Ken Norton

Kenneth Norton is a prominent executive coach specializing in product leadership. Here are some key details about his background and current role:

Career History

Kenneth Norton has an extensive background in product management and technology:

• He spent over 14 years at Google in senior product management roles, leading teams that developed widely-used products like Google Docs, Google Calendar, and Google Mobile Maps.14

• Prior to Google, he held leadership positions at other tech companies including:

  • Vice President of Product at JotSpot (acquired by Google)
  • Senior Director of Product Management at Yahoo
  • Chief Technology Officer at NBC Internet
  • Director of Software Engineering at CNET4

Current Role

Since October 2020, Norton has been working full-time as an executive coach for product leaders through his company Bring the Donuts, LLC.45 In this role, he:

• Specializes in coaching senior product leaders like Chief Product Officers, VPs of Product, and director-level product managers at major tech companies.1

• Helps clients navigate career milestones, develop leadership skills, and tackle complex challenges in their roles.15

• Works with leaders from companies including Amazon, Dropbox, Google, Meta, Slack, and many high-growth startups.4

Approach and Philosophy

Norton is known for:

• Emphasizing the importance of leadership skills in product management, stating that product managers are "leaders from day one".3

• Advocating for a creative rather than reactive leadership mindset.2

• Encouraging product managers to "bring the donuts" - a metaphor for doing whatever is necessary for the team, even if it's not glamorous.1

• Promoting the "10x Not 10%" rule, which challenges product managers to innovate boldly rather than settling for incremental improvements.1

Kenneth Norton leverages his extensive experience in product management to help leaders develop their authentic leadership capacity and navigate the complexities of senior product roles.5