My work as a Principal, Growth PM at Gitlab

My Role as Principal Product Manager


During my time as a Principal Product Manager at GitLab, my mission was laser-focused: optimizing net revenue retention by helping existing customers get more value out of our offerings. Whether it was increasing add-on units, expanding licensed seats, or upgrading customers to higher tiers, I worked on creating workflows that made the path to expansion as seamless as possible—for both SaaS and Enterprise accounts.


To hit these goals, I leaned heavily into contextual in-app experiences. Think smart, tailored flows that nudged users toward that “aha” moment faster. By meeting users where they were and guiding them toward features they might not have known they needed, I helped unlock more value for them—and for GitLab.


Another area I tackled was the global navigation experience. My goal? Steer traffic into those high-impact flows that aligned with my OKRs. My two north-star KPIs were Net Retention Rate and User Growth Rate, and everything I built fed into improving those metrics.


One of the things I’m most proud of is the framework I developed for experimentation. With a lean, eight-person team, we were able to consistently run A/B tests and experiments at scale. This setup allowed us to rapidly test and implement solutions that changed how users engaged with the product, resulting in an increase from 1 to 3 products per paying customer—a major leap in adoption.


On top of that, I led the charge in refining user workflows for service expansion, creating streamlined processes that encouraged customers to expand their use of GitLab. This included add-ons, more licensed seats, and upgrades—wins that contributed directly to our bottom line.


At its core, my work at GitLab was about revenue growth through better user experiences. By deeply understanding the customer journey and creating experiences that encouraged expansion, I was able to drive meaningful impact for both our users and the company. It’s work I’m incredibly proud of—and a playbook I carry with me wherever I go.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Building the Procore Construction Network

The Opportunity - Revolutionize the Construction Industry with Procore Construction Network The construction industry has long been known for its inefficiencies and lack of connectivity. However, with the advent of new technology, there is an opportunity to change that. Enter Procore, with its ambitious mission to connect everyone in the industry on one single platform. At the heart of this mission lies the Procore Construction Network, which provides an opportunity for every business in construction to connect with each other. With this platform, Procore aims to provide a more efficient way of doing day-to-day things throughout the course of construction for all the players involved, including General Contractors, Subcontractors, Suppliers, Owners, and other service providers such as insurance and capital providers. By creating a Procore account and participating in the Procore Construction Network, businesses can streamline their processes, increase productivity, and reduce cos...
Read more

About me

Hi, there  👋 My name is Tim Hey -- Currently, I am the Head of Product Management at  Procore . I'm focused on connecting everyone in the construction industry on one platform more specifically I'm building the Procore Construction Network . I currently live in  Hilton Head, SC  🇺🇸 with my wife Elizabeth, our 2 sons and dog.  I was raised in New Hampshire and that's where the majority of my family lives. I'm up there quite a bit in the summer months.  I’m an  introverted extrovert  which for me means that I enjoy spending time with others but I recharge in solitude. You will know which mode I’m in within seconds of interacting with me. I studied business management and sustainable product design and development at Keene State College in New Hampshire and it just so happens that it’s exactly what I’ve built a career around. I ride bikes  🚴‍♂️   and recently fell in love with gravel. If I’m feeling fit I will compete in local gravel ra...
Read more

Career Mission & Future State

My Career Mission and Future State Mission: Deliver products that customers truly love & value, by building products and high functioning Product teams. Future State: I want to work in a high trust environment where I feel safe to be myself and do my best work. I want to work around people who value my work and believe I’m the very best person for the job I’m in. This makes me feel like a strong contributor to a winning team. I want to be recognized as a product leader who can step onto any management team and immediately add value. This means I need to have excellent product and design sense, the ability to ramp quickly and build a supportive team around the product we are building. Additionally I need to be excellent at big stage & boardroom communications and cross-company leadership. I want the opportunity to build world class products and lead a high performance team. Building products from 0-1, iterating on them while building a supportive ...
Read more