Brian Donohue

I'm Brian, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Product manager by profession, sailor by obsession, and occasional boat mechanic by necessity (thanks, 1976 fiberglass). My boat, Hardtack, is equal parts racing machine and money pit, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I spent the last decade shipping platform-scale products at Shopify, most recently leading strategy within the Shop Pay and Shop ecosystem. These days I'm designing smarter systems for AI-assisted work, across software and maritime domains. I care about precision, clarity, and building things that actually make life easier: not harder.

I'm also fascinated by how systems work — technical, economic, social — and how people adapt inside them. That curiosity shapes how I lead: I zoom in when details matter, zoom out to align strategy, and connect the dots others might not see.

Outside of work, I'm usually racing, restoring, or single-handing Hardtack — or with a guitar in hand, chasing tone I may never quite find. I like building and tinkering, whether that's marine systems, smart home setups, or tech side projects. If it breaks, I'll figure out why. If it doesn't break, I'll probably "improve" it anyway.

At home, I share space with two cats: Ziggy, a calico who has perfected the art of glaring disapproval, and Ivee, an Abyssinian whose life mission seems to be inventing new forms of chaos. They keep me humble, entertained, and slightly covered in fur.

• Direct, not delicate. I value clarity and honesty over polite silence.
• Alignment-driven. I cut through noise and help teams get on the same page, fast.
• Execution-oriented. Strategy is great, but results matter — and I deliver.
• Curious, but pragmatic. I'll dive deep, but always come back with something actionable.
• Casual, but dependable. I'll crack jokes, but I won't drop the ball.

I teach my crew patiently and in detail — not because I'm a perfectionist (okay, maybe a little), but because we all get better when everyone understands the why behind the what. Whether it's explaining sail trim for the dozenth time or walking through a new maneuver, I'd rather take the extra minutes than have someone confused when it counts.

I love crewing on other boats too. I'm obsessed with sail trim, boat handling, and picking up new tricks from different skippers. Every boat teaches you something, and there's always another knot to learn or a better way to set a spinnaker.

I volunteer on the management committee at the yacht club because someone has to keep the lights on (and the bar stocked). It's rewarding work, even when it involves boring meetings and reading the suggestion box. I handle web and comms stuff — turns out my day job skills are useful for more than just product launches. One day I'll get my Yachtmaster certification — right after I finish that rigging project, and that engine rebuild, and... well, you get the idea.

• Sailing & racing (Hardtack, aka my floating to-do list)
• Restoring old boats & collecting new bruises
• Guitar, songwriting, and amp tinkering (for tone, occasionally for smoke)
• Motorcycles & vehicle mods
• Ziggy the grumpy calico & Ivee the silly Aby
• Exploring systems: tech, economics, AI, and why McDonald's tastes addictive