All mentors

Yousef Abusamak

Principal PM for AI at Secure Code Warrior. Ex Atlassian and Amazon, two-time founder

Sydney, Australia (+10:00 UTC) English, Arabicfrom Sydney, Australia
Free
Price per hour
30 min
Time Blocks Available
0.00
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Tue
20
Next availability
Profile Expertise

Bio

Book a call with me if you're early, moving fast, and not sure the thing you're building is the thing people will pay for. The problems I'm most useful for: - You have an idea and a lot of energy, and you want to know if the problem is worth solving before you spend the money. - You're about to raise, or you've pitched a dozen investors and heard no every time. - You just raised and want to hire ten people next month. - You're a founder doing everything at once: product, marketing, ops, deliveries. - You want to use AI in your business and can't tell the real gains from the hype. - You're a product manager who wants to think more like a business owner. I studied software engineering and started my first business straight out of university with three friends: iAraby, mobile apps and a social TV platform in the Middle East. We ran it from 2010 to 2014 and earned around $500,000. When the money came in we went from four people to thirteen almost overnight, which was the wrong call, and in the end we closed. I still wish I'd had a mentor then, someone to tell me to slow down and learn from the market first. My second company was Quicko, on-demand grocery delivery in Sydney. As co-founder and COO I raised $1.5M pre-seed and built a team of about 40. We cut customer acquisition cost from $320 to $32 and delivery cost per order from $48 to $15, and averaged 120% month on month growth. Early on I was the one delivering groceries and handing out flyers around the neighborhood. I pitched 50 or 60 investors across my companies, and less than a handful said yes. What founders get excited about and what investors look for are very different things, and I can help you see the gap. On the corporate side, I helped launch Amazon in the Middle East, then spent over seven years at Atlassian on Jira: leading product managers on the design system, and later improving how new teams in marketing, HR and operations start using Jira in their first week. Today I'm a principal product manager at Secure Code Warrior, leading Trust Agent, a product that lets security teams see and govern how developers use AI. I talk with banks and airlines every week about how far along they are with AI, and the spread is huge. I also build with AI every day. At work I run a team of autonomous agents, and I start each morning with a stand-up asking them what they did overnight. On the side I built my wife's catering business an end to end system she now talks to instead of typing into. I keep a ledger of what AI is worth for each task, scored against a quality rubric. Sometimes the answer is that a person is cheaper. When I set AI up to fill government migration forms for a friend, it cost more than paying someone minimum wage, for the same quality. So he still has a person doing that part. Product management has never been a textbook job. How you prioritize is about people and empathy as much as data, and that part isn't going anywhere.

Expertise

  • Artificial intelligence

    For deciding what to hand to AI and what to keep with a person. I keep a ledger of AI workflows scored on cost and quality against a rubric, and sometimes the answer is a person. Example: AI filling migration forms cost more than a minimum wage worker for the same quality. At work I run autonomous agents across our development cycle, and I lead an AI observability product at Secure Code Warrior.

  • Product management

    For product managers who want to think like the business owner. A PM's job is to find problems worth solving that also bring money in, whether you're in a startup or a big company. I spent over seven years at Atlassian on Jira, led a team of PMs on its design system, helped launch Amazon in the Middle East, and today I'm a principal PM at Secure Code Warrior.

  • Idea validation

    Bring the idea before you spend the money on it. My first company went from four people to thirteen as soon as money came in, and we closed after four years. The lesson I'd pass on: slow down, learn from the market, and find out if the problem is worth solving first. We'll work out what you need to learn and the cheapest way to learn it.

  • Advice on funding

    For your pitch, your investor list, or the round that keeps stalling. I raised $1.5M pre-seed for Quicko from VCs and operator angels, and around $2M across my companies. I pitched 50 or 60 investors and less than a handful said yes. What a founder is excited about and what an investor looks at are very different. We'll find the gap in yours.

