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Ben Geller

AMA: You.com Director, Product Marketing, Ben Geller on Product Marketing Interviews

October 10, 2024 @ 10:00AM PT

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Ben Geller

Former Director, Product Marketing & Demand Generation at You.com

Hi all, I'm Ben Geller, most recently Director of Product Marketing and Demand Generation at You.com

👋 Based in:
Los Angeles, CA
🧠 Top of mind:
Just finished Priya Parker's "The Art of Gathering" and can't stop thinking about it. So much of what we do as PMMs is bring people around a table to solve hard problems—Priya gives you a framework on how to do this with intention and purpose. Highly recommend.
💬 Ask me about:
AI startups and being a founding PMM. I've done it twice, at ZipRecruiter from early days through IPO, and at You.com from Series A through a $1.5B Series C.
🍦 Fun fact:
Outside of work I love ceramics. There's no better feeling than creating something with your hands.

  1. What is the most common mistake you see from product marketers during their job interview?

    Ben Geller
    Ben Geller

    Former Director, Product Marketing & Demand Generation at You.com | Formerly LinkedIn • 1y

    The most common mistake I see is candidates not doing sufficient research about the company and the space.

    It’s quite common for hiring managers to throw out problems on their desk that they want an opinion on, and some basic grounding in the business can go a long way in facilitating a good conversation.

    771 Views
    1 request

  2. What would be the best approach for applying for Product marketing internships for MBA grads this summer?

    Ben Geller
    Ben Geller

    Former Director, Product Marketing & Demand Generation at You.com | Formerly LinkedIn • 1y

    In this competitive market, I think focusing is helpful, which means doing the legwork to really have an idea of what you want out of the summer internship. There’s never an easier time to network than when you’re a student, take advantage of it! For example, if you’re passionate about AI, learn as much as you can about the space, take coursework to build expertise, go to relevant conferences, and carve out a niche. It’s typically much easier for a candidate to get noticed with a focused narrati ...Read More

    676 Views
    1 request

  3. I'm landing 1st interviews but not 2nd. How do I stand out to employers in remote interviews?

    Ben Geller
    Ben Geller

    Former Director, Product Marketing & Demand Generation at You.com | Formerly LinkedIn • 1y

    If you’re not making it past the recruiter screen, this usually means you need to work on your storytelling and communication. Which, fortunately, can be vastly improved with some basic prep. Here’s a wonderful framework: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-pass-any-first-round-interview Practice is also extremely helpful. Find a job search buddy, and do some mock interviews together focused on specific roles you’re considering. Doing a dry run will help you figure out your story, and iden ...Read More

    1,034 Views
    2 requests

  4. Interview Question: How should I answer when someone says how do you measure your own ROI in your current role as a product marketer?

    Ben Geller
    Ben Geller

    Former Director, Product Marketing & Demand Generation at You.com | Formerly LinkedIn • 1y

    If it’s not abundantly clear what metric you are looking to solve and how that correlates to ROI, then there’s probably an opportunity to better define goals.

    Generally, when I’ve seen PMMs struggle with this question, it means their projects are drifting from business value, and they need to take a step back to better understand the “why” of what they are tackling, and reprioritize if that “why” isn’t immediately obvious.

    854 Views
    1 request

  5. What red flags or mistakes do PMM hiring managers see on resumes?

    Ben Geller
    Ben Geller

    Former Director, Product Marketing & Demand Generation at You.com | Formerly LinkedIn • 1y

    The biggest mistake I’ve seen on PMM resumes, is failing to directly address the problem/challenge the role is being hired to tackle. Usually, when I’m hiring there’s a very specific challenge I’m looking to address, and it’s clear in the job description what that challenge is. When I’m scanning a resume I’m looking for indicators that the candidate has related experience, so I know they can come in and contribute from day one. So, I’d recommend whenever possible help the hiring manager connect ...Read More

    1,251 Views
    3 requests