$350 / month
2 calls per month (40min/call)
Unlimited Q&A via chat
Expect responses in 24 hours or less
Hands-on support
I help consumer products scale revenue without hurting retention — the tension most teams get wrong.
I'm a product and growth leader with 14+ years building consumer products for millions of users and billions in revenue: Tinder ($30M+ incremental ARR from ML-driven pricing), Grindr ($91M ARR across 190 countries, 3.5x paywall lift), GOAT ($130M GMV in 24 hours on Tmall's Singles' Day), Route (0→5.2M users and 10x revenue from $0-CAC growth loops), and Snap (0→19M downloads; Daqri acquired by Snap).
My background combines computer science with behavioral psychology — I don't just build the technology; I design the emotional triggers that make people come back.
Today I'm the Chief Product Officer at Quittr, an AI-powered platform helping people overcome behavioral addictions — the most rewarding 0→1 problem I've taken on. In my first 2 months: +22% recurring revenue and +23% subscriptions on $0 paid acquisition, by replacing deep discounts with behavior-triggered pricing that protects LTV.
I also advise startups as a Product Advisor with Antler and TRMNL4 (partnering with Meta and Snap), sit on the USC Viterbi School of Engineering Board, and teach product workshops on Maven.
🚀 My Superpowers (and what I can teach you)
• Monetization Design — Pricing, paywalls, ML-driven dynamic pricing, and unbundled SKUs that maximize LTV without cannibalizing the core.
• AI-Native Product Building — Consumer AI that doesn't fall into the "demo good, retention bad" trap. Treating AI as a partner, not a shortcut.
• Defensible Growth Loops — Moving beyond "buying users" to product mechanics (viral, content, and network loops) that compound over time.
• Behavioral Design — The "why" behind churn, conversion, and habit formation.
International Liquidity — Cross-border payments, logistics, and localization across 190+ markets.
👥 Who I Work Best With
• Founders & Early-Stage Teams — Navigating PMF, first growth loops, and initial monetization.
• Senior & Staff PMs — Leveling up from execution to strategic leadership; influence without authority.
• Aspiring PMs — Translating past experience into "product speak" and building portfolios that break through in the AI era.
💡 My Mentorship Style
• Structured, direct, and artifact-driven. We won't just chat about theory — we'll work on the real things that move your career or product forward. Depending on your goals:
• Diagnostics — Audit your funnel, paywall, or onboarding to find the highest-leverage fix.
• Strategy — Build a monetization strategy or 0→1 launch plan.
• Career — Mock interviews, resume and portfolio reviews, and negotiation strategy for senior/staff roles.
5 out of 5 stars
Before working with Shawn, I was completely lost in my career path. I was convinced I wanted to be a remote veterinarian, but through Shawn’s rigorous career discovery process, we realized the clinical realities meant I would have been miserable. He saved me years of stress and thousands of dollars pursuing the wrong field. Beyond changing the trajectory of my future career, Shawn was instrumental in elevating my professional and financial foundation. He built a custom financial plan to help me tackle my student loans, reduce my expenses, and maximize my cash flow. At work, his coaching directly led to my selection for a Leadership Development program. He also completely revamped my resume and LinkedIn profile which landed me my first internship! I also originally came to Shawn wanting to be a startup founder, but I only had a lot of scattered ideas and no clear vision. He taught me how to rigorously evaluate business opportunities—identifying risks, assessing product–market fit, and using logical frameworks to make strategic decisions. Shawn is an exceptional mentor who brings an executive, high-ROI mindset to everything he does. His guidance has fundamentally changed my financial and professional future. I cannot recommend him highly enough!
Lite Plan • 6 months
5 out of 5 stars
I reached out to Shawn during a period of professional transition, looking for clarity, structure, and guidance that would actually fit my situation rather than generic advice. From the start, he was incredibly supportive, flexible, and attentive to my needs, pace, and level of seniority. He’s very intentional about the information he shares — always relevant, well-structured, and grounded in real experience. What I appreciated most is how well Shawn listens. He takes the time to understand the full context before offering direction, which made our conversations feel thoughtful, respectful, and genuinely helpful. He’s also very result-oriented and consistently suggested clear, actionable frameworks that I could immediately apply at work — many of which proved useful in real situations. Even though I ultimately decided not to move forward toward a product manager role, the insights and ways of thinking Shawn shared are highly transferable and continue to be valuable in the field I’m staying in. Beyond the professional impact, Shawn is simply a good person — kind, supportive, and easy to talk to, especially during moments of change. I’m very grateful for the experience and would confidently recommend him as a mentor.
Standard Plan • 2 months
5 out of 5 stars
Shawn was a great mentor! He helped me examine my app & determine ways to move forward.
Standard Plan • 1 month
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Mentees who work with a mentor for 3+ months reach their goals 2x faster than those going it alone. Long-term mentorship means fewer false starts, more focused sessions, and support that builds week after week.
97% satisfaction across all mentors
Personalized feedback and growth plans
Trusted by thousands of mentees
Shawn Gong
Chief Product Officer at Quittr
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Book a free intro call with Shawn
Connect with Shawn in a quick call (usually under 30 minutes)
What's included in the trial?
Every trial is a little different–here's what Shawn says about their trial:
We'll meet for a quick call (usually under 30 minutes) where we:
- Break the ice and introduce ourselves
- Discuss your goals and how I can support you
- Coordinate logistics like time zones, meeting frequency, and communication methods
