DEFINE VISION. SHARPEN STRATEGY. ACCELERATE OUTCOMES.
Trusted design partner to founders, executives, and growth-stage teams.
STRATEGIC DESIGN
FOR HIGH-STAKES MOMENTS.
I guide companies through stages that define their future. With the perspective of a seasoned product executive, I align vision and execution to turn great ideas into credible strategies that investors trust, customers adopt, and teams can rally behind. I bring clarity and momentum where it matters most.
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I help ambitious leaders secure investment, scale SaaS platforms, leverage emerging tech, and grow revenue.
"To Kristen and the team at Dark Pilot:
once again you have steered us out of the muddied, murky depths of the middle toward light and coherence. Boundlessly grateful for your patience, wisdom, and counsel."
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— VP, SaaS / Civic Tech
SUPPORT FOR EXECUTIVES
& VENTURE-BACKED TEAMS.
I operate at the intersection of product, design, and business to deliver measurable outcomes.
​Category & Competitive Strategy
Define the playing field, differentiation, and core offering so you win the room (and the round).
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Go-to-Market
Align product, sales, and marketing to accelerate growth and shorten sales cycles.
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Revenue Architecture
Build monetization that works.
Product & Platform Strategy
Translate vision into focused roadmaps and experiences that drive adoption, retention, and LTV.​
AI Strategy & Enablement
Identify high-value use cases and workflows to move from experimentation to ROI.
"Kristen is my favorite designer in the world. She's my favorite designer to have ever worked with in my entire career, of hundreds of designers. I am not being hyperbolic. She is actually and literally, my favorite. Ever."
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— CEO, SaaS / AdTech
KRISTEN SMITH
Kristen is a product and design executive with deep expertise in scaling complex systems and leading cross-functional teams from early concept through execution. She has advised early-stage teams, mentored rising leaders, and led multi-million dollar initiatives across enterprise infrastructure, AI, healthtech, and civic tech. She founded Dark Pilot to work with select founders and executive teams to define vision, sharpen strategy, and accelerate outcomes — bringing clarity, structure, and forward momentum to every stage of product development.
