Sid Shaik

Product Leader • AI Infrastructure • Platforms & Applications

AI • Data • Cloud • GPU • Infrastructure • Kubernetes

Building and scaling AI products 0 to 9-figure ARR

Experience: 15 years | 9-figure ARR products | Seed to public markets

About

I'm a product leader who builds and scales AI, data, and cloud platforms—from zero to nine-figure ARR.

Over 15 years in Silicon Valley, I've built and scaled data platforms, cloud infrastructure, AI systems, and developer tools—from seed stage through public markets. I've led teams of 125+, owned a $230M product line, and driven 200% year-over-year AI adoption. Before that, I founded an AI Ops startup, and was an early employee at companies that grew from scrappy to scaled.

As a former founder, I know what it takes to build from the ground up. As a former Product GM, I know what it takes to operate at scale. I bridge technical depth with commercial strategy—and I go hands-on when it matters.

What's Next

I'm exploring full-time product leadership roles in AI infrastructure, platforms, or applications—where I can bring technical depth, commercial judgment, and experience scaling from zero to nine-figure ARR.

If you're building something ambitious in this space, I'd welcome a conversation.

Schedule a 30-minute intro call LinkedIn

Select Advisory Engagements

While exploring my next full-time role, I take on limited advisory engagements with companies navigating critical growth phases.

Product & GTM Strategy

Strategic guidance for companies navigating critical growth phases

Go-to-market strategy, pricing architecture, market positioning

Zero-to-one product development
Go-to-market strategy and execution
Product-market fit acceleration
Scaling product organizations
Fundraising and team building

Engineering & Infra Advisory

Technical leadership for modern infrastructure challenges

Platform migrations, AI/ML infrastructure, developer experience

AI/ML infrastructure architecture
Cloud-native platform design
Technical due diligence

Expert Advisory

On-demand expertise for strategic decisions

Due diligence, architecture reviews, competitive analysis

Databases / Cloud Data Platforms
Cloud Infrastructure, Kubernetes
NeoClouds, GPUs
Customer Engagement Management

Engagement Impact

How I Deliver Value Across Different Engagement Models

Click any item to see the corresponding client testimonial below

From rapid insights to transformational engagements across all levels

Client Testimonials

Sid was instrumental in helping us accelerate a turnaround of a critical strategic initiative at the intersection of AI, data, and cloud for our capital markets platform. Over a deep multi-month engagement, he brought both strategic clarity and hands-on technical depth that helped us navigate complex architectural decisions with confidence. His ability to bridge product strategy with infrastructure reality made all the difference in compressing our timeline and de-risking our approach.

CPO, Data Platforms Company

London, UK

Working with Sid was transformative. He helped crystallize our product-market thesis, positioning, and GTM plan that resonated with investors. He helped make critical calls on product roadmap, execution, and pricing when we needed it most. His ability to translate technical vision into commercial strategy was crucial in landing our first term sheet. He's the rare advisor who operates at both 30,000 feet and in the trenches.

CEO, FinTech Startup

Texas, US

Sid provided invaluable technical diligence across multiple expert sessions as we evaluated a SaaS investment opportunity in the Energy / Utilities space. His ability to quickly assess platform architecture, identify technical debt and growth constraints, and articulate commercial implications helped us derisk the investment decision with clarity. He understands both the technology stack and how it translates to business outcomes - exactly what we needed.

Principal, PE Firm

New York, US

Sid delivered exactly what we needed for our investment evaluation - he clearly highlighted both the risky areas we should be cautious about and the specific investment opportunities that could deliver ROI in the short term. We loved his ability to lead the discussion at the right elevation, drilling into ground level when the discussion needed it. His ability to rapidly assess technical architecture and translate it into actionable investment insights gave us the clarity and confidence to move forward with a well-informed decision.

Principal, Investment Advisory Firm

New York, US

Sid delivered an exceptional session for our 'Roundtable: Data and AI Platforms - Shifts in Competition and Growing' event. His insights on the evolving competitive landscape were both strategic and actionable. He masterfully navigated complex technical topics while keeping the discussion accessible to our diverse executive audience. His perspective on emerging trends and practical implementation strategies provided immense value to all participants.

Senior Director, Research

Global Knowledge-Services Firm • Austin, TX

Sid delivered an outstanding masterclass on using AI for rapid prototyping. His ability to simplify complex concepts while building a live application in just 30 minutes was remarkable. The way he handled Q&A demonstrated deep expertise and genuine care for participant learning. Our community gained invaluable insights on practical AI implementation that they could immediately apply to their own projects.

CEO, AI Education Platform

San Francisco, US

References available upon request

Industry Conversations

Invited conversations with operators navigating scale, complexity, and platform inflection points.

B2B Scaling Podcast

Conversations with product leaders scaling businesses from $0 to $100B+ ARR

Episode 20

S-Curve Navigation

with Papi Menon, CPO at Cisco
Scaling multi-billion dollar product lines

Episode 19

Media & AdTech Scaling

with Amit Ghorawat at Reddit
Product strategy at scale

Episode 18

Breakthrough Technologies

with Margaret-Ann Seger, Statsig
Product innovation and experimentation

Featured

Enterprise Leaders

Guests from Microsoft, AWS, Salesforce, CrowdStrike, VMware & more

View All 20 Episodes

How Engagements Typically Work

Most engagements begin with a focused 30-minute conversation. The goal isn't to scope work — it's to understand context, constraints, and the decision you're actually trying to make.

If there's a clear fit, I'll suggest a lightweight next step. If not, I'll say so early.

Common Engagement Patterns

Rather than fixed packages, most work falls into one of a few patterns.

Focused Advisory

Short, high-leverage engagements such as:

Expert calls and strategy reviews
Board, investor, or exec-team prep
Product, AI, or infrastructure diligence

Typical when:
A decision is time-sensitive and outside perspective matters more than execution capacity.

Deep Strategic or Technical Work

Hands-on work across:

Product and platform strategy
AI, data, or infrastructure architecture decisions
Roadmap, GTM, or org alignment during inflection points

Typical when:
Complexity, scale, or cross-functional friction makes internal alignment difficult.

Ongoing Executive Support

Longer-running support such as:

Fractional or retained advisory
Interim leadership during transitions
Founder or CPO sounding-board support

Typical when:
The company is navigating sustained change, growth, or uncertainty.

What I Optimize For

Across all engagements, I optimize for:

Clarity over activity
Decisions over decks
Leverage over headcount
Durable platforms over short-term fixes
Candor over comfort

The aim is to leave teams clearer, not busier.

Selectivity

I tend to be most helpful when:

The problem involves real product, platform, or organizational complexity
The stakes are meaningful
There's openness to changing course if the data points there

If that's not the case, I'll usually say so early.

Schedule a 30-minute intro call

Contact

Looking to collaborate or connect?

Exploring product leadership roles? Let's talk. For advisory inquiries, reach out below. Schedule a 30-min intro call or send a message—I'll respond within 8 hours.