of the market and motivate teams to perform at their best.

As an organizational developer, engineer, mediator & experienced lead product manager, my focus revolves around cultivating product-driven companies at various stages of development, whether they’re just starting out or already well-progressed. In this capacity, I work closely with the core leadership team to position the tech department at the heart of the company, emphasizing communication, collaboration, and self-organization. Central to my approach is empowering individuals to become self-sufficient, with the ultimate goal of rendering my own role obsolete in the long run.

MY Guiding Principles

With a foundation built on diverse experiences in product management, leadership and organisational development I’ve encountered and faced various challenges. These experiences have equipped me with a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of significant organizational changes and underscored the powerful influence of the right principles from the start.

I. Rooted in Purpose:  Our Responsibility

My journey embodies a simple belief – businesses can and should be a force for good. I’ve seen the ripple effect of responsible practices, not just within organizations but echoing in the world around us through its people.

II. Balancing People and Profits

While my focus is on people-centric transformations, I hold a steadfast belief that economic growth remains at the core of a company’s success. It’s an equilibrium where people thrive, and the business prospers.

III. Technology as the Driver for Change

In a world where new innovations are taking hold, technology is the undisputed driver of change. Especially with the rise of artificial intelligence, we need to understand the crucial role that technology plays.

Current Challenges & Desired Future

Do we match?

Let’s face it: Choosing the right people for a big transformational change at an organization is not an easy task. A lot of uncertainties, missing parameters to take a satisfying decision, and the jungle of offers and solutions which needs to be rated and understood are just a few of the obstacles on your way.

To check if your organzation and me are a good match just run through the two following sections and see how many checkmarks (✓) you can set.

 

1. Challenges: Can you relate?

I think we agree: Challenges need to be tackled. If you identify with one or more of these core challenges at your company, chances are high we will be a pretty good match.

And now cross your heart: Which of the listed challenge(s) exist in your company?

Product Strategy

We do not speak a uniform language in product management. In many areas, there are initial approaches to create product standards, but there is no overarching mandate.

Product Vision

There is a lack of a unified understanding of the customer. Users mistakenly take on this role and prevent a strong customer orientation in the product team.

Team Objectives

New areas of knowledge are developing. However, since knowledge is not centralized the overall confusion increases and results in a lack of clear orientation to choose reasonable inititatives.

Empowered Teams

Product managers are concerned with product issues but there is no area of competence to which they can turn. The command & control style limits their potential to think out-of-the-box.

The Role of Technology

Tech teams are disconnected from the needs of the real customer and Stakeholders have no trust in tech teams.

Overall tech is viewed as a necessary cost and exist to serve the business.

Staffing

There’s a lack of resources and existing product people are not able to develop the necessary product-specific skills in order to work successfully in products.

Team Topology

Teams work in dependencies that often do pursue a top-down output instead of a reasonable outcome. The product cuts do not allow end-to-end-ownership, so teams cannot act independently towards the customer.

Business vs. IT

Our hybrid organisation of classic organisational structure and interdisciplinary product teams reinforces the separation of business and IT, so that not all the people needed for the solution are part of the product team.

Leadership & Coaching

We do not think and act in a product-oriented way across all leadership levels. The effective cooperation of leadership roles and their duty to empower people doesn’t take place. We feel politics between our rows and daily task are often accomplish through command & control.

Product Strategy

We do not speak a uniform language in product management. In many areas, there are initial approaches to create product standards, but there is no overarching mandate.

Product Vision

There is a lack of a unified understanding of the customer. Users mistakenly take on this role and prevent a strong customer orientation in the product team.

Team Objectives

New areas of knowledge are developing. However, since knowledge is not centralized the overall confusion increases and results in a lack of clear orientation to choose reasonable inititatives.

Empowered Teams

Product managers are concerned with product issues but there is no area of competence to which they can turn. The command & control style limits their potential to think out-of-the-box.

The Role of Technology

Tech teams are disconnected from the needs of the real customer and Stakeholders have no trust in tech teams.

Overall tech is viewed as a necessary cost and exist to serve the business.

Staffing

There’s a lack of resources and existing product people are not able to develop the necessary product-specific skills in order to work successfully in products.

