Product · Strategy · AI Advisory
I advise on product and AI strategy. I build with the same tools I recommend.
I'm Joe Hardin, with 20+ years across media, analytics, SaaS, and AI-enabled business strategy. Today I run Proof Signal and Igloocubes while advising companies that need clearer thinking, stronger product direction, and practical execution.
Current Work
Running properties built for AI visibility, not just advising on it.
Every recommendation I make gets tested in businesses I operate. Two ventures and active client work, all built around one practical thesis: AI tools recommend businesses they can find, understand, and trust.
Proof Signal
Helping local businesses get found by AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google AI. We audit sites against what AI looks for (Found, Understood, Trusted), fix what's broken, and monitor month over month. Includes Proofactory, an instant website builder for small businesses that need a site fast.
The story →Igloocubes
A daily answer-publishing platform: hundreds of plain-English answers to real search questions, with new content shipped every morning. A working lab for how AI-era content gets discovered and cited.
The story →Nice Color Painting
Turned a 28-competitor market study into a website built to sharpen the brand, expand local search visibility, and help homeowners choose Nice Color Painting while comparing painters.
The case study →Industrial Process Equipment
Moved IPE from a simple one-page site to a hub-and-spoke resource site covering industries, manufacturers, pump types, FAQs, and a pump selection tool that guides visitors toward the right equipment.
The case study →Kendra Kett, Visual Artist
Ran a FUT audit on a working visual artist's Squarespace site and recommended structural, metadata, and content changes to improve AI discoverability. Recommendations implemented directly by the artist, with no developer needed.
The case study →What I Help With
Strategy work grounded in operating experience.
The common thread is helping businesses make sense of complexity and move toward better decisions, stronger products, and clearer execution.
Product Strategy
Clarifying product direction, opportunity areas, priorities, and the bridge between market need and execution reality.
AI Strategy
Identifying practical ways AI can support workflows, visibility, and decision-making, without turning it into a buzzword exercise.
Research & Insights
Using market, customer, and operational signals to support better strategy and stronger product decisions.
Business & Offer Architecture
Helping founders structure offers, messaging, and business models so the work is easier to explain and sell.
Advisory / Fractional Leadership
Senior-level thinking for companies that need judgment, structure, and momentum, without a full-time executive hire.
Execution Clarity
Turning broad ideas into plans, priorities, and next steps a business can use.
Common Questions
Plain answers, up front.
Who is Joe Hardin?
A senior product and strategy leader with 20+ years across media, analytics, SaaS, and AI-enabled business strategy. Former leadership roles at Alliance for Audited Media, Nielsen Scarborough, and Kantar Media. Founder of Proof Signal and Igloocubes.
What does Joe help with?
Product strategy, AI strategy, research and insights, offer architecture, execution clarity, and advisory or fractional leadership for founder-led businesses. Also available for speaking and workshops on practical AI and digital visibility.
What is Proof Signal?
A company I founded to help local businesses get found by AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Google AI. We audit and fix websites against what AI looks for, then monitor month over month as the tools and competitors change. The product line includes Proofactory, an instant website builder for small businesses.
Where is Joe based, and how do we start?
Chicago area, working remotely with clients across the US. The easiest start is a 30-minute call: book at calendar.app.google/3jTsLDgLy1ApBSDi9 or email joe@joe-hardin.com.
If the work calls for clearer thinking, better structure, or stronger product direction, let's talk.
Best fit for founder-led businesses, advisory work, product strategy conversations, and practical AI/business problem-solving.