General Manager, Startpage

Business Leadership & P&L Ownership:

• Own the overall operating plan, strategy, and financial performance of Startpage.
• Drive sustainable growth in users, engagement, revenue, and profitability.
• Allocate resources effectively across growth functions and competing opportunities
• Identify and execute new opportunities for expansion and long-term value creation.
• Operate with founder-level accountability and ownership.

Growth, Marketing & User Acquisition:

• Own global user acquisition, activation, retention, and engagement metrics.
• Lead cross-functional growth initiatives spanning product, marketing, analytics, and partnerships.
• Scale acquisition channels while improving efficiency and return on investment.
• Drive lifecycle marketing programs that improve retention and user lifetime value.
• Build a culture of experimentation and data-driven decision making.
• Expand Startpage's reach across key international markets.

Product Strategy & Consumer Experience:

• Define and execute the product strategy for Startpage's search and browsing experiences.
• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, and Design leaders to deliver compelling consumer experiences that drive acquisition, engagement, and retention.
• Champion the voice of the customer across all product decisions.
• Ensure product investments align with business objectives, user needs, and brand positioning.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends, including AI-powered search and discovery, where they can improve user experiences while preserving Startpage's privacy-first values.

Search & Market Evolution:

• Monitor changes in search, browsers, AI-assisted discovery, and consumer behavior.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and partnerships that can strengthen Startpage's competitive position.
• Help shape Startpage's long-term strategy as search and AI continue to converge.
• Ensure Startpage remains relevant as the search ecosystem evolves while maintaining its commitment to privacy and transparency.

Partnerships & Distribution:

• Expand distribution through strategic partnerships with browsers, OEMs, publishers, privacy-focused platforms, and other ecosystem partners.
• Identify, negotiate, and manage high-impact commercial relationships.
• Develop new channels for user acquisition and business growth.
• Strengthen Startpage's position within the broader privacy and consumer technology ecosystem.

What Success Looks Like (24–36 Months):

• Sustained growth in DAU, MAU, and search volume
• Increased user retention and engagement
• Expanded global distribution footprint
• Stronger brand awareness and consideration among privacy-conscious consumers
• Successful introduction and adoption of new search and discovery experiences that strengthen Startpage's competitive position in an evolving search landscape
• Improved monetization and unit economics
• Continued growth in revenue and EBITDA
• Strengthened market position as the leading privacy-first alternative in search

What You’ll Bring:

Required:
• 8+ years of experience building and scaling consumer internet businesses.
• Experience leading growth and/or product marketing for a consumer product at scale.
• Demonstrated success driving user acquisition, engagement, retention, and revenue growth.
• Strong understanding of lifecycle marketing, consumer acquisition, monetization, partnerships, and brand development.
• Experience managing meaningful business metrics and operating plans, ideally with direct P&L responsibility.
• Ability to partner effectively across product, engineering, marketing, analytics, and commercial teams.
• Strong strategic thinker with a bias toward execution and measurable results.
• Passion for consumer products and delivering outstanding user experiences.
Preferred:
• Experience with search, browsers, consumer subscriptions, digital media, marketplaces, or other scaled consumer internet businesses.
• Experience leading international consumer products.
• Experience overseeing both product and growth organizations.
• Familiarity with how AI is influencing consumer search, discovery, content, or digital experiences.
• Interest in privacy, trust, and consumer technology.

Ideal Candidate Background:

Successful candidates often come from leadership roles within consumer internet businesses such as:
• Search and browser platforms
• Consumer subscription businesses
• Digital media companies
• Creator and content platforms
• Privacy-focused technology companies
• Consumer productivity and utility products

Why This Role Is Unique:

A profitable, scaled consumer internet business with millions of users worldwide.
• The opportunity to shape the future of privacy-first search as search and AI continue to evolve.
• Significant autonomy and direct P&L ownership.
• The resources and infrastructure of System1 combined with the agility of an independent business.