Selected Work
Every project is a decision-making story.
The work I choose reflects the kinds of problems I enjoy solving: navigating uncertainty, bringing structure to complexity, and helping teams move from ideas to meaningful outcomes.
While not every engagement can be shared publicly, the stories below offer a glimpse into how I approach product leadership, strategy and organisational change.
Only the work I can comfortably share.
Quality matters more than quantity. Each story below focuses on the thinking behind the work — the context, the questions we sat with, the decisions we made together, and what stayed behind after the engagement ended.
Queen's University
Reimagining leadership through experiential learning.
In brief
Leadership is difficult to teach through lectures alone. Queen's University sought to create a more immersive learning experience that would allow students to experience the realities of leading organisations under uncertainty rather than simply studying leadership frameworks.
The Challenge
Traditional classroom methods often struggle to replicate the ambiguity, trade-offs and decision-making pressures that leaders face in practice. The challenge was to design a learning experience that felt realistic while remaining engaging, measurable and educational.
My Contribution
I led the product strategy and delivery of the Digital Leadership Simulation, working closely with stakeholders to translate educational objectives into an interactive learning experience. The work required balancing educational outcomes, user experience and product thinking while coordinating across multiple disciplines.
Outcome
The result was an immersive simulation that enables learners to make decisions, experience consequences and reflect on leadership in a practical environment rather than through theory alone.
“People learn best when they are trusted to make meaningful decisions.”
Reflection — Queen's University
Providence Care
Supporting digital transformation in healthcare.
In brief
Healthcare organisations operate within environments where technology decisions directly influence patient care, operational efficiency and staff experience.
The Challenge
Transformation in healthcare requires balancing innovation with reliability, governance and stakeholder needs.
My Contribution
Working within multidisciplinary teams, I contributed to technology initiatives by helping align business needs with practical delivery, ensuring that projects remained focused on organisational outcomes rather than technology alone.
“Healthcare taught me that successful digital transformation depends just as much on people, communication and process as it does on technology.”
Reflection — Providence Care
Rogers
Delivering at enterprise scale.
In brief
Large telecommunications organisations manage highly interconnected products, systems and customer experiences.
The Challenge
Scale introduces complexity. Decisions made in one area often ripple across many others.
My Contribution
Working within enterprise environments strengthened my understanding of governance, stakeholder management and the importance of aligning product delivery with broader organisational objectives.
“Large organisations don't simply need better technology. They need better alignment.”
Reflection — Rogers
Building AsteriskRD
Creating a company around thoughtful product development.
In brief
Rather than building another software agency, I wanted to create an organisation focused on product thinking, innovation and practical execution.
The Journey
AsteriskRD was established to help organisations move from ideas to validated products through research, strategy and engineering. While MADEbyAkin focuses on advisory, writing and leadership, AsteriskRD exists to deliver implementation where deeper technical capability is required.
“Founding a company taught me that building organisations is itself a product discipline.”
Reflection — AsteriskRD
Rather than showcasing deliverables, a way of working.
- 01
Listen before advising.
Every engagement begins with understanding the context rather than assuming the solution.
- 02
Simplify complexity.
Good strategy makes difficult decisions easier to understand.
- 03
Build shared understanding.
Progress happens faster when everyone is working toward the same picture of success.
- 04
Leave stronger capability behind.
The goal isn't simply to complete a project. It's to help organisations think and operate more effectively long after the engagement ends.
Good case studies don't celebrate success. They explain the thinking behind it.
Categories rather than logos.
A restrained view of the sectors and environments the work has moved through.
01
Public Sector
Digital transformation, governance and organisational improvement.
02
Healthcare
Technology initiatives supporting operational effectiveness.
03
Higher Education
Experiential learning, digital education and product innovation.
04
Telecommunications
Enterprise delivery, customer experience and large-scale product environments.
05
Venture Building
Founding and growing products, platforms and businesses.
06
Financial Services
Product strategy and organisational design for banks, fintechs and payments platforms.
Endorsements that answer a different question.
Placeholders held in place until genuine testimonials are collected. Nothing here is fabricated — each note names the theme it will one day speak to.
“Akinmade consistently brought clarity to complex challenges and helped align diverse stakeholders around practical decisions.”
— Future client testimonial
“He has a rare ability to connect strategy, execution and user experience without losing sight of the bigger picture.”
— Future colleague testimonial
“Working with Akinmade felt less like hiring a consultant and more like gaining a trusted thought partner.”
— Future client testimonial
Final invitation
Every organisation has a different challenge.
Whether you're exploring a new product, improving an existing business or navigating organisational change, I'd be glad to discuss where thoughtful strategy can make the greatest difference.