AMA: Carta Vice President Product Marketing, Kelly Kipkalov on Product Marketing Career Path

I probably didn't realize how many different flavors of product marketing there are out there in the world, it turns out PMM means different things to different employers. In some companies (usually large ones) a PMM is the head of a line of business and owns the P&L. In start ups, the role is much more narrowly scoped as the key partner to product in bringing products to market. In some companies PMMs are leaders, in other companies PMMs are more passive and tend to follow. It makes it real ...Read More

It definitely pays to be a scrappy PMM. You will always be resource constrained, with the lions share of tech marketing budgets going to the DG function. But the good news is that with AI tooling, it's gotten much easier to still get stuff done yourself without relying on an internal creative team or agency and for a reasonable price (because there's SO much competition now!). First thing I'd say though is focus your energy and budget in one or two areas where you feel your product content is la ...Read More

I think the path from digital marketing to PMM is very, very viable. And I've interviewed several DG candidates for PMM roles in the past, I'm very open to it. The best digital marketers usually have a good sense for the parts of the product that resonate most in the market and it requires them to understand the product to begin with. It's pretty simple. Look for an opportunity within your current company. It's always going to be easier to get a foothold in the interview process if you're a know ...Read More

I answered a similar question about making the move from DG into PMM and most of the answer is applicable here as well. It's pretty simple. Look for an opportunity within your current company. It's always going to be easier to get a foothold in the interview process if you're a known commodity. If there aren't any open opportunities let your head of PMM know that you're interested in making a switch so you're top of mind if anything comes up. In the interview process, show that you deeply unders ...Read More

The most tangible advice I can give you is to heavily invest in your LinkedIn profile and presence. Make sure your profile description is short and punchy. Get a great headshot. For each job you've had, don't just list out what you were responsible for, but lead with tangible and measurable results. (I.e. grew user base by xx%; doubled conversion rates...etc). I see SO many resumes and profiles that give a good sense of what the job was but do nothing to help me assess impact. It drives me crazy ...Read More

The answer to your question is actually partially embedded in your question! There are three major characteristics I look for:Showing leadership. You want to get a strong signal that the IC PMM has already emerged as a leader (not just potential, you want actual signal). They have led cross functional teams to a successful outcome without too much intervention from their manager. They have established their own relationships and partnerships with other directors in sales, product, and customer s ...Read More

You are in learning mode, every single day. You've never stopped being curious about the product and your customer. You are getting positive feedback from your PMs and your marketing partners that you are adding value. Your PMs never have an important meeting without you there. The last one is probably the biggest indicator that you are adding value and have built a strong relationship with your PM. If you find that you're hearing about meetings after they happen and are chasing your PM for info ...Read More

I actually started out in CPG - Consumer Packaged Goods. Right out of grad school (MBA), I was a brand manager on the Sonicare business. For some reason there's the perception that tech companies started the discipline of product marketing. But actually CPG companies have had it right all along. Although they are called 'brand' managers, they actually own the product end to end. So from my perspective cutting my teeth as a brand manager is actually what prepared me to be a tech company PMM. I di ...Read More