DAVID SHADLE

Hybrid Design Strategist & Product Leader

dshadle1524@gmail.com | 425.417.2339

Summary

I help teams move from "we think this could work" to "here's exactly what we're building and why." With 20+ years leading product strategy and UX design at Microsoft, Oracle, startups and as a consultant, I specialize in stepping into messy, high-stakes situations and creating the clarity teams need to move forward.

I'm the person who connects the dots between vision and execution; facilitating strategic thinking, aligning stakeholders, and making sure we're solving the right problems before we scale solutions. Whether it's defining product direction for a new market, refining go-to-market strategy, or leading cross-functional teams through transformation, I bring structure, momentum, and results.

Skills & Expertise

Product Strategy, UX Design Leadership, Cross-functional Collaboration, Agile Product Management, Design Thinking, User Research & Insights, Roadmap Development, Product-Market Fit, Systems Thinking, Customer Experience (CX), Prototyping & Validation, Feature Prioritization, Go-To-Market Strategy, Stakeholder Alignment, Digital Transformation, Platform Thinking, Enterprise SaaS, Team Leadership, Strategic Facilitation, User-Centered Design, AI-Enabled Product Innovation, AI-Enhanced User Experience Design, Human-AI Collaboration Design, Ethical AI Design Principles, AI Use Case Identification and Validation

Professional Experience

m+d2 & Associates | 10/2025 – Present

Partner; Strategic Product Advisor and Designer

Partnered with Shagamed Endoscopes, an FDA-cleared breast cancer prevention technology company, to build business strategy and $5M seed investor materials using AI-powered methodology to rapidly structure and validate their California market approach.

  • Led team through major pivot from multi-state Series A to focused California validation program.
  • Built and maintained living knowledge base using Claude as strategic advisor—synthesizing market research, financial modeling, and 40+ critical business questions while managing team alignment and client deliverables across 13-week engagement.
  • Designed audience-specific fundraising materials (medical peers + impact investors) including pitch decks and talk tracks that shifted positioning from detection to prevention, creating differentiated narrative for category-defining technology.

Vortent Partners | 06/2025 – Present

Co-founder; Strategic Product Advisor and Designer
[Execution partners for late Seed/Series A founders in life sciences, deep tech, and cleantech]

Partnered with Yonder Materials, an AI-driven materials discovery company, to translate breakthrough lab technology into a customer-facing product platform—designing the LeapLab experience ("SuperAgent" AI interface and Dashboard) through strategic facilitation and interactive prototyping to support go-to-market and investor readiness.

  • Facilitated working sessions with cross-functional teams to distill complex scientific workflows into clear, actionable product requirements.
  • Delivered strategy documentation, design concepts, and interactive prototypes that guided the development of a multi-stage MVP platform.
  • Provided leadership perspective that helped the team move from technical possibility to market-ready product direction.

Microsoft Corporation – Copilot Studio, Autonomous Agents | 05/2024 – 01/2025

Principal Product Designer

  • Shaped product direction for emerging agent-based systems automating complex enterprise workflows.
  • Defined and prototyped agent workflows for supply chain and invoice scenarios to inform roadmap priorities.
  • Led cross-functional concept sprints validating feasibility of multi-agent systems in enterprise environments.
  • Created key artifacts like experience maps and systems diagrams to align stakeholders around long-term vision.
  • Contributed to design standards adopted across Microsoft's automation and Copilot teams.

Microsoft Corporation – Power Automate | 01/2024 – 05/2024

Principal Product Designer

  • Partnered with PM and engineering to identify opportunities for intelligent automation within Power Platform.
  • Facilitated envisioning workshops and concept testing to align enterprise scenarios with product direction.
  • Influenced roadmap and investment decisions by delivering prototypes and product recommendations.
  • Presented early-stage concepts to executives to clarify strategic fit and technical implications.

Microsoft Corporation – Power Automate | 08/2019 – 01/2024

Principal Design Manager

  • Led design strategy and execution across Cloud Flows, Desktop, Process Insights, and AI Builder.
  • Launched Power Automate's first AI-powered natural language interface to expand adoption.
  • Built and mentored a high-performing global design team and scaled prioritization practices across org.
  • Co-owned product direction across key features with measurable impact on UX and business goals.

Oracle Corporation – Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) | 07/2017 – 08/2019

UX Strategy Lead / Acting Product Owner

  • Defined and delivered OCI's first in-console marketplace experience to streamline service transactions.
  • Unified fragmented console systems through user journey mapping and cross-team alignment.
  • Launched 'Customer Insights' program integrating qualitative and usage data into product planning.
  • Led workshops translating evolving needs into prioritized features and roadmap guidance.

Shiftboard | 03/2016 – 07/2017

UX Designer / Product Strategist

  • Modernized web and mobile platforms for contingent workforce scheduling.
  • Introduced user-centered design practices improving usability and retention.
  • Streamlined shift management flows, reducing onboarding friction for managers and staff.
  • Collaborated across engineering and product to drive sprint priorities and platform updates.

Hewlett Packard – Helion Cloud Infrastructure | 09/2014 – 03/2016

UX Designer / Product Strategist

  • Shaped early direction for Helion cloud platform by aligning UX strategy with business goals.
  • Led design for lifecycle tools across installation and configuration in hybrid cloud environments.
  • Simplified DevOps tasks for system admins through targeted user flows and UI models.

Snap Skout [Talktup Holdings LLC] | 02/2013 – 08/2014

Founding Product Designer

  • Defined MVP scope and UX frameworks for publisher-integrated offer recommendation engine.
  • Launched interactive prototypes and brand identity assets supporting early investor traction.
  • Balanced user needs and technical constraints in a fast-paced startup environment.

Additional Roles

  • SDL Social Intelligence | UX & Product Designer | 08/2012 – 02/2013
  • Second on Left | UX & Product Consultant | 02/2011 – 09/2014
  • Microsoft – Bing | Senior UX Designer | 05/2010 – 05/2011
  • Microsoft – Platform Strategy | Senior UX Designer | 10/2008 – 05/2010
  • Microsoft – Developer & Platform Evangelism | UX & Visual Designer | 06/2002 – 10/2008

Education

University of Oregon | 1994

Bachelor of Fine Arts – Focus on Visual Design

Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Animation, Art History & Photography