AMA: StrongDM Sr. Director, Product Management, Ashka Vakil on Enterprise Product Management

Enterprise PMs have a unique challenge in that they are building not just for end users but also for buyers, IT teams, security teams, and more. So, when hiring enterprise PMs, I focus on a few key traits listed below. Customer Empathy: You are not just solving for one type of user. You need to understand the pain points of the target user, the priorities of decision makers, and the concerns of IT/security teams approving the deal. Strong Stakeholder Management: Enterprise PMs work with sales, m ...Read More

This is the classic “build vs sell” tug-of-war between product and sales that every Enterprise PM is faced with. It’s a delicate dance, especially in an enterprise where big deals can hinge on roadmap promises. Here’s how I think about it and some food for thought as you run into this. Align with product strategyYour roadmap should be grounded in a clear vision, not just driven by whoever yells the loudest. So before committing to building something for a prospective customer, ask does this alig ...Read More

I don't expect junior PMs to have it all figured out. They need to have the right attitude and growth mindset. What I am looking for in candidates is the following - Structured thinking: Can the candidate break down a messy, ambiguous problem into something logical and actionable? I want to see if they can think clearly, prioritize trade-offs, and make decisions even with limited data. User empathy: Do they care about solving real problems for real people? I look for signs that they think deeply ...Read More

The eternal tug-of-war that every PM, especially Enterprise PM, runs into. Balancing custom asks with long-term roadmap work is hard, especially when big deals or renewals are on the line. I dedicate some eng capacity to enterprise needs but I treat custom work like an investment. If it doesn't scale, inform the roadmap, or unlock strategic deals, it’s probably not worth the detour. Here are additional details on how I approach it. Set clear swimlanesI try to carve out capacity intentionally, li ...Read More

I hear you. Enterprise products can be huge, and it’s easy to feel like you are just owning one slice of a massive pie. But the truth is that impact is less about feature size and more about solving meaningful problems. Here’s how I think about it: Small feature ≠ small impactSometimes, the smallest changes, like improving a permissions flow or simplifying onboarding, can unlock millions in expansion revenue or dramatically reduce support load. In an enterprise, these changes can ripple out fast ...Read More

PMs can be a secret weapon in enterprise sales, not by selling but by helping sales teams sell smarter and faster. Here’s where PM can provide the most lift in the enterprise sales motion - Pre-sales strategy & storytellingPM can help craft compelling narratives that tie the product roadmap to the customer's pain points. Sometimes, PM gets into key pre-sales calls not to sell but to show vision, give confidence, and signal long-term partnership. Here is a classic way to navigate and ask abou ...Read More

Great question! Platform PMing is a whole different beast compared to user-facing product work. When you are building a custom infrastructure platform, you are essentially serving internal developers or technical teams as your customers. You are the glue between deeply technical teams and broader business impact. You need to think about performance, scale, extensibility, and enablement (think APIs!) and need to be technical. Infrastructure PMs build the highways, not the cars. Let's break down w ...Read More

Irrespective of whether you are a PM building for enterprise customers or mid-market and SMB, the core skills of product management stay the same. You are solving problems, driving outcomes, and building great products with your team. But how you do that changes a lot based on the customer segment. Enterprise PMs have to navigate multiple stakeholders and build flexible systems that can fit into the customer's environment. SMB PMs need to be laser-focused on simplicity, speed, and scale. Both ar ...Read More