  • Go to market strategy

    From flyers to a real channel. At Quicko I started out delivering groceries and handing out flyers door to door, then we cut customer acquisition cost from $320 to $32 and grew coverage from 4% to 45% of Sydney. I also built an SME expansion go-to-market plan and roadmap for Smartgroup. Bring your current channels and numbers and we'll work out what to try next.

  • Technology and tools

    For picking the right AI model or tool and learning to use it well. I co-drove the SCW AI Trust Index, testing 16 large language models across 1,760 codebases, so I compare tools on evidence, not launch hype. I build with Claude Code, Cursor, agents and MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers every day, and shipped a native iOS app end to end with them this year. I'll show you what's worth paying for and what's still hype.

  • Building a team

    For founders about to hire after a raise. I've made the classic mistake: at my first company we went from four to thirteen people as soon as the money came in, and it cost us. At Quicko I hired and led a team of about 40 across operations, product, engineering, marketing and customer service. We'll work out who you need now, and who can wait.

  • Product market fit

    For when you have customers and can't tell if it's working. At Quicko we tracked retention, days to repeat order and basket size from the start: 52% retention and a basket four times the market average. At Atlassian I worked on activation in a new team's first week. We'll pick the few numbers that tell you if people need what you've built.

  • Leadership

    For new leads and managers stepping up. I've managed product managers, led teams across engineering, design, security research and go-to-market, and presented to executives and boards. On Atlassian's design system I built the product function from scratch, with roles, rituals and a prioritisation model still in use. Bring the hard conversation or the decision you keep putting off.

  • Product analytics

    For teams drowning in dashboards but short on answers. On Jira's extensibility stream I replaced output reporting with outcome-based metrics, so roadmap calls were argued from measured customer impact, not features shipped. I work with A/B tests, activation and retention modelling. We'll pick the few numbers that matter and set up tracking that tells you what to do next.

  • Pricing strategy

    For when you're not sure what to charge or how to package it. At Souq.com, the largest e-commerce platform in the Arab world, I owned marketplace monetisation across advertising, the subscription store and pro-seller accounts. At Quicko pricing was one of the teams I ran. We'll look at your model, price points and tiers, and how to test a change without scaring customers off.

  • Growth marketing

    For founders paying too much for every customer. At Quicko we cut customer acquisition cost from $320 to $32 and grew coverage from 4% to 45% of Sydney, starting with flyers door to door. At Atlassian we lifted Jira activation for non-technical teams by 23%. We'll find the channel that works for your stage and stop the spend that doesn't.

  • Operations

    For founders whose costs grow as fast as their orders. As co-founder and COO of Quicko I cut delivery cost per order from $48 to $15, with a 96% fill rate, 97% promise accuracy and 41% of orders delivered within an hour. We'll find where your cost and delays hide, and set up the processes and simple dashboards to run the business day to day.

  • Product marketing

    For when you're about to ship and want it to land. I was on the core team that launched Amazon in the Middle East after the Souq.com acquisition, launched Trust Agent: AI (Gold at the Globee Cybersecurity Awards and a 2026 Global Infosec Award winner), and shipped agentic AI into core Jira for millions of users. We'll plan the launch, line up the teams and decide what to measure after.

  • Product launches

    For when you're about to ship and want it to land. I was on the core team that launched Amazon in the Middle East after the Souq.com acquisition, launched Trust Agent: AI (Gold at the Globee Cybersecurity Awards and a 2026 Global Infosec Award winner), and shipped agentic AI into core Jira for millions of users. We'll plan the launch, line up the teams and decide what to measure after.

  • Career guidance

    For anyone moving into product or stepping up a level. I went from web developer to two-time founder to principal PM, through Souq.com, Amazon, Atlassian and Secure Code Warrior, and moved my career from Amman to Sydney. Breaking into product, going senior, preparing for interviews, or choosing startup vs big company: I've made most of those calls myself.

  • Design / UX

    For teams building or scaling a design system, or PMs who want to work better with designers. I was Lead Product Manager for the Atlassian Design System, used across every Atlassian product. We moved from a queue of component requests to a roadmap tied to adoption and delivery speed, so design investment showed up as business value.

