Dr Kam Star

C-Suite Product & Tech Leader

Chief Product Officer

Chief Technology Officer

Product Portfolio Expert

AI & ML Commercialisation

Coach and Mentor

Product Strategist

Insightful Entrepreneur

Dr Kam Star

C-Suite Product & Tech Leader

Chief Product Officer

Chief Technology Officer

Product Portfolio Expert

AI & ML Commercialisation

Coach and Mentor

Product Strategist

Insightful Entrepreneur

Dr. Kam Star :: NextGen Product & Tech

Welcome to My Journey of Creating Products Users Love!

Remember that rush of excitement when you first solve a complex problem? For me, it all started at twelve. Picture this: my dad’s bustling architectural office, filled with the scratch of pencils and the rustle of blueprints. Amid the organized chaos, I spotted a group of engineers, hunched over their desks, laboriously calculating steel beam dimensions for a skyscraper.

 

Armed with nothing but curiosity and my trusty ZX Spectrum (yes, I was that kid!), I took on a challenge that would change my life. I created a program that slashed their 10-minute calculations (of which there were thousands) to mere seconds. That software wasn’t just my first product; it was the spark that ignited my lifelong passion for technology and innovation.

 

Fast forward to today, and that same spark still drives me. I’m not just a strategic product leader; I’m a relentless innovator with a track record of achieving 10x growth in emerging global technologies. From scaling startups to steering global ventures, I’ve navigated the exhilarating journey from $50m to $250m ARR in just three years, culminating in a $1.6b company sale.

 

My Mission

My focus is on coaching and leading high performing teams to craft solutions customer love today while anticipating tomorrow’s challenges. My mission is to harness the power of emerging technologies, to create transformative digital products that solve complex problems and enhance human capabilities across diverse industries.

 

I coach and lead high-performing teams in developing innovative, user-centric solutions that meet today’s demands and anticipate and shape the future of technology, ultimately improving the lives of millions worldwide.

Expertise in action
Product Leadership

Over 25 years of experience and well over 50 products loved by millions of users, I am a visionary product leader and product coach, capable of driving innovation and growth across diverse industries. My skills include :

  • Product Vision and Strategy: Developed and implemented transformative product strategies, such as the three-pillar approach at Chaos, spanning multiple industries and driving significant ARR growth.
  • Portfolio Management: Successfully managed complex product portfolios, including the expansion of Blue Prism's automation suite from $50M to $250M ARR in three years, and managing portfolios of Chaos and PlayGen.
  • User-Centric Development: Established User Research Labs and implemented customer-facing ideation portals to ensure products truly meet user needs and expectations.
  • Cross-Functional Leadership: Led and coordinated efforts across product, engineering, design, and marketing teams to ensure aligned, efficient product development and launch processes.
  • Agile Methodologies: Implemented and scaled agile practices across organisations, improving product development velocity and quality.
  • Product Lifecycle Management: Expertly managed products from conception through maturity, including making strategic decisions on sunsetting and replacing legacy offerings.
  • Innovation Pipeline: Created and maintained robust innovation pipelines, balancing short-term improvements with long-term, disruptive innovations.
  • Metrics-Driven Decision Making: Implemented comprehensive product analytics frameworks to guide data-driven decision making and continuous improvement.

Technology Leadership

From my early days coding on a ZX Spectrum to leading cutting-edge AI and cloud initiatives, I've maintained a passion for leveraging technology to solve complex problems and create user-centric solutions. With some of my key tech leadership competencies including :

  • Enterprise Architecture: Led the development of scalable, cloud-native architectures, including the transformation of Blue Prism's legacy on-premises software to a modern SaaS platform.
  • AI Integration: Spearheaded the integration of AI capabilities across product portfolios, significantly enhancing product capabilities and user experiences.
  • Cloud Transformation: Guided organisations through cloud migrations, optimising for scalability, security, and performance.
  • Technology Stack Optimization: Made strategic decisions on technology stacks, balancing cutting-edge capabilities with maintainability and scalability.
  • R&D Leadership: Established and led AI labs (in both Chaos and Blue Prism) and many R&D initiatives, fostering a culture of innovation and technological advancement.
  • Vendor Management: Led strategic technology partnerships and vendor selections, optimising for both cost and capabilities.
  • Cybersecurity and Compliance: Ensured robust security measures and compliance with industry standards across all technology initiatives.
  • Emerging Technology Adoption: Consistently identified and implemented emerging technologies to maintain competitive advantage, including early adoption of AI and machine learning capabilities.

Design Thinker

Leveraging my background in architecture and years of product development experience, I've become a staunch advocate and practitioner of design thinking methodologies.

