17 years in the game
Rahul Sharma | Strategist
Technology. Customers. Commercial returns.
Finding the sweet spot between what technology makes possible, solving problems for customers and real world commercial returns.
Profile
Certified product leader
Hello! I'm Rahul, a strategist and product leader with 17 years of experience helping companies like Xero, ANZ, Sky TV and Les Mills find the sweet spot between what technology makes possible, solving problems for customers and real world commercial returns.
Most recently I've specialised in taking Xero's AI product strategy from 0 to 1.
Approach
Player coach by nature
A player coach by nature, I've held Principal roles leading complex, cross-functional projects from discovery to delivery. In these settings I lean on combinations of research and service design and human centred design to provide rigour and a firm focus on customer value.
On the human side, I've helped mentor and lead designers and researchers. This includes fostering mentoring individual contributors, fostering communities of practice and most recently exploring how AI tools can be used to accelerate and amplify teams without compromising on rigour or quality.
Experience
Xero
For 2.5 years I've lived at the Xero's AI journey. In that time I've set the foundations of Xero's AI Product Design Principles, defined how AI will evolve workflows across cashflow forecasting, tax and practice management and de-risked the commercialisation strategy. I also established the feature evaluation programme to take features from concept to GA (general availability).
- 0 → 1 AI product strategy
- GA feature evaluation programme
Les Mills Fitness Plus
Set the strategy to transform Fitness+ from a basic video library into a true fitness app: a multi-surface experience across TV, mobile, and web. Defined the service and customer blueprint that reframed what the product needed to be, not just what it looked like.
- 69% trial-to-paid
- 95% customer delight
- Bronze Best Design Awards 2020
Sky TV
Defined Sky's entry into the New Zealand broadband market with a proposition that gave a TV company a credible reason to sell internet: broadband built for entertainment. Architected the service model end to end — acquisition (pricing and packaging), sales (a reimagined skytv.co.nz), and support (installation and customer care) — laying the groundwork to transform Sky NZ from a satellite entertainment service into a broadband provider.
- 200% cart conversion lift
- +44 NPS
- 85% CSAT
Personal
Still here? I like that.
Outside of my work, I'm a Junior Grade convenor at Cornwall Cricket Club, enjoy staying active and travel (but really who doesn't).
Say hello.