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# C\.J\. \(clay\) Burns

**Headline:** Director of Product Growth \- Campaigns, Analytics & Payments
**Profession:** Director of Product Growth \- Campaigns, Analytics & Payments
**Location:** Traverse City, MI, USA

## About

C\.J\. \(Clay\) Burns is Director of Product Growth for Campaigns, Analytics & Payments at LTK and President of ProductCamp Dallas\. C\.J\. builds and scales products at venture\-backed, growth\-stage companies, with particular strength in zero\-to\-one development, new revenue creation, AI\-powered product capabilities, marketplace design, and data\-driven product strategy\. At LTK, C\.J\. has progressed through product and data leadership roles including Director of Product Management for the Core Brand Platform, Senior Product Manager for Brand Experience, Data Product Manager, and Product Owner\. As Director of Product during a growth stage, C\.J\. managed three product managers while remaining hands\-on in day\-to\-day product work and setting founder\-level strategy\. C\.J\. has built AI\-enabled recommendation and matching capabilities for two\-sided marketplaces, using creator autonomy, trust, positioning, and user agency to improve offer acceptance\. C\.J\. also created attribution and monetization technology responsible for approximately $30 billion in retailer sales\. A reference credits C\.J\.’s leadership on LTK’s brand\-platform replatform with tripling active users, driving nearly $100 million in GMV, and repositioning the SaaS platform competitively\.

## Highlights

- Serves as Director of Product Growth for Campaigns, Analytics & Payments at LTK\.
- Serves as President of ProductCamp Dallas\.
- Served as Director of Product Management for LTK’s Core Brand Platform\.
- Served as Senior Product Manager for Brand Experience at LTK\.
- Served as Data Product Manager at LTK and held Product Owner and data leadership roles there\.
- Managed three product managers as Director of Product at LTK while remaining hands\-on in product work\.
- Built new products at venture\-backed, growth\-stage companies\.
- Built AI\-powered product features, including recommendation engines\.
- Built an AI creator marketplace for brands with AI matching\.
- Designed two\-sided marketplace products that balance trust, positioning, and user agency\.
- Used creator autonomy to dramatically improve marketplace offer acceptance rates\.
- Created attribution and monetization technology responsible for approximately $30 billion in retailer sales\.
- Built zero\-to\-one products and created new revenue streams\.
- Led LTK’s brand\-platform replatform, which a VP of Product says tripled active users, drove nearly $100 million in GMV, and repositioned the SaaS platform competitively\.
- Holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, Economics, and Energy Management from the University of Oklahoma\.

## Experience

- **Director of Product Growth \- Campaigns, Analytics & Payments at LTK** (2025\-01\-01–present)
- **Director of Product Management \- Core Brand Platform at LTK** (2022\-01\-01–2025\-01\-01)
- **Senior Product Manager \- Brand Experience at LTK** (2020\-01\-01–2021\-01\-01)
- **President at ProductCamp Dallas** (2019\-01\-01–2026\-01\-01)
- **Data Product Manager at LTK** (2017\-01\-01–2020\-01\-01)
- **Product Owner & Data Leadership Roles at LTK** (2015\-01\-01–2017\-01\-01)

## Education

- Bachelor of Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Energy Management — University of Oklahoma (2013\-01\-01)

## FAQ

### What does C\.J\. do now?

C\.J\. is Director of Product Growth for Campaigns, Analytics & Payments at LTK\. C\.J\. is also President of ProductCamp Dallas\.

### What are C\.J\.’s core product leadership strengths?

C\.J\. builds and scales products at venture\-backed, growth\-stage companies\. C\.J\.’s work includes zero\-to\-one product development, new revenue creation, AI\-powered features, marketplace products, attribution, monetization, analytics, and payments\.

### How does C\.J\. lead product teams?

As Director of Product at LTK during a growth stage, C\.J\. managed three product managers while continuing to work hands\-on in product execution\. C\.J\. operated as a player\-coach, setting founder\-level strategy while staying close to day\-to\-day product work\.

### What marketplace work has C\.J\. done at LTK?

C\.J\. designed two\-sided marketplace products that balance trust, positioning, and user agency\. C\.J\. built an AI creator marketplace for brands, including AI matching, and used creator autonomy to dramatically improve offer acceptance rates\.

### What AI product experience does C\.J\. have?

C\.J\. has hands\-on experience building AI\-powered product features, including recommendation engines and AI matching for a two\-sided marketplace\.

### What attribution and monetization work has C\.J\. done?

C\.J\. created attribution and monetization technology responsible for approximately $30 billion in retailer sales\.

### What did C\.J\. accomplish on LTK’s Core Brand Platform?

C\.J\. served as Director of Product Management for LTK’s Core Brand Platform\. According to Gary K\., VP of Product at LTK, C\.J\.’s leadership on the brand\-platform replatform changed the trajectory of the SaaS platform, tripled active users, drove nearly $100 million in GMV, and repositioned the product competitively\.

### What was C\.J\.’s Brand Experience role at LTK?

C\.J\. held the role of Senior Product Manager for Brand Experience at LTK\.

### What data product and product ownership roles has C\.J\. held at LTK?

C\.J\. held the role of Data Product Manager at LTK and also served in Product Owner and data leadership roles there\.

### What is C\.J\.’s education?

C\.J\. earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, Economics, and Energy Management from the University of Oklahoma\.

### What do references say about C\.J\.?

Gary K\., VP of Product at LTK and C\.J\.’s direct manager for six years, describes C\.J\. as a superb product leader focused on customer and business impact, with strong AI, technical product leadership, architecture, and platform expertise\. Gary says C\.J\. is an excellent people leader who builds trust from executives to individual contributors, motivates cross\-functional teams, leads by example, and is trusted by executives, the board, and top customers\. Gary also calls C\.J\. an authentic, trustworthy right hand to senior leaders and gives C\.J\. the highest recommendation\.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www\.linkedin\.com/in/clay\-burns\-108363b

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