  • User Empathy: Developed and implemented comprehensive user research programs, including the establishment of User Research methodologies, to deeply understand user needs, pain points, and desires.
  • Rapid Prototyping: Championed the use of rapid prototyping techniques to quickly iterate on ideas and gather user feedback early in the development process.
  • Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Facilitated design thinking workshops bringing together diverse teams to solve complex problems and generate innovative solutions.
  • Journey Mapping: Created detailed user journey maps to identify pain points and opportunities for product improvement and innovation.
  • Insight-Driven Innovation: Translated user insights into differentiated product features and entirely new product concepts.
  • Iterative Design Process: Implemented iterative design processes, continuously refining products based on user feedback and real-world usage data.
  • Design Systems: Developed comprehensive design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across product portfolios.
  • Accessibility and Inclusive Design: Championed inclusive design principles to ensure products are accessible and usable by the widest possible user base.

Go-To-Market Strategist

My approach to crafting and executing comprehensive go-to-market strategies combines deep market analysis, customer segmentation, and innovative positioning to ensure products enter the market successfully and achieve sustainable growth. My key GTM competencies include :

  • Market Entry Strategy: Developed and executed strategies for entering new markets, including geographic expansion and new customer segments. At Chaos, led the 10x expansion of the products from ~20 million to >200 million potential customers.
  • Channel Strategy: Expertise in designing and optimising multi-channel distribution strategies, including direct sales, partner networks, and digital platforms. At Blue Prism, worked closely with channel partners to accelerate market penetration for our automation solutions.
  • Pricing Strategy: Proficient in developing value-based pricing models that maximise revenue while ensuring market competitiveness. Implemented tiered pricing structures and freemium models to drive adoption and upsell opportunities.
  • Product Positioning: Skilled at crafting compelling product narratives and positioning statements that resonate with target audiences. Led the positioning of AI-powered solutions at Blue Prism, differentiating our offerings in a crowded market.
  • Launch Planning: Experienced in orchestrating global product launches, coordinating across marketing, sales, and customer success teams to ensure seamless execution. Successfully launched multiple products at Chaos, Blue Prism, PlayGen and Digital Shoreditch.
  • Metrics and Analytics: Implemented data-driven GTM approaches, utilising key metrics to continuously refine and optimise strategies. Developed dashboards to track and improve GTM performance across the product portfolio.
  • Customer Acquisition: Designed and implemented strategies to efficiently acquire and onboard new customers, leveraging digital marketing, content strategy, and sales enablement tools.
  • Market Expansion: Successfully led market expansion initiatives, including the growth of Enscape's Serviceable Addressable Market by 50% at Chaos, with plans for further significant expansion.

AI/ML Productization Expert

Productising AI is one of my specialities, with over 10 products and add-ons that leverage machine learning and make money! (well, they deliver a huge advantages to customers, and are robust and easy to use! That's why). Some of my AI/ML expertise includes:

  • AI Strategy: Developed comprehensive AI strategies for organisations, aligning AI initiatives with broader business goals and product visions.
  • AI Team Leadership: Built and led high-performing AI teams, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning.
  • Scaling Machine Learning Implementation: Led the development and deployment of various MLOps including use cases in computer vision, natural language and process synthesis applications to name a few.
  • AI Ethics: Leveraging my postgraduate degree in AI Ethics from LSE, ensured ethical considerations are at the forefront of AI development and implementation.
  • Deep Learning: Expertise in deep learning techniques, including many types of neural networks, e.g. GANs, transformers, RNN, SSL, CNNs, LSTM, SVM, and agent based models, applied to real-world business problems.
  • AI Infrastructure: Designed and implemented scalable infrastructure for AI model training and deployment, leveraging cloud technologies for optimal performance.
  • AI-Human Interaction: Focused on developing AI systems that augment and enhance human capabilities rather than replace them, particularly in enterprise automation and creativity contexts.

Simulation & Serious Games Innovator

With over two decades of experience in creating engaging simulations and serious games, I've pushed the boundaries of interactive digital experiences across multiple platforms and genres.

  • Diverse Portfolio: Developed 30+ simulations & serious games, ranging from single-player experiences to complex multiplayer environments. Created experiences for various platforms including online, web-based, mobile, desktop, and console, adapting design principles to suit each medium.
  • Serious Games: Pioneered the use of game mechanics in non-entertainment contexts, developing simulations for training, education, and behaviour change in sectors such as healthcare, finance, and defence.
  • Innovative Mechanics: Designed unique gameplay systems, including a meta-game for game design itself, showcasing the ability to think beyond conventional game structures.
  • AI Integration: Leveraged AI and machine learning to create adaptive game environments and intelligent NPCs, enhancing player engagement and replayability.
  • User-Centric Design: Applied design thinking principles to game development, ensuring that each project not only entertains but also fulfils specific user needs or learning objectives.
  • Scalable Architecture: Developed robust, scalable architectures for online multiplayer simulations, supporting millions of concurrent users.
  • Analytics Integration: Implemented comprehensive analytics systems in simulations to gather user data, enabling data-driven design iterations and personalised user experiences.
  • Cross-Functional Leadership: Led multidisciplinary teams of designers, artists, programmers, and sound engineers to deliver cohesive and polished final products.
  • Gamification Strategies: Applied game mechanics to multiple non-game applications, enhancing user engagement and motivation in various digital products and services.

