About
Who I am, how I work and ways to cooperate
As a strategic thinker with a strong passion for problem solving, my career has taught me a set of core principles that consistently shape the success of products, teams and projects.
As I look for new challenges, I’m open to different opportunities and ways of working together — depending on where my experience can create the most value.
ABOUT
Where I'm coming from
More than two and a half decades ago, I started my career in the printing industry, where precision and craftsmanship shaped how I think about quality. In the early days of the internet, I discovered digital design, worked with Macromedia Flash and spent many years as a freelance designer, helping businesses and agencies build their digital products.
As technology evolved, so did my role. My focus gradually shifted from designing interfaces to solving the problems behind them and so I evolved into a UX expert: facilitating executive workshops, setting up research teams, defining operating models and helping organisations make better product decisions.
The biggest product failures I have witnessed were rarely caused by poor interface design. They happened much earlier—when assumptions were treated as evidence, delivery was optimised before clarity, and complexity was scaled instead of reduced. That observation fundamentally changed how I approach product development.
Today my work focuses on product strategy, organisational design, discovery, prioritisation and executive alignment. My studies in Psychology at the University of Graz continue to shape how I think about decision-making, organisational behaviour and stakeholder dynamics.
“Clemens played a vital role in establishing UX Research as an additional area of strength for our company and helped us build a team with a global reach. I would highly recommend him for senior leadership roles across UX, Product, and Organizational Transformation.”
— Wolfgang Lierzer, Co-Founder, Parkside IT Gmbh
Principles
Over the years, I've worked across products, teams and organisations in very different environments. Certain patterns kept repeating — and so did the reasons projects succeeded or failed. These principles shape how I think, make decisions and approach complex problems.
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Evidence before opinion
Product decisions should be based on observation, analysis and validated insight - not hierarchy or gut feeling.
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Outcomes before output
Many teams measure activity instead of impact. The focus should be on measurable results, not feature volume.
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Focus before scale
Scaling an unfocused product amplifies chaos. Strategic focus is a prerequisite for growth.
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Systems before interfaces
Interfaces are only the visible surface of a deeper system. Sustainable product quality depends on the workflows, ownership, information architecture and technical constraints behind them.
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Application before adoption
AI, agents and automation are powerful force multipliers — but only when applied to the right problems.
WHERE I COME IN
Ways to work with me.
The problems are the same: unclear priorities, structural friction, decisions made without evidence. The right form depends on where your organisation stands.
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PERMANENT
In a leadership role
As Head, Director or VP of Product or Design. For organisations where ownership is unclear, teams operate as shared resources or product decisions depend too heavily on individual stakeholders. I build the structures, teams and decision logic for a sustainable product organisation.
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TEMPORARY
As a consultant on a defined problem
For one specific, high-stakes challenge: a risky migration, an organisation stuck in the Build Trap, a scope nobody can defend or an investment built on assumptions. I establish what is known, what is assumed and what needs validation — and leave you with a decision you can defend.
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ADVISORY
As an advisor to executive leadership
For decisions too expensive to build on assumptions: strategic scenarios, acquisition due diligence, new ventures, portfolio choices or major product investments. I work directly with CEOs, founders and investors to evaluate technical capability, market opportunity and organisational reality together.