Product and traction help for tech startups · UK-based, working with founders everywhere

You built the product. So why isn't anyone using it?

I'm Pearl Oguchi. I help tech founders, and the programmes that back them, work out what's actually stopping growth. Then we fix it together. 22 years building software, 9 at Meta.

★★★★★ Read what founders say on Google →
Pearl Oguchi, founder of Qube Catalyst

“Pearl spots the gaps that those of us deep inside the product simply cannot see.”

Founder, Kin.

Which one sounds like you?

You launched. A few sign-ups trickled in. Then nothing.

“People say it's a great idea, but they don't sign up.”
“They sign up, look around and never come back.”
“We've rewritten the homepage three times and nothing has moved.”
“Investors keep asking about traction and I haven't got a good answer.”

There are two very different problems hiding under “we need more users”. If people who find you understand it and some stay, you have a distribution problem — stop changing the product. If people arrive and don't convert or don't come back, more traffic just burns money. The first job is knowing which one you've got. That's what I find.

Not sure which one you've got? Take the traction quiz and find out in a few minutes.

Picture next month: you know exactly where people drop off and why. You've fixed the one thing that matters most. When an investor asks about traction, you answer with real usage, not hope.

Every product decision still goes through you. And it's slowing everything down.

“The team waits for me before they can ship anything.”
“Sales promises one thing, engineering builds another, and I'm the referee.”
“Customers want more than we can build, and I'm the only one deciding what matters.”
“I need a head of product, but I can't justify a full-time hire yet.”

Imagine a roadmap the team follows without you in the room. Priorities everyone agrees on. Decisions made on evidence, not on who pushed hardest. And your week back for customers, investors and hiring.

Your founders need specialist product help. Your programme can't give it to them on its own.

“Half the cohort has built something nobody's using yet, and Demo Day is coming.”
“Our mentors are generous, but nobody's going through the products properly.”
“Our funders want to see outcomes, not attendance.”
“I need a specialist I can trust in front of my founders.”

Picture a cohort walking into Demo Day with real usage and clear answers to the questions investors ask. And a programme report that shows exactly what changed.

Already trusted by: Venture Community · Fresh Mango · NatWest Accelerator · Innovate Cambridge

A few examples of the work

Preparing a live guidance platform for a high-stakes demonstration

What was broken

New users could land on an empty dashboard, and key guidance was hard to find.

What I found

Unclear roles and modes, a risky Cancel button, countdown pressure, and a video-call flow that could stall.

What changed

The team got a clear order of priorities for onboarding, notifications, and the core call flow before demo and beta.

Improving trust and consistency in an AI compatibility platform

What was broken

Compatibility scores contradicted each other, and key account flows could leave users stuck.

What I found

Inconsistent score rules, an early facial-scan step, prompts that returned after refresh, and an incomplete password reset.

What changed

The team got practical priorities for consistent scores, clearer authentication, and safer activation.

Seeing something similar? Book A Discovery Call

About Pearl

I spent 22 years building software, 9 of them at Meta. I've seen how products behave when real people use them, and how small gaps quietly kill growth. I'll tell you what's actually wrong, even when it's not what you want to hear.

Pearl Oguchi
Founder, Qube Catalyst

Not sure which one you need? Call me. Thirty minutes, and you'll know.

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Client Voices

What founders say

"

I brought Pearl in at short notice to support the build for my trades app. She delivered exactly what we needed: a fast, focused review that flagged critical issues and gave my developer clear, actionable fixes ahead of user testing. Her approach was professional, efficient and incredibly helpful. Thanks to Pearl's input, we went into testing with confidence and clarity. I highly recommend ...

Founder, Trades market place app
"

You told me the truth about things I needed to hear, and that kind of boldness is rare. Building FieldNote has required me to get uncomfortable every single day. Grateful to have connected with someone who understands exactly why that is necessary.

Founder, On the go AI note taker
"

Qube Catalyst was an exceptional partner throughout the development and launch of the Reel Time Fishing Tournament mobile applications for both iOS and Android... and they exceeded expectations in every area. Pearl's contributions played a major role in helping us deliver a stable, polished, and user-friendly experience across both platforms.

Founder, Digital agency
"

Working with Pearl on a recent web application review was exceptional. Her precision, professionalism, and ability to spot issues that others miss made a huge difference. Pearl identified improvements, highlighted strengths, and delivered feedback that was both constructive and immediately actionable.

Founder, Mediation services

See all reviews on Google →

Partners & clients

Good work is built together