Fun Facts
£3B+ Products Delivered
Multi-award winning
Millions of happy customers
Creating products users love
A 'small' selection of customers I've worked with directly
Resume
Experience
Chief Product Officer
2023 - Now
Chief Product Officer
Chaos

Leading the charge in developing ground-breaking visualization technologies that enable 400K+ creators, architects, designers, and businesses to turn their ideas into stunning realities. I’m fortunate to work with a brilliant team of professional innovators who share my enthusiasm for excellence as we manage our diverse product line-up, which includes V-Ray, Phoenix, Cosmos, Corona Renderer, Enscape 3D, Chaos Cloud and Cylindo.

At Chaos, we’re on a mission to transform the way people see and interact with digital environments, and as a result, our products consistently set new benchmarks in rendering, visualization, and virtual reality. My responsibilities include :

  • Defining strategic vision and direction for our company’s portfolio of awesome products
  • Overseeing every aspect of the product life cycle, from concept to launch, while continuously enhancing our offerings
  • Building and nurturing cross-functional teams committed to delivering phenomenal products and fostering a spirit of innovation and collaboration
  • Collaborating closely with sales, marketing, and customer success teams to perfect product positioning and drive user adoption
  • Keeping a close eye on market trends, competitors, and client feedback to guide product development and decision-making
VP Product Porfolio
2020 - 2023
VP Product Porfolio
SS&C Blue Prism

I oversaw the entire product portfolio and led the product org. I strategized the lifecycle of products, ensuring they aligned with the company’s broader vision and offered market value. Key responsibilities included:

  • Crafting and upholding the portfolio’s vision and strategy.
  • Steering the product portfolio to a leading position in core markets, highlighting its comprehensive customer value.
  • Meeting internal functions’ requirements for organizational success.
  • Enhancing the skills and capabilities of the product managers, offering mentorship and ensuring their growth.
  • Fostering a cohesive team with clear objectives, training, and personal development.
  • Keeping stakeholders well-informed, valuing their feedback, and incorporating their insights into the portfolio’s direction.
  • Collaborating with key internal teams to address cross-organizational facets of the portfolio, such as commercial aspects, support, training, and distribution.
Founder and Chief Product Officer
2004-2020
Founder and Chief Product Officer
PlayGen

As founder and chief product officer of PlayGen, I built and managed the organization to deliver outstanding value to the business and customers across many products, leveraging data, AI, simulations and gaming technologies and reaching over 2 million customers and users. Developed the product vision and strategy, drove innovative new solutions, and differentiated the organization based on insights to set unique customer values. Provided cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management.

Successfully led the company through £100m+ worth of join ventures and development, from pitching and business development through to product direction and mentoring multidisciplinary teams of developers, designers and subject matter experts.

I led product vision, strategy, design, development & delivery of 50+ digital solutions in applied games, gamification, apps and SaaS and cloud based platforms, across edtech, fintech, health, datatech, corporate, enterprise, government, media and entertainment sectors.

Founder
2010 - 2015
Founder
Digital Shoreditch

I founded and led a large annual festival celebrating the outstanding creative, technical and entrepreneurial talent of the UK. I conceptualised, directed and hosted over 100 events with 2000+ speakers to audience of 40,000+ participants. In the process I strategised, designed and built the brand, achieved £2m annual turnover from zero without external investment within 3 years.

2003 - 2004
Graphics Supervisor
BBC Time Commanders

I led the graphics supervision for Time Commanders. Devising and delivering an hour of broadcast quality animation per week using cutting edge game engine, working closely with client, producers, game developers, editors, historical researchers and on set teams.

Visualisation and Digital Transformation Manager
1999 - 2003
Visualisation and Digital Transformation Manager
RMJM

RMJM is one of the largest architecture & design networks in the world. I built and managed teams of visualisation and graphics designers delivering over 100 projects. I also spearheaded the modernisation of the company’s digital strategy and IT infrastructure.

Game Designer
1998 - 1999
Game Designer
Deep Red / Hasbro

I was the Game Designer on Hasbro’s Monopoly Tycoon and Risk 2 AAA game titles. Delivering game mechanics, layouts, environments, characters and interfaces.

