Maria Finelli · Spring 2026 Review
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Maria Finelli · Lead Product & Brand Designer
Performance Review
Spring 2026
Over the past 2 years, my role has evolved from designing outputs to building systems that scale across product, marketing, and sales.
Previous Goals
What I set out to do
At my last review, I focused on three improvement areas:
Expanding technical fluency
Going deeper on code development, systems thinking, and engineering collaboration so I can ship, not just hand off.
Leveraging AI
Using AI to expand output, speed, and creative range turning execution into a multiplier instead of a bottleneck.
Deepening product impact
Pushing beyond individual design work to shape what gets built and how it drives the business.
The ultimate goal
It wasn’t just to expand my skillset: it was to expand the scope of my impact.
The shift
The barrier has
been removed
I can now go from idea → shipped product independently. AI has fundamentally changed how I work.
1
Execution is no longer the constraint
The bottleneck has shifted away from writing code. I can go from idea to shipped product independently.
2
Engineers amplify, not gate
I ship on my own timeline and engineering expands what’s possible instead of blocking it.
3
From how to what
My focus has shifted from how to build to what’s worth building and why.
Capability
Expanded capabilities
Technical
  • AI coding and shipping production-ready tools
  • GitHub workflows, PRs, and engineering collaboration
  • Coursework in Python, prompt engineering, and applied AI
Creative
  • Stronger integration of product, brand, and marketing
  • Systems thinking over one-off execution
Leverage
  • Delegation and creative direction of freelance work
  • Scalable templates and repeatable systems via Figma Buzz, Slides, and Claude Skills
Output
What this unlocked
New product surfaces
  • Runwise Map Tool — builds trust instantly in sales conversations
  • AI-coded tools (sales reporting, this deck/landing system)
  • Elevate event landing page (concept → shipped independently)
Speed + efficiency
  • Faster iteration and reduced engineering dependency
  • Ideas shipped that previously wouldn’t have been prioritized
Scale
  • One-pager system now delegated and repeatable
  • Brand execution distributed across the org
  • Consistent output through freelancer direction
Pipeline Influenced
$76K+
Attributable to tools I designed & shipped
Demo Rate
Improvement driven by new sales surfaces
Onboarding Completion
95%
Interactive tutorial, avg ~1 min
Transition
My role has
drastically evolved
Before
Designer
2024–2025
  • Designing assets
  • Executing work
  • Solving defined problems
Systems builder
2026
  • Designing systems
  • Enabling others to execute
  • Defining what’s worth building
Philosophy
What drives my work
Curiosity is momentum.
Questioning if there’s a better approach and seeing opportunities others overlook.
Craft is execution.
How well something is built. Structure, detail, usability, polish.
Taste is judgment.
Knowing what’s actually worth building and what’s not worth pursuing.
Evidence & Recognition
What people say about working with me
“Maria makes everything she touches beautiful, and lately has become such a Claude Code wizard that it feels like somehow Batman got Superman’s powers.”
Shawn Shawn Hoffman · SVP, Product / Data Science
“Maria you are a design and branding goddess.”
Lee Lee Hoffman · President & CEO
“It’s just one of a million examples of how absurdly talented she is… it’s really a privilege to work with teammates that care so much about what we do.”
Shawn Shawn Hoffman · SVP, Product / Data Science
“Major props to Maria! She built out this new site for the water monitoring product. Not only does it look amazing, but the rate at which she got it done is super impressive!”
Sulaiman Sulaiman · Software Engineer
“Iteration speed and attitude become needlemovers. Maria continues to sprint at mile 25 without protest.”
Joe Joe · PM - Water
“Quick shoutout to @Maria for the awesome design as always. It looks great!”
David David Colatti · Senior Software Engineer
The adjustment
Role alignment
This scope aligns with a Principal-level role defined by system ownership, cross-functional impact, and influence on what the company builds and how it grows.
Product & System Ownership
  • Leading design for new product surfaces (Water, onboarding, smart monitoring)
  • Defining what gets built—not just how it looks
  • AI-enabled execution → faster path from idea to shipped product
  • Building scalable systems that persist beyond one-off work
Brand, Marketing & Revenue
  • Designing end-to-end go-to-market experiences (landing pages, campaigns, ads)
  • Supporting a growing marketing team with scalable, reusable systems
  • Elevating brand consistency across web, product, and events
  • Direct contribution to pipeline, trust-building, and conversion
Cross-Functional Leverage
  • Acting as a multiplier across Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Sales
  • Enabling non-designers through templates and systems (Figma Buzz, toolkits)
  • Reducing design bottlenecks → increasing team velocity
  • Partnering at a strategic level, not just execution
  • Built and distributed custom Claude AI skills to leadership (COO), engineering, and design
Role alignment
Principal Product Designer
Base compensation
$250K
Calibration
Scope vs. Reality
The role is defined on the left. I’m already living it on the right.
The role
What this requires
  • Identifying and building high-leverage opportunities
  • Creating scalable solutions across product and marketing
  • Bridging design, engineering, and business strategy
  • Increasing output through tools, systems, and direction
The reality
What I’m already doing
  • Building internal tools that drive trust and efficiency
  • Operating across product, marketing, and sales
  • Delegating execution while maintaining quality
  • Focusing on high-impact, system-level opportunities
Closing
The opportunity isn’t more output.
it’s exponential impact.
$10M
$7.5M
$5M
$2.5M
$0
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
🚀
Annual Recurring Revenue
I’m excited to keep
building at this level
and beyond.
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