David Kerns

Work With Me

Something's not working.
Let's figure out what it is and fix it.

What You Get

Someone who's been in the room, done the work, and can get you moving again.

Real Work on Real Problems

I don’t do discovery projects or research exercises.

I work on problems that are actively blocking you from shipping, scaling, or growing.

If you’re not sure what’s wrong, we’ll figure it out together — but the goal is always action, not analysis.

A Resource Across Disciplines

I’ve been a CDO (data infrastructure, ML, dashboards), COO (operations, fulfillment, hiring), and led product and marketing.

This isn’t a portfolio career — it’s the same skill: figure out what’s broken, build a solution, ship it.

Problems aren’t siloed. The “product problem” is usually ops. The “marketing problem” is usually positioning. I see the system, not the symptom.

Here's How It Works

00

Meet & Greet

A free 25-minute call to see if we're a good fit. No pitch, no pressure — just a conversation about where you are, where you want to be, and whether I can actually help.

01

Figure Out What Actually Matters

Most blocks look like 10 problems. Usually it's 1–2 root causes. I dig into your business, talk to your team, look at your data, and identify what's actually holding you back.

02

Build a Plan That Ships

No 40-page strategy decks. I map out the fastest path to unblocked: what needs to happen, who does it, what success looks like.

03

Do the Work (or Help You Do It)

Depending on the engagement, I either execute directly, pair with your team, or coach you through it. The goal is momentum, not perfect process.

Three Ways to Work Together

Whether you need an hour to get unblocked or ongoing support to scale, there's an engagement model that fits.

Quick Wins

$275/hour

Live session (in person or video call)

You need an answer fast

  • 1-hour focused session on a specific problem
  • Real-time triage: we identify the root cause and map next steps
  • Tactical advice you can implement immediately
  • Follow-up notes with recommendations and action items

Unblock a Block

$1,500–$1,900/day

Live or async (your choice)

You're blocked and need to ship this week

  • Full-day deep dive (6–8 hours, async or live)
  • I get my hands dirty: code, models, flows, copy — whatever unblocks you
  • End-of-day debrief with clear handoff and next steps
  • 1 week of async follow-up for questions

Fractional Partner

$6,700/month

Mix of live and async

You need ongoing strategic + execution support

  • 30+ hours per month, flexed to what you need most
  • Embedded as part of your team: Slack, meetings, own outcomes
  • Mix of strategy and execution across data, ops, product, growth
  • Cross-functional work — whatever's blocking scale
David Kerns

Let's figure out what you need.

Book a free 25-minute call. We'll talk through what's going on and I'll give you my honest take on whether I can help — and which engagement makes the most sense.

No sales pitch — just an honest conversation.

Or take the free Block Diagnostic