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AMA: Airtable Senior Director, Portfolio & Engagement Product Marketing, Christy Roach on Developing Your Product Marketing Career
October 8 @ 10:00AM PST
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Airtable Senior Director, Portfolio & Engagement Product Marketing, Christy Roach on Developing Your Product Marketing Career
Top Questions
Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
I answered this above in my answer around soft and hard skills but if I were to pick my top, universally important skills for a PMM they would be: * Messaging and positioning * Cross-functional excellence * Understanding of data * Market, customer and competitor knowledge * Process manag......Read More
2453 Views
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Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
It’s hard to pinpoint “typical” because product marketing is a field that sets you up for a few different paths depending on what you want to do. Being a product marketer gives you problem-solving, strategy, and execution skills that can help you in so many different careers so I wouldn’t want to......Read More
7585 Views
4 requests
Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
I think the first question to ask yourself is, do you actually want to be an executive? After that, you should also ask yourself what an “executive” means to you. It turns out that a lot of people feel like they should be shooting to be in the C-suite without actually knowing if they want to be ......Read More
3044 Views
4 requests
Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
Great question! I've been lucky to work at a wide range of companies and while each was satisfying and challenging in their own way, I've definitely figured out what works best for me. For me, working for a big company brings resources and clear growth paths, and I’m grateful to have started my ......Read More
2392 Views
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Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
This is a hard jump to make! Not to sound like a broken record, but the first step is communicating with your manager to let them know that you want to move into management and getting their feedback on what you’d need to do to make that move and what timeline might be realistic. I can’t say it e......Read More
2250 Views
1 request
Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
Some of the best product marketers I know started in sales roles, but it can be hard to make the jump from sales into marketing. As a salesperson, you know first hand how messaging is landing with prospective customers, what the needs of those customers are, and where your product wins and where ......Read More
2015 Views
3 requests
Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
Everyone’s definition of soft and hard skills differs, but here are the nine skills that I think are the most important for a product marketer to have. I've used these skills as a compass to help me grow in my own career and have turned them into a success guide for my team at Envoy to use: Soft......Read More
6316 Views
6 requests
What is the best path for someone to break into Product Marketing for someone who is not fresh out of college?
I have 6 years of work experience across different functions (strategy and innovation consulting, budget management, product, marketing) and an MBA with concentrations in marketing and strategy. I have applied to both entry-level and mid-level roles and have been told that I am too senior for the junior roles and too junior for the mid-level roles. Any advice?
Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
There are two things I think you can do to help you here. One is stupidly easy, one is harder. Let’s start with the hard one first: You might need to readjust your compensation or seniority expectations to get the role you want. You clearly have great experience and training, and I don’t think y......Read More
1846 Views
4 requests
Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
The most important thing to keep in mind is this: having the product marketing title doesn’t automatically mean you get to influence the roadmap. You have to put in the work and show your value to get a seat at the table. There are three big levers to pull here to help you shift the way product m......Read More
2693 Views
3 requests
How do product marketers make sure they're learning enough varied skills to be a well-rounded professional when scope is an issue?
i.e. working at a large company with minimal scope, focusing on sales enablement but knowing you need experience on the product launch side, other marketing teams covering responsibilities, etc.
Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
This is a great question! I know lots of product marketers who worry that in getting more specialized they’re missing out on the opportunity to get that broad skillset. I reject the idea that you have to change jobs in order to get the experience you want and think there are plenty of ways to get......Read More
1938 Views
3 requests
Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
You very rarely will start your marketing career as a PMM, so you should look for roles that help you learn a lot about the business and the customer and give you opportunities to work cross-functionally. Once you land that role, you may find opportunities to step in or help out a product marketi......Read More
2105 Views
5 requests
Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
This has changed a ton as my career has progressed and continues to evolve as I get better at my job. What I measure myself on today is very different than what I’ll measure myself on in 3-4 years, and the key is being able to make those mental shifts and not measuring your current role by the sa......Read More
2635 Views
4 requests
How do you typically go about finding new PMMs for your team? Is it mostly recruitment based or do you search within your network?
I'm trying to break into a PMM role after 5 years of performance marketing and branding (1 of which was in a MM role with a heavy product focus).
I'm unsure if I should spend more time networking or cold applying here in the Bay Area.
Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
As a hiring manager, I try to balance referrals and recommendations within my network with candidates who apply directly to an open role from our careers page or job sites. If you just hire people that come from your network, you often miss out on quality candidates who bring diverse backgrounds ......Read More
2010 Views
4 requests
Christy Roach
AssemblyAI VP of Marketing • October 8
Ah, it's hard to pick just one! If you'll make me, I'd say messaging and positioning. Every PMM needs it, it's a hard skill to build, and it will take you far. I recommend getting feedback on your writing, learning from your content marketers how to craft a story, and being open to tweaks and edi......Read More
1814 Views
2 requests
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