Seeking help - entrepreneurial product leader & cofounder looking to understand market value

Hi grape seekers,

I am writing in a state of hopelessness.

About me: I went to one of India’s best schools in Delhi and completed my engineering in CSE from a tier 1 private institute in Delhi NCR. I worked with a small US based tech company in the healthcare space after exiting a large fintech company which I did for my first job straight after college. After that I did a couple of edtech startups incubated by two of India’s finest incubators - until Covid struck & I had to shut down my first startup. The second startup lasted 18 months and then shut down due to the lack of funding. I was out of work for more than a year but I utilised my time in upgrading my knowledge and skills.

Recently, about 8 months ago I exited a large conglomerate as its product head for a new software vertical that they were building. Well, I had 15+ years of experience and they offered an IC role in the name of a leadership role. I was so frustrated that I could not do that role for more than 8-9 months and exit that job without another job in hand.

Recently, about 2 years ago, I finished an exec program in management from UCLA Anderson - it was an in-person classroom program & I traveled to LA a few times from India. So the gap in my CV after the edtech startups shut down were utilised well as I was upskilling myself.

Now I am worried because my CV looks like a piece of shit — not that I care about it but I hear this traditional non-sense all the time. I am a maverick and like to take risks. I am a daredevil and have started companies, so I don’t give a damn to what conventional organisations think about the long gaps in my CV.

Problem is, there are no leadership roles in the market for product leaders. And I don’t want to join a small and unstable company.

Assuming I get a leadership role/CxO role at a mid-sized company, how much should I ask for after 16+ years of experience, as an alumnus of one of the world’s best business schools and a cofounder of multiple startups.

Please help me answer in terms of remote job/non-remote job salaries. How much would be my market value?

Also, please advise what kind of companies or roles I should target after a focus on product management, product marketing & design in my career so far. In addition to these experiences, I’ve learned finance, ops and strategy as part of my UCLA Anderson study - so I can take up a general management role too.

Look forward to hearing some sensible and experienced people speak.