Team Topology

Teams work in dependencies (Tertial Planning) that often do pursue a top-down output instead of a reasonable outcome. The product cuts do not allow end-to-end-ownership, so teams cannot act independently towards the customer.

Business vs. IT

Our hybrid organisation of classic organisational structure and interdisciplinary product teams reinforces the separation of business and IT, so that not all the people needed for the solution are part of the product team.

Leadership & Coaching

We do not think and act in a product-oriented way across all leadership levels. The effective cooperation of leadership roles and their duty to empower people doesn’t take place. We feel politics between our rows and daily task are often accomplish through command & control.

2. Future: What change do you want?

Even though there’s a clear need of transforming and changing the company in a radical way, it’s often not easy to understand what exactly we desire. „Who, what and where do we want to be after the transformation?“
Below you find a guidance which may help you Let me guide you on how to create your own pillars of a great fundament to build an adaptable value-oriented organization.

Product Strategy

The first priority of our actions is to create added value for our customers. The actions of each individual are focused on the customer at all times.

Product Vision

We have a uniform product understanding regardless of our home in the organisation.

Team Objectives

A product team not only knows its own product, but understands it as an important component of a complex product landscape.

Empowered Teams

Responsibility for a defined product lies within the respective product team. The organisation trusts each product team to act and decide in the best interest of its own product.

The Role of Technology

We think tech beyond boundaries.

Tech is the core of our business and by exploring innovative approaches and constantly develop ourselves we keep our finger on the pulse at all times.

Staffing

We have established roles that continuously drive the creation of customer value. Product leaders are responsible for staffing the product teams – sourcing, interviewing, recruiting, onboarding, evaluating, promoting and (if necessary) replacing.

Team Topology

Our product landscape is aligned with the value stream. The product cuts are transparent and comprehensible.

Business vs. IT

A product team consists of all the people it needs to solve the problem (crossfuntional: business, IT, design & data analyst).

Leadership & Coaching

Managers & leaders understand the necessity of empowering people and strengthen their skills to enable them reaching their full potential. They take responsibility for making their employees better without taking credit for their accomplishments.

Product Strategy

The first priority of our actions is to create added value for our customers. The actions of each individual are focused on the customer at all times.

Product Vision

We have a uniform product understanding regardless of our home in the organisation.

Team Objectives

A product team not only knows its own product, but understands it as an important component of a complex product landscape.

Empowered Teams

Responsibility for a defined product lies within the respective product team. The organisation trusts each product team to act and decide in the best interest of its own product.

The Role of Technology

We think tech beyond boundaries.

Tech is the core of our business and by exploring innovative approaches and constantly develop ourselves we keep our finger on the pulse at all times.

Staffing

We have established roles that continuously drive the creation of customer value. Product leaders are responsible for staffing the product teams – sourcing, interviewing, recruiting, onboarding, evaluating, promoting and (if necessary) replacing.

Team Topology

Our product landscape is aligned with the value stream. The product cuts are transparent and comprehensible.

Business vs. IT

A product team consists of all the people it needs to solve the problem (crossfuntional: business, IT, design & data analyst).

Leadership & Coaching

Managers & leaders understand the necessity of empowering people and strengthen their skills to enable them reaching their full potential. They take responsibility for making their employees better without taking credit for their accomplishments.

Working together

How Do I work?

CELL is a transformative framework I designed to guide organizations through dynamic and iterative change. Drawing inspiration from the natural process of cell division, CELL is based on the essence of (scaled) agile frameworks and encapsulates four key stages: Connect, Enable, Listen, and Loop.

1. Connect (CELL Framework Organisational Development by Kevin De Silva)

1. Connect

Connect the right people to create awareness for the challenges.

2. Enable

Set up and enable the environment for the desired change.

3. Listen

Listen and track through metrics how the change is evolving.

4. Loop

Transfer knowledge and loop into a next iteration. („Cell Division“)

You need individual trainings & Coachings?

If you are looking for individual trainings or coaching to fill gaps in your company take a look at the topics listed on my company webpage or LinkedIn and check if they resonate. Here’s the link: Product Manifest

Contact

Let’s have a chat and embark on this common journey.