# Paul Chen, MDes > Product Manager · 0-to-1 Product Development · AI-Driven Products · Design-Led Thinking Location: San Francisco, California, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/paulchenmdes Most PMs come from engineering or business. I came from design, and after 5+ years in product development — consulting strategy, owning roadmaps, and shipping UX-centric products across SaaS and startups — design drives how I build. At Virtutela, a fashion tech startup, I took the platform from concept to launch: roadmap, sprints, research, pitch deck, and all the cross-functional work that holds everything together. We secured $15M in funding and validated demand with 300+ waitlist signups before going live. What design gave me is a systems mindset and a high bar for craft. I think about how everything connects — the user flow, the business model, the team dynamic — and I advocate hard for experiences that actually work for people, not just ones that ship on time. I'm comfortable in ambiguity and I've learned to move quickly through it without losing sight of quality. I'm also a builder of processes, not just products. In every role I've had to figure out how to run research, how to structure sprints, and how to communicate priorities to people with very different mental models. That infrastructure work doesn't show up in a feature launch, but it's what makes sustainable product development possible. Outside of work: home chef, film-inspired photographer, and a strategy gamer who probably overthinks the meta. ## Work Experience ### Product Manager, Founding Product Designer @ Virtutela Jan 2024 – Present Owned fashion e-commerce platform spanning AI-driven storefront, order management, and integrated production and fulfillment workflows • Synthesized founder's 20+ years of industry research into comprehensive product strategy and growth plan, developing a $25M pitch deck that secured $15M in funding and informed 10-year runway planning • Validated market demand through early platform demos and partner outreach, generating 300+ customer and 30+ brand partner waitlist signups within 6 months of development ### Product Design Consultant @ Unknown Jan 2023 – Present Independent freelance practice providing product strategy, UX/UI design, and marketing strategy to early-stage startups and small businesses • Led mobile app design system revamp across 9 user flows and 38 components, delivering a cohesive UX that improved usability scores by ~40% • Drove end-to-end brand strategy and website development, aligning product positioning and marketing direction to create a cohesive brand presence across digital touchpoints ### Gear Expert @ Peak Design Jan 2024 – Jan 2025 | San Francisco, CA • Ranked consistently in top 3 sales among a 6–8 person retail team as part-time staff, contributing to 10% store-wide sales growth through deep product knowledge and multi-channel customer engagement • Built lasting customer relationships through proactive service across in-person, email, social media, and phone channels, turning first-time buyers into repeat customers ### Product Design Consultant (Promoted from Design Apprentice) @ UXReactor Jan 2021 – Jan 2023 | Pleasanton, CA Created design-driven business strategy and pragmatic design solutions for tech startups and SaaS corporations • Drove strategic alignment workshop with TrustLogic's leadership and tech team, planning a 3-month project scope within a 2-day workshop while uncovering new context that reshaped the engagement • Prioritized platform workflow development by synthesizing market research and competitive analysis, focusing on high-impact features projected to drive 1%+ user adoption lift ### Product UX Designer @ Kids & Art Foundation Jan 2021 – Jan 2021 | San Francisco, CA • Designed the "Amaeyzing Artkits" onboarding program for pediatric cancer patients and caregivers, driving 20+ monthly signups and earning honorable mention at SF Design Week 2021 ### Visual Designer @ Duality Robotics Jan 2021 – Jan 2021 | Remote • Led visual design development for technical white papers, collaborating with the PM to translate complex product capabilities into clear, compelling 2-page documents that promoted Digital Twins technology ### Graduate Teaching Assistant @ California College of the Arts Jan 2020 – Jan 2020 | San Francisco, California • Supported Design History instruction and facilitated class critiques while implementing digital teaching platforms to maintain student engagement during the COVID-19 remote learning transition ### Operation Ambassador @ California College of the Arts Jan 2019 – Jan 2020 | San Francisco, California • Led campus tours and supported admissions operations through data management and prospective student engagement, contributing to enrollment growth ### Web Designer @ EllevateYou Jan 2020 – Jan 2020 | San Francisco, California, United States • Implemented and launched a website on Webflow, bringing to life concepts established by the brand design counterpart to create a modernized and engaging landing page • Collaborated with clients through an iterative design process, actively accepting and incorporating client feedback to ensure the delivered results met their specific needs ### Industrial Design Intern @ Wistron Neweb Corporation Jan 2019 – Jan 2019 | Hsinchu County/City, Taiwan • Facilitated design thinking workshops for the industrial design team and drove competitive analysis to inform design direction of network product lines ### Senior Student Ambassador @ California College of the Arts Jan 2017 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco, California • Led campus tours and supported admissions operations through data management and prospective student engagement, contributing to enrollment growth ### Design Intern @ San Francisco Arts Education Project Jan 2018 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco, California • Translated nonprofit organizational strategy into professionally designed PDF communications, making program goals and impact accessible to external audiences ### Industrial Design Volunteer @ St. Anthony Foundation Jan 2018 – Jan 2018 | San Francisco, California • Researched and prototyped product design solutions for a public soup kitchen serving the homeless population, designing scalable solutions within challenging constraints including safety, ease of cleaning, and manufacturability ## Education ### Master of Design in Human Computer Interaction California College of the Arts ### Bachelor of Fine Arts - BFA in Industrial Design California College of the Arts ### Bachelor of Fine Arts - BFA in Industrial and Product Design Savannah College of Art and Design ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/paulchen-design --- Source: https://flows.cv/paulchenmdes JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/paulchenmdes/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-13