PMM and PM roles vary greatly across companies, but there are some common differences:
- PMMs are the market and competitor experts. Unless the company is very small, a PM who is an individual contributor typically "owns" a narrower segment of the overall product. In contrast, a PMM typically looks across a wider range of the product and market. So, the PMM should bring that knowledge and experience to bear in the relationship
- PMs are the product experts. Unsurprinsgly, PMs know more about their product area than anyone else. So, if there are questions or decisions that need to be made on the product roadmap, customer feedback, user experience, etc, the PM should own those.
- PMMs are the conduit with the rest of the go-to-market org. A Product fails if no-one hears about it or uses it. A PMMs most important role is to help evangelise the product to internal stakeholders as well as customers. PMMs play a crucial in connecting the dots between cross-functional stakeholders to drive programs forward.
- PMs are the customer experts. Partnering with design, PMs should have the best lens on customer experience. PMs should be defining the overall end-to-end user experience.