Alexander Polanco

Engineering leadership for companies and leaders

I help companies build better products and scale engineering teams. I also work directly with leaders through 1-on-1 coaching to develop stronger leadership skills and make better decisions. With 15+ years of experience leading engineering teams at companies like Rasa, Prisma, Shiftmove, and Ziegert, I bring proven expertise in engineering management, product development, and organizational transformation.

Services

Strategic guidance and hands-on support for leadership teams navigating product, technology, and organizational complexity.

Product and Engineering Leadership Advisory

Strategic guidance and hands-on support for leadership teams navigating product, technology, and organizational complexity.

I act as a trusted advisor to founders, CEOs, and executives, helping them make informed decisions across product strategy, engineering structure, and technical direction.

What this includes:

  • Product and engineering strategy alignment
  • Executive level technical decision support
  • Engineering organization design and operating models
  • Architecture and platform reviews
  • Technical and product due diligence for investors and acquisitions
  • Interim leadership support during transitions or scale phases

Software Engineering and Digital Solutions

Design, development, and long-term support of reliable software systems and modern web platforms.

I work closely with teams to build systems that are maintainable, secure, and ready for growth, from initial build to production and beyond.

What this includes:

  • End-to-end software development
  • Modern web applications and company websites
  • System and application architecture
  • Performance, reliability, and scalability improvements
  • Ongoing maintenance, technical support, and advisory

Engineering Leadership and Executive Coaching

Support for current and emerging engineering leaders who need to operate effectively at senior and executive levels.

I help leaders improve decision making, communication, and organizational impact while building teams that consistently deliver.

What this includes:

  • One-on-one leadership coaching
  • Engineering management development
  • Team performance and delivery frameworks
  • Hiring, org design, and succession planning
  • Executive communication and stakeholder alignment

Who this is for

Founders and CEOs

Strategic guidance on product and engineering decisions that impact business outcomes.

CTOs and Heads of Engineering

Support for scaling teams, improving delivery, and building strong organizations.

Product leaders

Alignment between product strategy and technical execution.

Investors and boards

Technical clarity for investment decisions and portfolio company support.

Engagements range from short advisory sessions to ongoing leadership support. All work is scheduled around my full-time commitments, available evenings and weekends.

Enterprise Engagement Models

Engagement Models

Flexible part-time engagement models designed to work around my full-time commitments, available evenings and weekends.

Tier 1

Strategic Advisory

  • Monthly strategic sessions (evenings/weekends)
  • Board meeting preparation and support
  • Quarterly technology portfolio review
  • Priority access for critical decisions
Tier 2

Project-Based Support

  • Part-time embedded support for 3-6 month initiatives
  • Hands-on architecture and team development (evenings/weekends)
  • Measurable outcome-based engagement
  • Knowledge transfer to internal leadership
Tier 3

Focused Assessment

  • 2-4 week architecture or process review (flexible scheduling)
  • Detailed analysis and recommendation framework
  • Executive presentation of findings
  • Implementation roadmap
Experience

What I Bring

Current Role

Engineering Manager at Rasa

Conversational AI

Oct 2024 - Present

Leading engineering teams in conversational AI, building scalable systems and developing high-performing teams.

Advisory & Consulting

Part-time Advisory & Engineering

Nov 2024 - Present

Supporting engineering leaders through organizational transformations, improving operational efficiency by 20%. Building products from concept to production as sole engineer and project lead.

Product Development
Organizational Transformation
Scaling

Product & Revenue Growth

Head of Product Development at Prisma ORM

Developer Tools

Sep 2023 - Dec 2024

Led 12 engineers and 2 PMs to scale the Prisma ecosystem. Launched Prisma Optimize, achieving 5% conversion from 2,000+ OSS developers to paying users. Improved team velocity by 40% through better processes and rebuilt a high-trust engineering organization.

Team Leadership
Product Strategy
Revenue Growth

Large Team Scaling

Head of Product Engineering at Shiftmove

Mobility

Dec 2021 - Sep 2023

Managed 30 engineers and 4 engineering managers. Automated QA processes, reducing bugs by 12%. Rapidly scaled the team, hiring 7 engineers and 2 managers in 3 months while improving delivery speed.

Large Team Management
Process Automation
Rapid Scaling

Product & Conversion Optimization

Engineering Manager at Ziegert Group

Real Estate

Jan 2019 - Dec 2021

Built custom CMS and internal tools that improved conversion rates by 7%. Designed automated lead qualification processes, reducing manual work by 60% while maintaining quality.

Product Development
Conversion Optimization
Process Automation
Blog Posts

Recent Articles

Why Great Ideas Don't Need Giant Teams from Day 1

Exploring the common mistake of overstaffing a vision before validating it, emphasizing the importance of lean teams in the initial stages of project development.

Read article

The Pedigree Paradox: The 'Hidden' Bias in Hiring

Exploring biases in hiring processes and offering strategies to overcome them by focusing on candidates' skills rather than traditional credentials.

Read article

Understanding Your Organization's Immune System

Delving into how to work with, rather than against, a company's inherent defenses, providing insights into navigating organizational resistance to change.

Read article