  • Customer success

    For when the same customer problem keeps coming back. At Atlassian I resolved migration blockers for 70% of customers moving from Jira Server to Cloud, turning repeat complaints into shipped fixes instead of one-off workarounds. At Quicko we held 52% retention. We'll build a loop where customer pain reaches the roadmap and churn goes down.

  • Conversion rate optimisation

    For when traffic comes in but people don't buy. At Souq.com I owned search and recommendations as Staff PM, driving discovery and conversion across 500,000+ products and 35M+ monthly visits. We'll find where your users drop off in search, onboarding or checkout, and run small tests that lift conversion without guessing.

  • Sales

    For founders making their first B2B sales. At my first two startups I ran business development for four years, selling video on demand and streaming platforms to TV channels, broadcasters and mobile operators across Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. We'll work on your pipeline, your pitch and how to close, especially if you're selling into the Middle East.

  • Venting frustration

    For the weeks when it all feels too much. I've been a founder twice, closed one company and lived the long nights and hard calls that come with it. Sometimes you don't need a framework, just someone who's been there to listen, help you think clearly and find the next small step.

Industries

  • SaaS

    For SaaS teams working on onboarding, activation and early churn. I spent over seven years at Atlassian on Jira and led work to make it easier for marketing, HR and operations teams to get started, with activation tracked from day 0 to day 6. Today I lead a B2B security product at Secure Code Warrior, selling to large enterprises. Bring your activation numbers.

  • Cyber Security

    For founders building or selling security products, and teams working out how to govern their developers' use of AI. At Secure Code Warrior I lead Trust Agent, which lets security teams see and govern how developers use AI. Every week I talk with banks and airlines about AI, from teams just starting to teams far along. Bring your product and who you sell it to.

  • E-Commerce

    For on-demand and delivery businesses. At Quicko, our grocery delivery startup, I worked on the unit economics that decide if delivery can make money: delivery cost per order from $48 to $15, a 96% fill rate and 41% of orders delivered within an hour. Earlier I helped launch Amazon in the Middle East. Bring your cost per order.

Experience

  • Secure Code Warrior

    Principal Product Manager | Trust Agent: AI Observability

    * Leading the Product Strategy for "Trust Agent," on dev machine local agent governance solution that enables enterprises to monitor and secure AI-assisted development at the endpoint. * Defining the roadmap for AI observability, providing CISOs and Engineering Leaders with critical visibility into LLM usage and code provenance to mitigate legal and security risks. * Driving data-informed product iterations by analyzing developer training patterns and tool efficacy, ensuring the product optimizes—not hinders—development velocity. * Collaborating with cross-functional teams at Secure Code Warrior to align AI governance features with the broader mission of empowering secure coding practices globally.

  • Atlassian

    Product Lead Jira Transformation & Scale
    •Www.atlassian.com

    I led the Extensibility stream for Jira, shaping how millions of users experience and customise Jira at scale. My work focused on transforming Jira’s onboarding and usability for non-technical teams, modernising the product’s look and navigation, and building a scalable extensibility framework that dramatically improved activation and retention. Highlights include: • Spearheaded Jira’s visual and navigational transformation, enhancing usability for Marketing, HR, and Operations teams. • Built a scalable framework that improved Day-0 to Day-6 activation rates and reduced early churn. • Integrated agentic AI capabilities to automate workflows and eliminate administrative friction. • Implemented outcome-based metrics to tailor experiences and ensure measurable customer impact.

  • Smartgroup Corporation

    Product Consultant - SME and AI Ecosystem

    Concurrent contract engagement alongside my Atlassian role. Over three months I partnered with executives, product leaders and cross-functional teams to design the strategies and frameworks that set Smartgroup up for its next stage of growth. Key Achievements: 1. SME Expansion Strategy & Roadmap – Developed a go-to-market strategy and detailed roadmap to expand Smartgroup’s offerings into the small and medium business (SME) segment, unlocking new revenue streams and positioning the company for long-term scalability. 2. AI-Powered Ecosystem Blueprint – Designed the strategy and roadmap for building Smartgroup’s first-in-class, AI-powered ecosystem, integrating EV leasing, energy solutions, and digital customer experiences to future-proof the business. 3. Product Management Practice Uplift – Delivered a pragmatic, actionable plan to strengthen product management capabilities across the organisation, including processes, governance, and execution frameworks to improve delivery and outcomes. This role gave me the opportunity to combine strategic thinking with hands-on product leadership, helping Smartgroup shape its future growth while laying the foundation for a more AI-driven and customer-centric product organisation.

