Open to opportunities

Ali Afshar

@aliafshar

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Product leader with expertise in blockchain and user-centric design.

Zimbabwe

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What I'm looking for

I seek a role that fosters innovation and values user-centric product development.

I am a seasoned product leader with a strong background in blockchain technology and user experience design. My journey began with a passion for creating innovative solutions that simplify complex processes for everyday users. At MANTRA, I led the product vision for a consumer-facing investment platform, successfully attracting over $20M in retail investment during its initial launch. My commitment to customer research and user testing has consistently driven product improvements, enhancing onboarding and retention rates.

Previously, as a Blockchain Product Manager at Chainlink Labs, I focused on streamlining integration processes across multiple networks, significantly increasing adoption rates. My experience as the Head of Product and CTO at MadLipz allowed me to develop a viral social app that reached over 45 million users without any marketing spend. This role honed my skills in managing cross-functional teams and translating complex technical concepts into user-friendly tools, ultimately aligning product development with company goals.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Product Lead

Current

MANTRA

Sep 2024 - Present (10 months)

Led the product vision and roadmap for MANTRA’s consumer-facing investment platform, simplifying access to tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) and attracting over $20M in retail investment. Oversaw the successful launch of a staking experience, prioritizing accessibility and simplified UX, while championing customer research and user testing to inform product iterations.

Product Vision Roadmap Development Blockchain UX Design Customer Research User Testing DeFi Team Management Product Strategy

Blockchain Product Manager

Chainlink Labs

Nov 2022 - Aug 2024 (1 year 9 months)

Led product strategy for internal platform tools, enabling seamless integration of Chainlink services across multiple networks, which increased integration speed by 4x and eliminated deployment misconfigurations. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to simplify the developer experience, leading to faster adoption and smoother onboarding for new blockchains.

Product Strategy Blockchain Web3 Developer Experience Workflow Optimization Tooling Integration

Head of Product, CTO & Co-Founder

MadLipz

Apr 2015 - Oct 2022 (7 years 6 months)

Led the development of a viral social app, MadLipz, which reached over 45M+ users globally with zero marketing spend and achieved #1 App Store ranking in 85 countries. Designed and implemented the tokenomics for the KIN token, powering an engage-to-earn model adopted by 300K+ monthly crypto spenders, and managed 6 product managers and engineers.

Product Leadership CTO Viral Growth Tokenomics Crypto Engage To Earn Team Management

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

University of Toronto

Master of Applied Science, Aerospace Engineering

Grade: 3.88

Activities and societies: Teaching assistant for 4 different engineering and programming courses

Conducted research on turbulent flows as a team member, collaborating with industrial partner Pratt & Whitney Canada. Served as a teaching assistant for four different engineering and programming courses.

University of Toronto

Bachelor of Applied Science Honors, Mechanical Engineering

Grade: 3.53

Activities and societies: Part-time patent technician at University Invention and Patent Services (UIPatent); Recipient of Paulin Memorial Scholarship

Worked part-time as a patent technician at University Invention and Patent Services (UIPatent). Recognized as a recipient of the Paulin Memorial Scholarship.