profile

Maria Korteleva

Hi, I’m Maria. For the past 7 years, I’ve been building internal products across FMCG and tech companies.Now, I share everything I’ve learned to help junior PMs master delivery from technical skills to stakeholder communication. Join 80+ Internal PMs who get weekly insights from the Build Internal Products newsletter.

Featured Post

The PRD template I wish I had as a new Internal PM

Hi Reader, Do you ever feel like the hardest part is just starting? You’re right...it is.Especially when you’re kicking off a new internal product or feature.There’s excitement… and also a million unknowns. When I first became an internal PM, every new project felt like trying to untangle 50 threads at once. Goals, dependencies, systems, stakeholders.And most PRD templates online didn’t help. They were made for customer-facing products, not internal tools. So I created my own. Today in 10...

Hi Reader, Have you ever had a developer tell you “it’s done”...then you check and realize it’s absolutely not? You’re not alone. That’s one of the biggest misunderstandings between PMs and developers.And no, the answer isn’t micromanaging or checking every ticket yourself.There’s a smarter way. Today in 10 minutes you will: Why devs and PMs mean different things when they say done How to align your team using a shared Definition of Done What my real-world DoD looks like in an enterprise...

Hi Reader, Have you been asked to “add some AI” to your internal product yet?If not, it’s only a matter of time. And if, like me, you’re not an AI expert but want a quick, practical overview of what’s possible – this one’s for you. Today in 10 minutes you will: Learn 3 levels of AI you can apply to internal products Understand when to use each level with my AI Decision Matrix Tool See real examples (chatbots, agents, and custom models) Know where to start without hiring AI engineers Why This...

Hi Reader, You know how internal products often struggle for attention?They fight for funding, visibility, and sometimes people don’t even know they exist. I’ve been there.And I’ve got just the right fix to market your internal product… without feeling like you’re “marketing.” Today in 10 minutes you will: Why having a website for your internal product changes everything. Where to build it What to include Get a free Notion website template so you don’t start from zero “I already have one.”...

Hi Reader, The last few weeks I’ve been working on a pricing model for the internal SaaS product I own. Internal tools are tricky.They act like SaaS — but the rules aren’t the same as with external products. You still need to answer three questions:Who pays? How? When? If that’s on your mind, this issue is for you. Today in 10 minutes you will: Learn why pricing matters even for internal tools See 5 monetization models that fit the internal context Understand advantages, disadvantages, and...

Hi Reader, I don’t know about you, but product management can feel… stressful. About a year ago, I realized I didn’t have a proper framework to deal with that stress. My method was: → Get consumed by the pressure → Work really hard → Hope the stress disappears Then two medium-sized problems hit at once. And my mind? Completely spiraled.That’s when I knew I needed a better way to handle it. Luckily, I came across the book Unstressable by Mo Gawdat and Alice Law.And this newsletter is about the...

Hi, today we’re talking about a problem I’m faced with right now — technical debt. My manager asked me: “How can we position paying down technical debt to leadership?” Because even if you have wizards for developers, sometimes we all make trade-offs. And those trade-offs stack up. If this sounds familiar — this issue is for you. Today in 10 minutes you will: Understand what technical debt really means (and what it doesn’t) Learn how I measured it on a real product See how I calculated the...