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Marcelo Calbucci

Marcelo Calbucci

Founder, fractional CTO/CPO, author, and product/tech executive

Seattle, Washington
London, United Kingdom
Joined December 2024

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11.5K connections
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HR & People Leaders
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Hiya Employees
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Leadership Coaches & Mentors

Summary

Marcelo Calbucci is a seasoned entrepreneur and technologist with over 30 years of experience, having founded six startups and launched a dozen tech projects in both Seattle and London. He sold his first software at 14 and has successfully raised over $40 million for his ventures in diverse sectors including social networks, fitness, health, and telecommunications. calbucci+2
His career includes leadership roles at major tech companies like Microsoft and Amazon, where he led engineering teams for Bing and directed product and tech for HR benefits impacting millions of employees. He also served as CTO of Hiya Inc., leading product and engineering to protect over 165 million users worldwide, and CPO/CTO at DoctorLink. intro+1
Marcelo is a prolific author and thought leader, having written 'The PRFAQ Framework' book, which adapts Amazon's innovation strategy for wider application. He frequently publishes articles on his personal blog and Medium, covering topics such as product management, leadership, AI's impact on jobs, and software development methodologies. calbucci+2
He is a recognized community builder in the tech ecosystem, particularly in Seattle. He founded Seattle 2.0, an organization that fostered the local entrepreneurial scene and was later acquired by GeekWire. He continues to organize meetups like 'Acquired Seattle' and 'Seattle Flow' and has served as a mentor and advisor for accelerators such as TechStars and SXSW Accelerator. calbucci+2
Marcelo Calbucci holds 11 patents, demonstrating his significant contributions to technological innovation. justia+1

Work

Education

Projects

Writing

Why headlines about AI displacing jobs don’t match reality

October 16, 2025

Explores the dual narratives surrounding AI: automation and job displacement versus layoffs and a shortage of entry-level positions, arguing that assumptions about AI's impact on employment may not align with reality.

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The PRFAQ Framework: Adapting Amazon's Innovation Framework to Work for You

January 1, 2025

Authored a book that provides a guide for product leaders, founders, and innovators on how to use the PRFAQ Framework to discover, debate, and decide strategy and vision, and to increase the chances of product success.

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The VMSO Framework brings clarity, alignment, and purpose to teams

December 2, 2024

Discusses the Vision, Mission, Strategy, and Objectives (VMSO) framework as a tool for projects, organizations, or teams, particularly focusing on how it helps address dysfunctions that arise in larger organizations.

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The 5 stages of CTO & the CTO Career Chasm

January 21, 2021

Analyzes the different types of CTO roles corresponding to various startup stages, highlighting how strengths in one stage might become weaknesses in another, and the challenges in career progression for CTOs.

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Budget your software initiatives, don’t estimate them

December 14, 2020

Advocates for budgeting software initiatives rather than estimating them, based on over a decade of experience, positing it as a more effective approach for building agile software.

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The 10-step skill ladder for you to achieve awesomeness

November 12, 2019

Explores what it means to be highly skilled in various professions, drawing inspiration from Jeff Atwood's insights on achieving excellence.

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The three-thirds executive

May 30, 2018

Reflects on common mistakes made as a startup executive and abstracts them into a framework to understand and improve executive performance.

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Hobbies

Marcelo Calbucci is an avid runner, having completed eight marathons and countless half-marathons around the world. calbucci+2

He enjoys cooking elaborate meals for friends and considers himself a 'chef-wannabe'. theprfaq+1

He loves to travel with his wife and kids. theprfaq