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Should product marketers focus in on being great at one specific niche (skill, industry, etc.) or be more of a generalist?

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3 Answers
  1. Madeline Ng
    Madeline Ng

    Google Global Head of Growth Go-to-market, Google Maps Platform • 6y

    "It depends" is the most infuriating answer but this is an "it depends" moment. This is all dependent on where you are in your career, what you want in your career, and also what your propensity is.  In terms of pure marketability, the broad strokes I'd make (and your mileage may vary) is:  Generalist >> you will have the most flexibility in the companies you work at but you may not rise as rapidly or command the most senior roles upfront. But you'll never be pigeonholed. This is really us ...Read More

    8,286 Views
  2. Vidya Drego
    Vidya Drego

    SmithRx VP of Marketing | Formerly HubSpot, LinkedIn, Salesforce • 4y

    I think either is a valid path to a rewarding product marketing career but can depend on your own interest. If you're interested in the dynamics of different industries and you find that an inspiring aspect of being a product marketer, it makes sense to diversify your industry experience. If you find you're a rockstar at messaging and positioning, maybe you want to go deep into the skill and apply it to different companies in a similar space.

    506 Views
  3. Ajit Ghuman
    Ajit Ghuman

    Twilio Former Director of Product Management - Pricing & Packaging, CXP | Formerly Narvar, Medallia, Helpshift, Feedzai, Reputation.com • 6y

    This is an interesting question. Sometimes it is hard to think of oneself as a product.  What we're really trying to do here is to position ourselves for the maximum market impact. (I'm a PMM after all) One of the concepts that stuck with me from Geoffrey Moore's book was the concept of the bowling alley. You only change either your market segment or your app (skills) at one time. (image below) The most rational approach would be to find a large enough industry/domain,( I have just happened to w ...Read More

    489 Views

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