  • Atlassian

    Lead PM
    •Www.atlassian.com

    As a leader of a team of Product Managers, I am responsible for creating a world-class design system for Atlassian by: - Ensuring that our efforts align with business value and leading strategic decision-making based on proven business impact. - Growing the PM organization within the Design System and continually improving our roles, responsibilities, and processes. - Helping the team define and communicate the value of our work and ensuring it aligns with company goals and addresses real customer needs. - Keeping our customers at the forefront of our focus and helping the team strike a balance between waiting to ship the "best" solution versus shipping incremental value more frequently. - Measuring and tracking our success and defending and prioritizing the team roadmap by reducing distractions and ensuring we have the right goals and metrics in place.

  • Quicko

    Co-Founder and COO | Quicko

    On-demand grocery delivery with a personal-shopper model: groceries picked and delivered from local retailers in under 2 hours, plus picking and delivery for third-party merchants through QX. Rated best customer experience on Finder AU. • Raised $1.5M pre-seed from VCs and operator angels; hired and led a team of ~40 across operations, product, engineering, marketing, category, pricing, finance, customer service and HR. • Cut customer acquisition cost from $320 to $32 (-90%) and delivery cost per order from $48 to $15 (-69%). • Averaged 120% month-on-month growth; expanded from 4% to 45% of Sydney population coverage (53% of non-rural). • Held 52% customer retention, 4.1-day average time to repeat, 96% fill rate, 97% promise accuracy, and 41% of orders delivered within one hour. • 4x market-average basket size across 17k app installs and 1.1k monthly active customers.

  • Amazon

    Senior Product Manager

    A member of the team responsible for localizing and launching Amazon in the Middle East market.

  • Souq.com

    Staff Product Manager

    Responsible for Souq's search and recommendation systems.

  • Souq.com

    Product Manager - Monetization

    Souq.com is the leading e-commerce platform in the Arab world, offering over 400,000 products in categories such as consumer electronics, fashion, household goods, watches, and perfumes. The site receives over 23 million visits per month and is rapidly expanding as more consumers shop online in the Arab world. Known as the "Amazon of the Middle East," Souq.com operates both as a retail site and as a marketplace for third-party sellers. My primary responsibilities include: - Researching and identifying new opportunities to improve the seller experience and increase business growth and revenue through data-driven analysis of businesses and industry research. - Defining the drivers of success for Souq.com Marketplace, including customer satisfaction, seller health, traffic to marketplace selection, conversion, and operational success. - Analyzing opportunities and developing and implementing strategies and business plans to grow Souq.com revenue (e.g. Ad system, Subscription store, Pro seller accounts, etc.). - Defining the product roadmap and vision for Souq.com Marketplace and prioritizing projects with an understanding of trade-offs and KPI impact. - Developing comprehensive Product Requirement Documents (PRDs) incorporating market requirements, use cases, wireframes, and actions required to achieve business goals. - Managing and delivering projects with the highest levels of performance, reliability, usability, and customer delight. - Working closely with a dedicated team of core developers, UX developers, QA's, and designers to ensure full understanding of requirements and smooth product delivery. - Leading and coordinating communication, design, and implementation efforts between internal teams. - Defining the rollout plan and monitoring the impact of built products after product rollout. Providing necessary training to teams in charge.

