Senior Product Manager/VP of Product
Wordware (YC S24), San Francisco, California, United States, 94199
Please read first****
Make sure to apply quickly in order to maximise your chances of being considered for an interview Read the complete job description below. This is a full-time, in-person role based in San Francisco (Presidio) – we work from the office 5 days a week.
You must be based in the Bay Area or willing to relocate before starting.
We require US work authorisation, but are open to O-1 visa sponsorship for truly exceptional candidates.
About Sauna Set-Up Sauna (formerly Wordware) is building an AI assistant that integrates with all user data sources. We’re a 15-person team shipping fast, iterating with users, and racing toward product-market fit. We operate in small, autonomous two-to-three person teams (PM Designer, PM Engineer, Designer Engineer) where each project has clear ownership, resources, and timeline—then we get out of the way.
The Role This is a founding-team-level product role that exists on a spectrum between pure product vision and operational execution. We’re looking for someone who can flex across both dimensions based on what the company needs most.
On one end of the spectrum:
You’re defining product strategy, working directly with founders on feature prioritization, creating dopamine spikes and engagement loops, and grooming to become CPO. You’ve built viral consumer products or bottom-up B2B tools. You know what makes products addictive and how to design experiences people
want
to return to.
On the other end:
You’re bringing operational rigor and urgency to our micro-teams. You’re the person who keeps the trains running—ensuring milestones hit, vectors stay aligned, and nothing falls through the cracks when founders take four days off. You’re the glue between teams, managing velocity across 8-10 small groups.
Most likely:
You’re somewhere in between. You have strong product instincts AND can execute operationally. You can debate product strategy in the morning and run standup rituals in the afternoon. You bring both taste and discipline.
The exact balance depends on your background and what energizes you. A product-focused ex-founder might start heavy on strategy and grow into operational leadership. A strong operator from a fast-scaling startup might start on execution and develop more strategic product muscle over 3-6 months.
What We’re Looking For Background that fits:
Ex-founder (product-focused CEO/CPO of a funded startup with product in market and real users)
VP/Head of Product at productivity tools, viral B2C apps, or agentic AI platforms
Senior PM who’s shipped beloved features at prosumer companies
Head of Product Ops / Program Management at high-growth startups
Ex-CEO of a funded startup (even if it didn’t work out—as long as you shipped and had users)
Experience with:
Product: Shipped products at companies like Grammarly, Notion, Coda, Superhuman, Trello, Slack, Todoist, Aura, Whoop, Obsidian, Evernote, or similar B2C/prosumer tools
Growth: Bottom-up motion, PLG, viral consumer mechanics, dopamine spikes, engagement loops
Execution: Coordinating cross-functional teams, running rituals, keeping execution tight across 30-40 people
Agentic AI: Experience with AI agent platforms (Cofounder, new Grammarly products, etc.) is a plus
Environment: Comfortable in 0→1 and rapid iteration environments
You bring:
Exceptional taste analytical brain = results
Bias toward shipping and iterating fast
Comfort with autonomy (we align on problem/timeline/resources, then you own it)
Urgency and operational rigor
Top-tier education or no degree proven track record of shipping
What You’ll Do Depending on where you land on the spectrum, you’ll be doing some combination of:
Product Strategy & Vision:
Defining product vision and roadmap alongside CEO/CTO
Owning feature prioritization and user experience decisions
Making products feel addictive (dopamine spikes, engagement loops, viral mechanics)
Running product rituals across micro-teams
Operational Execution:
Ensuring all teams hit milestones and stay aligned
Running sprints, standups, and coordination rituals
Managing velocity across 8-10 small teams
Being the “glue” that keeps execution tight
Bringing urgency when things slow down
Day-to-Day Ownership:
Owning 2-person project teams (you designer or you engineer)
Making 50 decisions a day without approval loops
Defining scope, timeline, and execution—then running with it
Shipping features weekly based on user feedback
What You’ll Love
High Agency: We align on the problem, timeline, and resources—then you own it. No status updates or approval loops.
Speed: We ship fast, iterate with users, and don’t overthink.
Equity: This is a founding-team-level role. You’ll own meaningful equity and help shape the company.
Team: Work directly with founders who care deeply about craft, user experience, and building something people love.
AI-First Product: You’ll be building at the bleeding edge of agentic AI and personal productivity. xsgimln
Growth Path: Potential to become CPO as the company scales.
Companies We Love
Productivity/Prosumer: Grammarly, Notion, Coda, Superhuman, Trello, Slack, Todoist, Obsidian, Evernote
Viral Consumer/Engagement: Aura, Whoop, Snapchat (or similar dopamine-driven products)
Agentic AI: Cofounder, Grammarly (new products), or other AI agent platforms
Bottom-Up B2B: Any product with PLG motion, viral loops, or strong FTUE
Requirements
Must be able to relocate to San Francisco or qualify for US work visa
Recent grads (within 2 years) can qualify for expedited J-1 visa
5 days/week in our SF office
Experience shipping product in fast-moving startup environments
Make sure to apply quickly in order to maximise your chances of being considered for an interview Read the complete job description below. This is a full-time, in-person role based in San Francisco (Presidio) – we work from the office 5 days a week.