EDUCATION
PhD in Gamification, Interdependence, Personality & Performance
2012-2015
PhD in Gamification, Interdependence, Personality & Performance
Serious Games Institute

How can we increase team performance in online social creativity platforms? A randomised controlled experiment with 38,180 sessions to maximise the performance of teams through personalising UX to each individual using gamification and AI, and based on personality and interaction preferences. Demonstrated potential increase in performance by up to 300%

Artificial Intelligence Ethics
2022
Artificial Intelligence Ethics
London School of Economics (LSE)

Gained a much deep understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of ethics of AI, so that I can now adeptly diagnose the challenges and opportunities posed by AI in various domains. Armed with the tools to identify and evaluate inequalities of resources, opportunities, and power in the workplace arising from AI applications. Honing my critical thinking skills on key ethical issues inherent in AI, enabling me to contribute meaningfully to discussions and actions concerning AI’s societal impact.

2005 - 2006
APM Software Development
Open University

Completed with merit. This was a nine month distant learning course for becoming an APM in software development. The course covered :

  • PRINCE2 Methologies and Practice
  • Agile project management life-cycle
  • Product management leadership and team development
Masters in Architecture
1992 - 1998
Masters in Architecture
Sheffield

I have a Masters in Architectures, as well as BA and Post Graduate diploma in Architecture from Sheffield University.

My Master thesis was on Artificial Intelligence in the Built Environment.

 

1995 - 1996
Post Grad Diploma in Critical Theory
Nottingham University
1998-2022
Product Innovation Domains

In the last 20 years, I’ve successfully delivered product innovation, development, launch and growth in B2B and B2C environments including solutions on SaaS, Mobile, Desktop, AR, Apps and platforms in many domains, including ; Enterprise Automation, Processes and task mining, Intelligent Document Processing, Business Process Management, Robotic Desktop Automation, Robotic Process Automation, Innovation portfolio management, Data Insights, API Platforms, Social Network Platforms, Brand Transformation, Leadership Development, Festivals and Event Management, Anti Money Laundering, Historical battles, Data Security, Environmental concerns, Public Policy Engagement, Situational awareness, Onboarding, Climate Change, Social Creativity, Designing Games, ProSocial Skills, Interview skills, Curing Cancer, Coronary Bypass Surgery, Career choices, Floods in the UK, Teenage pregnancy, Floodplain management, Violence and Extremism, Nanotechnology, Architectural Visualisation and Global Health Policy.

My Skills & Expertise (ask me about any)
Product Leadership
  • Product and Portfolio Strategy
  • Product Life Cycle
  • Customer Centricity
  • Vision, Strategy, Roadmap
  • Go-to-Market & Evangelising
  • Discover, Design, Build
  • Product Operations
  • Team Structure and Leadership
Design Skills
  • User Experience Design
  • Creative Strategy
  • Interface Design
  • UX Innovation
  • UX/UI Optimization
  • Game & Gamification Design
  • Storytelling
  • Sales & Marketing Content
Business
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Startups & Scaleups
  • M&A Negotiation
  • P&L Responsibilities
  • Pricing & Monetisation
  • Collaborative Leadership
  • Value Engineering
  • Performance Management
Technical
  • System & Cloud Architecture
  • Enterprise Systems
  • Programming
  • Machine Learning
  • eCommerce
  • Web Technologies
  • Cloud & Distributed Systems
  • Authoring Tools
Artificial Intelligence
  • Machine Learning
  • Natural Language Processing
  • Computer Vision
  • Robotics & Control Systems
  • Coding (Python/C++/...)
  • Cognitive Computing
  • Data analysis and visualisation
  • Neural network architectures
Innovation Tools
  • Brainstorming & Mindmapping
  • Design Thinking
  • SCAMPER & TRIZ
  • SWOT & PESTEL
  • Six thinking hats
  • Lateral Thinking
  • New Useful Feasible
  • Systematic Inventive Thinking
Some of the products I've created ...

A lot of my works and products are bound by confidentiality. However here is a small selection of products I’ve led. Feel free to explore and ask me for more information if you’d like to find out more.

Insights and ramblings
January 28, 2023 Building what customers need!

How do you drive your product development to improve customer satisfaction and attract new customers? Simple – make sure you prioritise solving their most important problems and address the areas that they’re least satisfied with today!

January 14, 2023 Don’t prioritise product like this!

Product prioritisation advice is full of what to do! But what about what you really shouldn’t be doing?

January 2, 2023 Feature-based vs Outcome-based Roadmaps

As a product manager, you may be tempted to create a roadmap purely based on customer feedback and requests, and what’s wrong with that?

December 28, 2022 What You Should Know About 10x Thinking

Are you ready to take your problem-solving skills to the next level? If you’re tired of the same old incremental improvements and want to aim for solutions that are truly groundbreaking, then it’s time to embrace the power of 10x thinking!

Contact info
  • Location: London
  • Email: kamstar1@gmail.com
  • Call: +44 7950 4000 65
  • Outlook: Bright eyed and bushy tailed