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Clara Lee

AMA: Automattic Director, Product Marketing, Clara Lee on Influencing the Product Roadmap

October 6 @ 10:00AM PST
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Automattic Director, Product Marketing, Clara Lee on Influencing the Product Roadmap
Top Questions
How do you help product management understand the value of product marketing (beyond just "helping us launch things")?
Clara Lee
Clara Lee
Hootsuite VP, Product • October 7
Two approaches here, that may be used at the same time:  1. Direct communication. If you have a strong framework for how you've seen PMM function strategically in other organizations, don't be afraid to share it widely. Be prepared to talk about how this structure can help teams drive ......Read More
1102 Views
2 requests
What are some ways you can influence the roadmap as a product marketer when working with a strong-willed and difficult to work with product manager?
Clara Lee
Clara Lee
Hootsuite VP, Product • October 7
In the cases where a Product Manager has consistently challenged your work beyond regular constructive collaboration, I have found the following tactics useful: * Realign on company/product goals and strategy. It's possible that there's a gap in understanding or alignment that explains the p......Read More
1183 Views
2 requests
At what stage should product marketing collaborate with product design on the design process?
Clara Lee
Clara Lee
Hootsuite VP, Product • October 7
Design and Marketing should ideally go hand-in-hand.  If the Design team is very mature, experts in the area, and functioning on a world-class level, then Product Marketing's input/review can be focused on later stage designs, possibly as key stakeholder sign-off. In younger organizations w......Read More
952 Views
1 request
I'm curious about the experience of others, which group has been harder to work with––Product or Sales? And why and how y'all work through issues?
Clara Lee
Clara Lee
Hootsuite VP, Product • October 7
In most companies I've worked in, Product Marketing is often vastly outnumbered by Sales teams. The challenge is not usually in personalities or conflicting interests - but in sheer numbers. For me, managing PMM-Sales relationships comes down to understanding their goals (keeping large customers ......Read More
898 Views
3 requests
How to make sure the voice of our consumer is heard when product marketing may not be involved during the product roadmap development process.
Clara Lee
Clara Lee
Hootsuite VP, Product • October 7
Great question, especially for Product Marketing organizations that are still scaling to meet the footprint of much larger Product and/or Sales teams.  Although you may find your bandwidth consumed by executional activities, it's important to ensure you continue to bring market intelligence an......Read More
1289 Views
3 requests
Did you ever consider attributing publicly damaging negative reviews a somewhat higher weight, within any kind of equation that connects user feedback/requests with product roadmap decisions?
Clara Lee
Clara Lee
Hootsuite VP, Product • October 7
Ideally, your product roadmap reflects long-term strategy, narrative, and investment. If you are confident in your roadmap, you shouldn't need a rule that automatically places more weight on negative reviews than positive or neutral reviews. Feedback is very important - but it's equally important......Read More
1076 Views
2 requests