You must be based in the Bay Area or willing to relocate before starting.
We require US work authorisation, but are open to O-1 visa sponsorship for truly exceptional candidates.
About Sauna Set-Up Sauna (formerly Wordware) is building an AI assistant that integrates with all user data sources. We’re a 15-person team shipping fast, iterating with users, and racing toward product-market fit. We operate in small, autonomous two-to-three person teams (PM Designer, PM Engineer, Designer Engineer) where each project has clear ownership, resources, and timeline—then we get out of the way.
The Role This is a founding-team-level product role that exists on a spectrum between pure product vision and operational execution. We’re looking for someone who can flex across both dimensions based on what the company needs most.
On one end of the spectrum:
You’re defining product strategy, working directly with founders on feature prioritization, creating dopamine spikes and engagement loops, and grooming to become CPO. You’ve built viral consumer products or bottom-up B2B tools. You know what makes products addictive and how to design experiences people
want
to return to.
On the other end:
You’re bringing operational rigor and urgency to our micro-teams. You’re the person who keeps the trains running—ensuring milestones hit, vectors stay aligned, and nothing falls through the cracks when founders take four days off. You’re the glue between teams, managing velocity across 8-10 small groups.
Most likely:
You’re somewhere in between. You have strong product instincts AND can execute operationally. You can debate product strategy in the morning and run standup rituals in the afternoon. You bring both taste and discipline.
The exact balance depends on your background and what energizes you. A product-focused ex-founder might start heavy on strategy and grow into operational leadership. A strong operator from a fast-scaling startup might start on execution and develop more strategic product muscle over 3-6 months.
What We’re Looking For Background that fits:
Ex-founder (product-focused CEO/CPO of a funded startup with product in market and real users)
VP/Head of Product at productivity tools, viral B2C apps, or agentic AI platforms
Senior PM who’s shipped beloved features at prosumer companies
Head of Product Ops / Program Management at high-growth startups
Ex-CEO of a funded startup (even if it didn’t work out—as long as you shipped and had users)
Experience with:
Product: Shipped products at companies like Grammarly, Notion, Coda, Superhuman, Trello, Slack, Todoist, Aura, Whoop, Obsidian, Evernote, or similar B2C/prosumer tools
Growth: Bottom-up motion, PLG, viral consumer mechanics, dopamine spikes, engagement loops
Execution: Coordinating cross-functional teams, running rituals, keeping execution tight across 30-40 people
Agentic AI: Experience with AI agent platforms (Cofounder, new Grammarly products, etc.) is a plus
Environment: Comfortable in 0→1 and rapid iteration environments
You bring:
Exceptional taste analytical brain = results
Bias toward shipping and iterating fast
Comfort with autonomy (we align on problem/timeline/resources, then you own it)
Urgency and operational rigor
Top-tier education or no degree proven track record of shipping
What You’ll Do Depending on where you land on the spectrum, you’ll be doing some combination of:
Product Strategy & Vision:
Defining product vision and roadmap alongside CEO/CTO
Owning feature prioritization and user experience decisions
Making products feel addictive (dopamine spikes, engagement loops, viral mechanics)
Running product rituals across micro-teams
Operational Execution:
Ensuring all teams hit milestones and stay aligned
Running sprints, standups, and coordination rituals
Managing velocity across 8-10 small teams
Being the “glue” that keeps execution tight
Bringing urgency when things slow down
Day-to-Day Ownership:
Owning 2-person project teams (you designer or you engineer)
Making 50 decisions a day without approval loops
Defining scope, timeline, and execution—then running with it
Shipping features weekly based on user feedback
What You’ll Love
High Agency: We align on the problem, timeline, and resources—then you own it. No status updates or approval loops.
Speed: We ship fast, iterate with users, and don’t overthink.
Equity: This is a founding-team-level role. You’ll own meaningful equity and help shape the company.
Team: Work directly with founders who care deeply about craft, user experience, and building something people love.
AI-First Product: You’ll be building at the bleeding edge of agentic AI and personal productivity. xsgimln
Growth Path: Potential to become CPO as the company scales.
Companies We Love
Productivity/Prosumer: Grammarly, Notion, Coda, Superhuman, Trello, Slack, Todoist, Obsidian, Evernote
Viral Consumer/Engagement: Aura, Whoop, Snapchat (or similar dopamine-driven products)
Agentic AI: Cofounder, Grammarly (new products), or other AI agent platforms
Bottom-Up B2B: Any product with PLG motion, viral loops, or strong FTUE
Requirements
Must be able to relocate to San Francisco or qualify for US work visa
Recent grads (within 2 years) can qualify for expedited J-1 visa
5 days/week in our SF office
Experience shipping product in fast-moving startup environments