Marilit Iligan's Work | ContraWork by Marilit IliganMarilit Iligan
I help founders stop being the bottleneck | Ops systems
Healthcare SaaS: execution clarity without micromanaging engineers
Fuzzy ownership stalled a senior SaaS team. I clarified owners, blockers, and release decisions, async.
PROBLEM
Cross-functional work across product, engineering, ops, and compliance was active, but execution still stalled. Scope crept quietly. Blockers arrived late. Ownership got fuzzy because everyone was senior, so someone else “must” be handling it.
WHAT I DID
I didn’t manage the engineers or tell them how to build. Asynchronously, I clarified three things: who owns this chunk, what’s blocking it now, and what must be true before a release decision.
RESULT
Fewer low-intent meetings. Faster, higher-intent calls. Less leadership chase. Capable people moved once structure was clear.
FOR
Healthcare SaaS · GDPR-aware / EU-adjacent · async ops Founder dependency → team-owned execution
Founder was the default router. I installed owners and lean rhythm so the team could execute.
PROBLEM
The founder was still the default router. Work moved, but decisions, handoffs, and priorities kept returning to one person.
WHAT I DID
Diagnosed where ownership broke. Installed clearer owners, decision paths, and a lean operating rhythm, only the structure required so the team could execute without constant escalation.
RESULT
Less founder bottleneck. Clearer accountability. Execution that didn’t depend on one person’s inbox.
FOR
Founder-led / growing teams · US · EU · AU · NZ PMO visibility: 20+ spaces → 2-space operating system
20+ project spaces buried capacity. I consolidated to a 2-space PMO with clear portfolio view.
PROBLEM
Too many project spaces. Portfolio and capacity were hard to see. Leaders couldn’t tell real priority vs noise.
WHAT I DID
Consolidated sprawl into a leaner PMO structure—two core spaces with clearer portfolio and capacity visibility—without adding process for sport.
RESULT
Clearer portfolio view. Better capacity conversations. Less tool sprawl.
FOR
Teams drowning in project tools / ClickUp-style sprawl Agency chaos → clear ownership & delivery
Agency delivery thrashed. I set owners and cadence so work finished without late negotiation.
PROBLE
Agency work was moving, but ownership and delivery were unclear—handoffs slipped, priorities thrashed, and “done” was negotiated late.
WHAT I DID
Mapped where work actually stalled. Set owners, delivery cadence, and the minimum system so teams could see status and finish without heroics.
RESULT
Clearer ownership. Cleaner delivery. Less thrash between functions.
FOR
Marketing / service agency operations