Richard Abi Chahla

Background

Richard founded Purple Brains in 2011, a consultancy specializing in product strategy, fractional Chief Product Officer services, MVP validation, and product roadmapping. Alongside it, he has bootstrapped ventures of his own — from SaaS platforms to mobile applications — and has led and consulted for numerous tech startups, taking them from early idea to launch.

Richard met Nicolas at Web Summit 2024. The two started working together on an AI product manager — the agent that went on to become Sy PM, a major part of Byblos AI and the main entry point for startups on the platform.

His experience spans a broad range of sectors, including AgriTech, LegalTech, HealthTech, and SaaS, giving him a pragmatic, market-first perspective on building products people actually use.

Areas of Expertise

• Product Strategy: Positioning, prioritization, and go-to-market planning
• Design Thinking: Customer experiments and user-centered discovery
• MVP Validation: Testing assumptions before committing to build
• Roadmapping: Turning vision into a clear, deliverable plan
• Agile Delivery: Leading cross-functional teams of designers, developers, and marketers

Approach

Richard brings a founder's mindset to product management: reduce uncertainty, make the call, and keep teams aligned around what matters most. As co-founder, he shapes how Start Me Up AI and Byblos AI build: every product grounded in real user needs and shaped by a clear path to market.