  • Skyscreen

    Co Founder & Business Development Manager

    Skyscreen is B2B leading provider of VOD/OTT solutions and management tools. Skyscreen provides technology and professional service solutions to content producers, broadcasters, and service providers seeking to deliver consumer video services over multiple devices through the Internet. Skyscreen considers one of the best intuitive UI and effective monetization tools provider. Specialties Developing Video On Demand Platforms, Create and Design Native Mobile Applications, Create Multi Screens Experience for TV Everywhere Service, Create Kids Video Platforms Type Of Customers: 1- TV Channels. 2- Youtubers/Content Providers/producers. 3- Mobile Operators. 4- Video VAS Providers. 5- IPTV, VOD providers. I'm responsible for: - Study the market needs. - Define the target clients. - Define the products based on the market needs. - Lead the technical team. - Define the competitive advantage for the products. - Contact clients. - Find and contact potential partners. - Create business plans to help partners. - Guide partners account manager to meet business goals. - Define and study new markets to serve company growth. - Deal with sponsors. - Sales Management. - Online Marketing Management. - B2B Sales Website: http://skyscreen.net

  • iaraby

    Co Founder & Business Development Manager

    IAraby is working on serving and growing an active community of mobile app users by introducing the latest multimedia-rich mobile technologies. IAraby launched multiple mobile applications with millions of users using it, the company has two main departments: - FatoooshTV: is a social video on demand platform, the first to use multiple screen technology in middle east social TVs -Educational games dep: We work to make education more fun and easy Specialties Mobile applications, Web applications, Smart devices, Video and content, Social TV, Educational games. I'm responsible for: -Developing new markets and opportunities. -Sales Management. -Responsible for business growth. -Creating business plans. -Study the market in order to specify the application features. -Study the company competitors. -Creating a yearly business plan for the company. -Finding and meet new connections that help the company business. -Analyzing and studying the market. -Coordinate with both management and CEO to meet the company objectives. -Coordinate with departments managers to set-up business plans for the department products. -Closing deals. -Coordinate with the legal departments to write the deals agreements. -Write proposals. -Plan and prepare presentations. -Create market researches. -Create feasibility study. -Creating business models for the products and keep monitoring the revenue and change the models if needed. -Contact content providers and close deals, type of deals: revenue share, license, and partnership. -Find sponsors and advertisers and close deals for the company. -Write rate cards for the advertisers and sign with advertising agencies to bring advertisements to our products. -Communicate with all mobile operators in Jordan and KSA. -Create VAS deals with both content providers and operator. -Find and communicate with educational organization in order to develop interactive curriculum and educational games. Website: http://www.iaraby.com

  • Vardot

    Web Developer

    Vardot is a Drupal development firm based in Jordan that works to change the way the web works through design, information architecture, development, hosting, support and training on Drupal. Our work is a resilient mix of digital experiences built on Drupal. We continue to help clients in different sectors accelerate their businesses and overcome obstacles. We employ our experience helping governments, NGOs, media networks, startups and enterprises develop and run fast time-to-market applications, and provide long term maintenance, support and hosting. We partner with Acquia™ to arrange configurable long-term plans to accommodate traffic and massive growth. Vardot also worked on the mobile development field. Website: http://vardot.com/

  • Evanteck

    Web Developer

    Evanteck is a Software Development and Consultancy Firm that Specializes in Developing World-Class ERP Solutions, Forms Automation and online Services which tailored using Microsoft Technologies. Evanteck also provides professional consultation in Data Infrastructuring, performance tunning and Analysis Services under Microsoft SQL Server.

  • MBRM - MB Risk Management

    Web Developer

    MBRM are developers of the world-famous UNIVERSAL Add-ins®. With 30,000+ users world-wide, the UNIVERSAL Add-ins are the most widely-used derivative software for the pricing, risk management, trading, arbitrage, fund management and auditing of securities, options, futures and swaps in the convertible, fixed income, commodities, energy, equities, foreign exchange and money markets. Links with most real-time feeds create a powerful and dynamic analytical environment. MBRM's software is used world-wide in mission critical applications by most major Investment Houses, Money Managers and Corporate Treasuries. I was responsible for: -Developing tools on ASP.NET technology. -Work with the team to deliver reports to the managers. Website: http://www.mbrm.com

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