AMA: Global PMM Lead, Google AI Marketing, Pratik Gadamasetti on Stakeholder Management

This is probably one of the critical skills for a PMM to have, influencing without formal authority or aligned goals. I wish a had a silver bullet type of answer but the reality is, it depends! Ultimately, I try to build a solid biz case consistent of clear timeline, scope, asks, etc. and then work with xfn peers to get early input and feedback. From there, I'll develop a critical path to getting buy-in and decisions by utilizing a DIN (Decision, Input, Notify) framework, commonly used across Yo ...Read More

"Influencing the roadmap" is a phrase that you'll hear often at tech companies as an unwritten goal for marketing, sales and research teams. It's also something that should be approached thoughtfully. You probably won't get very far if in your first meeting with you PM counterpart you say something like, "I'm really excited to influence your roadmap!" Influencing the product roadmap requires you to build trust and confidence with your respective product peers. Here's how I've typically approache ...Read More

"Politics" can mean different things at different companies, so for purposes of answering this question it may be helpful to provide a loose definition. A very simple way to think about it is that within any organization, there may be way of operating, driving decisions, gaining support, etc. that is driven more by relationships within the org, than the actual process or content itself. I'd like to say this doesn't exist, but the reality is, every company (especially more mature companies), may ...Read More

The PMM is typically responsible for owning the strategic brief for campaigns and launches that informs partner teams and channel owners. Creating an inclusive process where feedback is encouraged during the brief phase should foster an environment where channel owners also feel inclined to follow this behavior. If there is still disagreement, it's important to identify the decision maker as part of the DIN (Decide, Input, Notify) framework to be able to move forward. The brief includes things l ...Read More

Similarly to influencing stakeholders without authority on an XFN project, there are a series of steps you can take gain stakeholder alignment at the C-Level on a decision, project, or set of approvals. Develop a DIN framework Start by developing a DIN (Decide, Input, Notify) framework that will allow you assign roles for each stakeholder you're working with. It should be reviewed with your cross-functional peers to ensure their respective leaders are included with the right role. Typically this ...Read More