Ken Norton
Executive Coach for Product Leaders
I’m Ken Norton, an executive coach specializing in guiding senior product and technology leaders through the complexities of leadership in high-growth environments. With over 14 years at Google, I led product initiatives for Google Docs, Calendar, and Mobile Maps, reaching over three billion users worldwide. I also supported and coached startup founders and leaders at GV (Google Ventures).
My Career
I launched my career in tech about a month after the Mosaic browser was released to the public. I immediately knew that I wanted to dedicate my energy to building digital products that help people collaborate and connect. Before Google, I was VP of Product at JotSpot (acquired by Google), led product teams at Yahoo, was one of the earliest employees of CNET, and served as the founding CTO of its spinoff Snap (later NBC Internet).
I started blogging about product management in 2005 because I couldn’t find anything on the web about what it meant to be a product manager in an empowered, user-centric tech company. My classic essay How To Hire a Product Manager has since become the playbook for a generation of product managers.
Coaching Philosophy
I believe the best leaders aren’t just strategic thinkers and execution machines. Great leaders are self-aware, emotionally intelligent, and can navigate complexity with clarity and courage. These human-centric leadership skills are becoming even more essential in a world dominated by AI. My coaching focuses on three powerful lenses:
Emotional Intelligence
Leadership isn’t just doing, it’s also being, and self-awareness is the foundation. I help leaders notice their patterns, understand what’s really driving them (and others), and build the emotional range to lead with clarity instead of reactivity. You can’t scale your leadership if you don’t know yourself first.
Conscious Leadership
Most leaders operate on autopilot, constantly reacting to external pressure. It’s human to slip into blame, control, or defensiveness when the pressure’s on. Conscious Leadership is about recognizing when you’re leading from fear, and learning to shift back into presence, responsibility, and curiosity. It’s not about being perfect all the time. That’s impossible. But you can choose how you lead, rather than being captured by old habits and unconscious belief systems.
10x Thinking
Too many smart leaders get stuck tweaking instead of transforming. I challenge my clients to think exponentially: What would be possible if you stopped playing small? What’s the bold move you’ve been avoiding? I don’t believe that 10x Thinking requires hustle culture, “996,” or burning your people out. 10x can open up space for you and your team to imagine and create bold outcomes that match your values and purpose.
Credentials
Certifications:
- Professional Certified Coach (PCC) – International Coaching Federation
- Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) – Co-Active Training Institute
- Leadership Circle Profile Certified Practitioner
- EQ-i 2.0 / 360 Certified
Training:
- The Conscious Leadership Group
- IFS Institute
- Growth Edge Coaching
- The Narrative Enneagram
- The Emotional Intelligence Training Company
- Organizational and Relationship Systems Coaching
I earned a B.A. from Boston University and an M.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). I am a listed inventor of more than forty issued patents.
Let’s Connect
Ready to elevate your leadership journey? Schedule a discovery session or learn more.
Working with Ken has changed the way I approach not only my job, but my personal relationships. When I was promoted to VP, I experienced a bit of an existential crisis. I questioned my abilities and whether I deserved to be in that role. Ken’s helped me build confidence, recognize my unique strengths, and internalize that I deserve my job. He’s able to push me, and also be in my corner.
Kate Estep
VP Product Management at Flatiron Health
Ken’s never going to get rid of me as a client. Working with him has been transformational. I’m finally clear about my goals and values, more satisfied in my role, and more present in my life.
Kirk Miles
GM of AI at Asana
I love having Ken in my corner rooting for me. He’s like my professional big brother or uncle. I reached out to him because my new role as the most senior product leader in the company was pressure-testing me in a way I've never encountered before. It felt lonely and I knew I needed to become a better version of myself. These days, I actually look forward to the emotional ups and downs I experience in my role, because I know I’m going to generate a meaningful insight working through that emotion with Ken.
Amit Rozeman
VP Product & E-Commerce at Whole Foods Market
Ken’s coaching improves the quality of the decisions I make. He has a deep understanding of how product-minded individuals think, which was crucial for me. It’s like working with an incredible Zen product leader who knows how to ask the right questions to get me to the right answers. He’s helped me gain clarity and confidence in taking action instead of feeling paralyzed by choices.
Dennis Xu
Co-Founder of Mem Labs and Adaptive
I was growing in my product leadership career but was running into challenges scaling. I needed someone who had ‘been there and done that’ who could help me work on me. After partnering with Ken, I’m better at seeing around corners and getting in touch with the root of any issue. I am able to articulate who I am as a leader and what it means to show up and lead authentically.
Anthony Murphy
VP Product Management at Plex Systems
I have so much gratitude and admiration for Ken. It‘s a gift to have regular conversations that provoke thought and bring what‘s most important into focus. Our work together has been deeply centering and energizing for me. I always leave our sessions with a renewed sense of my own path as a leader.
Katie McCormick
Director of Product Management at Promethean
