
Principal Product Manager
Role summary
Outsmart is an early-stage startup focused on reimagining higher education for the AI era. Backed by significant venture funding and led by former Duolingo executives, the company is building a new collegiate experience to expand access and opportunity. They are seeking a Principal Product Manager to lead the development of engaging, mobile-first learning experiences. This role involves driving 0→1 and 1→N initiatives, shaping product strategy, and improving key metrics like onboarding, engagement, and retention through data and experimentation. The ideal candidate has 5-8+ years of experience shipping consumer products, strong product judgment, and the ability to work autonomously in a fast-paced environment.
Outsmart is a mission-driven, early-stage startup reimagining higher education for the age of AI by creating an entirely new collegiate experience that expands access and opportunity. Backed by $38M from top venture firms including Khosla Ventures, Forerunner, DST Global Partners, and Lightspeed, the company is led by former Duolingo executives and a founding team that also includes Emmy Award winners. With a strong culture centered around high-impact, detail-oriented team members, Outsmart is already seeing significant traction, generating 1–5 million weekly organic views on social media.
What You’ll Be Doing
You’ll work with learning, design, and engineering to build engaging, effective mobile-first learning experiences, while developing a deep understanding of our students and continuously improving the product through data and intuition. You’ll own and drive both 0→1 and 1→N initiatives, partner with leadership on product strategy and key decisions, and run fast iterations across onboarding, engagement, and retention to drive growth. You will be expected to vibe code and show your ideas, not just talk about them.
Who You Are
5 - 8+ years building and shipping consumer products (mobile preferred)
Experience owning 0 → 1 and scaling products post-launch
Strong product judgment and taste for user experience
Track record improving engagement, retention, or growth metrics
Comfortable prototyping and testing ideas, not just writing specs
Able to work autonomously in a fast-paced, high-ambiguity environment
Clear communicator who can work directly with founders and small teams
What You’ll Own
Key product initiatives from concept to launch
Product features across the learning experience
Gamification mechanics
Onboarding, engagement, and retention surfaces
Experimentation and iteration to improve core metrics
Product quality and user experience across shipped features
Product processes and ways of working as the team scales
What Helps You Succeed
Strong product taste and attention to detail
Comfortable operating in ambiguity
High ownership mindset, you follow things through end-to-end
Ability to move quickly while maintaining a high quality bar
Bias toward action, you ship and learn rather than over-planning
Curious about users and consistently stay close to their needs
Willing to roll up your sleeves and do whatever it takes to move things forward
Eager to learn and receive feedback
Salary Range: $150K - $250K
Perks
Competitive salary and equity
Healthcare for you and your dependents (medical, dental, and vision)
Parental leave for any full-time employee who has been with us for at least 6 months (birthing, non-birthing, and adoptive parents)
15 PTO days per year, a winter break, and 12+ paid company holidays per year
Remote work days
Lunch provided in-office daily
Working with super talented people who want to make a difference in the world
Outsmart is committed to building an equitable and inclusive workplace and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
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