AMA: Knowde Head of Product Marketing, Orinna Barton on Establishing Product Marketing

I like operating under a “full-stack” product marketing model, where PMMs work across the entire product lifecycle. In this approach, product marketing is involved from the very start of product development, all the way to launch and beyond. Organizing and aligning teams by product works well with the full-stack approach, so that tends to be my preference. I especially enjoy this configuration in product-led companies, where a PMM can deeply embed themselves within the product teams they’re part ...Read More

Because product marketing’s work is so cross-functional in nature, many PMM goals will be co-owned with other teams. And to some degree, my answer would depend on the company. In a smaller company with fewer distinct roles, I think PMM can have greater influence over a wider variety of metrics. In bigger orgs, there may be entire teams dedicated to certain metrics. For example, in a company with a customer education team driving customer onboarding and education, that team will be measured direc ...Read More

This will depend on whether you’re joining other PMMs currently at the company or building the function for the first time from the ground up — I’ll assume the latter. While your cross-functional stakeholders will probably care more about external-facing assets, you should prioritize building internal-facing materials as well. If you skip the foundational things, you’ll only make it harder on yourself later.  Internal-facing, foundational materials: Messaging guides for company-level messaging ( ...Read More

It’s important to prove out the value of product marketing in the organization, and also your value as the product marketing leader, before you even think about hiring. This is especially true in organizations that have never had the function before and may not fully understand the scope of PMM. Once you demonstrate your value to the organization, justifying that first hire will go much smoother. It also shows you aren’t afraid to do the work, to get your hands dirty. Lastly, it gives you a chan ...Read More

This can be challenging at first, but it’s absolutely essential to start doing not just for your own career growth, but for your team’s growth as well. Try to delegate a mix of different types of things: quick wins, more strategic projects, etc. Don’t just default to delegating the easier things. You’re responsible for your direct report’s career path right now — lead with empathy and take that seriously. Think about their gaps and opportunities for growth and try to fill them with relevant init ...Read More