How do you influence the roadmap at an enterprise company where product managers have long tenure?

Start with building the relationship, and put "business" on the backburner when you're first getting on board. Here are some tips on how I like to do that: Use Slack (but not just for work-related stuff): Send casual check in notes--what did you do this weekend? Happy birthday! What do you have planned for the holidays? etc. This helps build a more authentic and fun connection from the start. Understand their POVs: Ask them early and often what their goals, challenges, and priorities are (and WH ...Read More

I’ve worked at multiple companies that have had long-tenured product teams as well as startups where we’re all fresh to the team. So, i’ve seen both sides here. In the case of long tenured teams, you have the opportunity to reignite fresh, day-1 thinking across the team. But, one of the biggest challenges to joining a team that has been working on a product for a long time is having an equal seat at the table to partner on product strategy. They’ve “seen it all” and “already tried that and it di ...Read More

PMs with long tenure will have established perspectives on various things and deep domain knowledge. Influencing the roadmap here requires you to collaborate closely with the PMs, respect their experience, adapt to their working style, and focus on building trust with them.  Start with the basics: aligning on product goals, positioning yourself as a partner, and having an open conversation about how you can add value to any ongoing or new initiatives. Proactively ask to join and learn from plann ...Read More

If the Product team is more established, or if there are other barriers like language or geography, or the culture hasn't historically included PM/PMM engagement, establishing a relationship becomes more critical. This could take different forms, such as: Weekly check-ins Adding them in the feedback loop for key new marketing materials Getting their insights on key customer conversations Sharing and discussing key competitor moves and industry developments Meeting in person when possible Providi ...Read More