NextLeap - L&D SaaS Platform for Growing Teams

A two-sided platform enabling SMBs to measure, develop, and manage team skills, while empowering assessment authors to license and monetize their content.

L&D

SaaS

Personalization

Case Study Overview

A comprehensive breakdown of the product management approach, from problem discovery to measurable outcomes, following proven PM frameworks.

Problem Discovery

Small and mid-sized companies often treat learning and development (L&D) as a luxury rather than a strategic function. From interviews with startup HR leads, consulting firms, and assessment authors, we identified core pain points:

L&D managers lacked clarity on what skills to develop or measure.
Assessment tools were either too generic, too expensive, or disconnected from learning impact.
Independent content creators (authors) had no viable channel to license or monetize their intellectual property.

Existing enterprise LMS platforms (like SuccessFactors or 360Learning) were too complex, costly, or heavy-handed for SMB needs. For authors, Substack-style tools existed for writing—not structured assessment delivery.

Business Alignment

NextLeap was designed to solve two complementary problems:

1. For organizations: Make skills discovery, assessment, and development measurable and cost-effective. 2. For authors: Provide a platform to publish, license, and track the performance of their assessments.

This allowed us to build a two-sided B2B2C platform that supports:

Role-based learning assessments
Skill gap visibility and training recommendations
Monetization and analytics for high-quality assessment creators
Lightweight deployment for resource-strapped HR teams

This business model also unlocked PLG potential through freemium onboarding and a usage-based licensing engine.

Solution Exploration

After mapping user journeys for both personas (L&D leads and assessment authors), I prioritized the following MVP features:

Role-to-skill mapping engine: Helps companies tie assessment content to real job requirements
Assessment authoring and licensing: Authors can create, update, and track their content's use
Manager dashboard: Gives HR teams insight into skill gaps, progress, and team-specific learning patterns
Feedback loops: Learners and managers can rate content and flag relevance issues, improving data quality
Referral and freemium growth loops: Users can invite teammates, and authors can share limited-time access to boost discovery

I also led experiments in pricing (seat-based vs. usage-based), content curation strategies, and segment targeting (startups vs. agencies).

Execution

As PM, I led product discovery, GTM definition, and MVP build in collaboration with design and no-code/low-code engineering teams. Specific initiatives included:

Conducted early adopter testing with 10+ companies and 6 assessment creators
Defined product scope for both user types using the MOVE framework (Market, Operations, Velocity, Expansion)
Partnered with UX designers to create frictionless test-taking and result visibility flows
Built backend schema and scoring logic using Airtable, before evolving into a Supabase-powered architecture
Designed and executed launch campaigns targeting HR networks and L&D communities

I also created customer onboarding journeys with pre-built assessment templates, nudging managers to adopt role-based frameworks.

Outcomes & Impact

Outcomes:

Landing page experiments achieved 12%+ conversion to waitlist
Multiple authors expressed interest in publishing under license, not just free
Pilot users (HR leads) reported faster alignment on training priorities post-assessment
The platform reduced time to rollout L&D campaigns from weeks to days in some orgs

Reflections:

L&D for SMBs is not just a cost challenge — it's a prioritization and trust challenge
Authors value platforms that give feedback and monetization clarity, not just publishing tools
Mapping roles to assessments created immediate trust with buyers and added long-term defensibility
Freemium adoption needed a deeper understanding of activation barriers and manager confidence

Project Artifacts

Supporting materials, frameworks, and deliverables created during the product development process.

Personalization Algorithm

document

Machine learning approach for content personalization

User Journey Map

image

Comprehensive learner journey and touchpoint analysis

These artifacts demonstrate the systematic approach to product development, from initial discovery through execution and measurement.