Great product hires have a pattern: shipping velocity, cross-functional influence, portfolio depth that goes beyond polished case studies. 9cv9 surfaces that signal before you spend a single interview slot.
Product and design roles live at the intersection of craft, communication, and delivery. Our analytics are built around that complexity.
Counts verifiable product launches, feature releases, and shipped work against tenure length. Distinguishes builders from strategists — both have value, but you need to know which one you're hiring.
Goes beyond "has a portfolio" to evaluate what's in it: user research citations, metric outcomes, A/B test mentions, and scope of ownership. Penalises style without substance.
Measures the breadth of collaborators a candidate has worked with — engineering, design, marketing, data, legal. Product leaders who've only worked in insular squads struggle at the systems level.
Distinguishes confirmed discipline depth: core PM vs. growth PM vs. platform PM vs. UX vs. design systems. Every candidate mapped against the specific discipline your role requires.
From individual contributors to CPO searches. Every tier uses a different analytical weight — what matters for a junior UX designer is different from what matters for a VP of Product.
The best product leaders don't always have the loudest LinkedIn presence. Our analytics find the ones with shipping track records, not just narrative polish.
| Assessment area | Generalist recruiter | 9cv9 Product & Design |
|---|---|---|
| Portfolio evaluation | Reviews presentation quality and storytelling — not what was actually shipped or owned. | Shipping velocity index counts verifiable launches against tenure. Portfolio depth score evaluates outcome evidence vs style. |
| Seniority verification | Takes title at face value. ICs who stayed senior for years can appear equivalent to Heads of Product. | Career trajectory profiling catches scope gaps that titles hide. Discipline precision map distinguishes core PM from growth PM from UX from design systems. |
| Cross-functional scope | Rarely assessed. Engineers who worked only with design may still match for Head of Product roles. | Cross-functional influence assessment maps the breadth of collaborators — engineering, design, data, marketing, legal, finance — to ensure scope fit. |
| Analytical depth | Curated shortlists based on CV keywords and interview instincts. | Five analytical layers run on every candidate before shortlisting: shipping velocity, portfolio depth, influence breadth, discipline fit, and hire risk scoring. |
| Discipline specificity | Product and UX roles treated interchangeably. Design systems PMs matched against growth PMs. | Every discipline (core PM, growth PM, platform PM, UX, design systems, UX research) mapped separately against the specific role requirement. |
| Shortlist turnaround | Typically 6–10 weeks. Revisions common after first shortlist doesn't fit. | Portfolio-vetted shortlist delivered within 21 days. AI-generated candidate briefs included with evidence-backed fit rationale. |
Submit a mandate and receive an analytically-backed shortlist of portfolio-verified product and design talent — typically within 21 days.
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