FINRA | Developer Platform Enablement & Product Operating Model Uplift
FINRA
Through a staff augmentation partnership with SGA Inc, Mysthios supported FINRA’s Developer Tools & Services team as a Technical Product Manager. The formal scope focused on enabling delivery coordination and backlog management for a modern, cloud-enabled CI/CD and developer experience platform.
Beyond this tactical scope, Mysthios proactively pursued a strategic approach - working collaboratively to strengthen alignment, visibility, and product maturity within the broader department, influencing investment decisions, operating model improvements, and strategic clarity.
Industry: Financial | Regulatory
Engagement Model: Staff Augmentation 2024 - 2025
Mysthios Focus Areas:
Product Excellence (strategic roadmap, backlog management, product evangelism)
Engineering Mastery (service operations machine, delivery strategy, delivery maturity improvements)
Context & Challenge
As part of its broader modernization initiatives, FINRA aimed to improve the scalability and developer experience of its internal CI/CD tooling and platform services. While foundational capabilities existed, delivery consistency and visibility across teams varied, and Product Management for internal tools was still maturing. The engagement, scoped as a tactical Technical Product Manager role, surfaced broader opportunities to strengthen strategic alignment, operational structure, and cross-team engagement in support of platform evolution.
What we delivered
Contractual Scope & Tactical Contributions
Supported planning, backlog organization, and requirement coordination for cloud-native CI/CD and Developer Enablement initiatives
Acted as liaison to facilitate developer tooling adoption and reduce internal platform friction
Managed and refined product backlogs, creating user stories aligned with developer workflows and operational readiness requirements
Strategic & Organizational Contributions
Mysthios expanded its impact by addressing systemic challenges related to clarity, alignment, and product operating maturity:
🧠 Investment Framing & Strategic Roadmapping
Authored strategic narratives and business cases for key platform modernization and enablement efforts, leveraging cloud capabilities and aligning with enterprise objectives
Supported strategic decisions with well-documented narratives, investment rationale, ROI articulation, and stakeholder alignment
🧩 Product Operating Model Foundations
Introduced reusable product management structures (e.g., OKR templates, business case outlines, operating rhythms), incorporating best practices
Established consistent, outcome-focused product practices across delivery teams
Developed scalable communication channels, including:
Product Office Hours for departmental engagement
Monthly Product Newsletter to enhance transparency and alignment
🔧 Technical Enablement & Mentorship
Fostered team-level delivery maturity, systems thinking, and lean product practices
Elevated conversations from tactical feature management to strategic, outcome-driven product leadership
Key Highlights
Delivered strategic clarity and investment rationales shaping enterprise-wide cloud-enabled initiatives
Fostered stronger internal product discipline and clearer departmental operating frameworks
Enhanced team-level delivery maturity through structured guidance and strategic coaching
Reflections & Exit
While Mysthios’ strategic contributions were recognized and appreciated at the team and stakeholder levels, formal acknowledgment or organizational adoption into broader departmental leadership was limited by the original tactical nature of the staff augmentation agreement. Consequently, and with a clear focus on transformation-level roles, Mysthios concluded the engagement amicably upon contract completion.
Testimonials
“Norman brought a wealth of experience and a strategic mindset to our developer platform initiatives. His ability to align technical execution with business objectives significantly enhanced our product management practices.”
— Reid Clark, Sr. Director, Product Management, FINRA
“Working with Norman was a transformative experience. His insights into product strategy and his commitment to excellence helped elevate our engineering processes and team collaboration.”
— Greg Sypolt, Engineering Leader, FINRA
