A Journey of Building, Learning, and Leading

Hi, I'm Guy Tzaban — a product leader, software architect, lifelong builder, and since 2025, a proud father to my first baby girl.

My journey into technology didn't start with a formal title or a clear plan. It started with curiosity. I've been in front of a computer since the age of six, long before the internet became what it is today. Over more than two decades, that curiosity grew into a career shaped by building, breaking, rebuilding, and continuously learning — across software, hardware, product, and people.

Early Foundations — From Mechanics to Code

I began my professional path in the Israeli Defense Forces as a helicopter mechanic. While the role itself was mechanical, my background in programming and design quickly stood out. At a time when the internet was still new and mobile phones were anything but smart, I was asked to help build and manage internal systems.

That experience revealed something important to me: technology could amplify real-world systems, not just support them. It was the moment I understood that programming wasn't just a skill — it was a way to shape how organizations operate.

The Early Web Era — Learning by Building at Scale

After the army, I joined a software house and entered the early days of the web. Over the next three years, I did almost everything imaginable: designing websites, building animations, creating Flash-based experiences, modeling in 3D, and developing interactive products and architectural renderings.

During this period, I built thousands of websites for clients, primarily using Flash and HTML4. It was an intense, hands-on education in scale, delivery, and craftsmanship — long before modern frameworks or best practices existed.

At the same time, I began my Bachelor's degree in Communications, while continuing to freelance. Even then, I was drawn to the intersection between technology, design, and human behavior.

Creative Technology & Leadership — Advertising and Awards

In my third year of studies, I made a major life change and joined Israel's largest advertising agency, relocating to Tel Aviv. I started as a Flash designer, building banners, interactive websites, and games for the biggest brands in the market.

Those years were formative. I worked at the edge of creativity and technology, producing award-winning work and earning dozens of industry awards. Over time, my role expanded beyond execution — I began leading teams, mentoring others, and shaping technical direction.

Entrepreneurship, Freelancing, and Building Products

After several years, I felt the need to explore beyond agency life. I joined a boutique advertising and technology company as Development Manager, leading a small team and pushing creative and technical boundaries. After about a year, I returned to freelancing — a period defined by freedom, experimentation, and ambition.

During this time, I built websites, applications, interactive experiences, and commercials. I worked on an application that reached over one million users, and even appeared on a reality TV show. These years sharpened my ability to deliver end-to-end solutions — from concept to production.

Valhalla & Startups — Scaling Systems and Learning Fast

About three years ago, I brought in a partner and relaunched my company under the name Valhalla. Together, we built complex systems, award-winning digital products, e-commerce platforms, and provided consulting services to a wide range of clients.

As the company grew, so did the team. We also began developing startups, the most notable being Gifthead — a location-based gifting platform that gained strong traction and a loyal user base. Although we weren't able to raise funding quickly enough to scale, the product itself was a success and a valuable learning experience. I also built a platform for a major Israeli bank to manage their customer relationships and a platform for a major Israeli insurance company to manage their customer relationships.

During this period, we also experimented with machine-learning–based engines to improve recommendation accuracy — an early step into intelligent systems.

Panoramic Power — From Architecture to Product Leadership

I joined Panoramic Power at a critical moment. The company had just been acquired by Centrica, and the product was entering a major transformation phase.

I initially joined as a Frontend Architect, with a clear mission: to migrate a large, vanilla JavaScript system into a modern React-based architecture, right as React was first released by Facebook. This was not a simple refactor — it was a foundational re-platforming effort.

I led frontend development horizontally across four teams, each responsible for a different system. My role was to define shared architecture, patterns, performance standards, and ensure consistency across the platform.

A few months in, the company went through organizational changes, and I was asked to step into a management role. I became the Platform Team Lead, supporting multiple teams while continuing to shape the technical foundation.

Expanding the Platform — Software, Hardware, and Real-Time Systems

As Panoramic grew within Centrica, additional products and domains were introduced. What began as an energy monitoring solution evolved into a broader ecosystem.

I became deeply involved in the hardware side of the product, working closely with firmware teams on debugging, architecture, and platform integration. I designed and built a web-based hardware management interface, capable of being compiled down to C, bridging the gap between embedded systems and the cloud platform.

We expanded into:

• EV fleet management, connecting fleets to hundreds and later thousands of charging points within months
• Mobile applications for installers and end users, including Stripe-based payments
• CHP (Combined Heat & Power) systems, where I designed a real-time remote machine management system using WebSockets

Over time, the platform grew to support solar, storage, diesel, demand response, and real-time alerts, alongside a React Native mobile application.

Rebuilding Panoramic as a SaaS Platform

Over the last three years, we rebuilt the entire system — not just visually, but conceptually — to become a true SaaS platform.

I led the redesign of every product in the company:

• Complete UX and UI redesigns
• Rebuilt workflows based on real customer behavior
• New capabilities driven by genuine customer pain points
• Clear packaging, paid tiers, and premium add-ons

The most meaningful KPI for me was seeing customers double down on the new packages. Adoption turned into upgrades, and product decisions translated directly into revenue growth — validating the shift into product leadership.

Leading the AI Transformation

In the past year, I've been leading Panoramic's AI transformation — defining AI-powered products, enhancing existing capabilities with intelligent systems, and embedding AI into analytics, insights, and decision-making workflows.

At the same time, I expanded the platform beyond electricity, enabling monitoring of anything measurable — including water, air, vibration, and other industrial data sources — transforming energy monitoring into holistic asset and energy management.

Perspective, Parenthood, and What's Next

With over 20 years of hands-on experience, I bring a long-term perspective shaped by multiple technology cycles. I don't design products around tools — I design them around problems. When you understand enough technologies, you can adapt the solution to the problem, not the other way around.

In 2025, I became a father, and that experience reshaped how I think about leadership, responsibility, and the future. It reinforced my belief that the systems we build today shape the world our children will grow into.

Today, as VP of Product, I focus on building platforms, teams, and products that scale with clarity and purpose. I'm motivated by meaningful problems, strong teams, and intelligent systems — especially where product strategy, deep technology, hardware, and AI meet.