If you know that Product Marketing is your passion and you eventually want to be a leader of product marketing, how do you continue to grow in your role over time and take on the right experiences?

This is a tough one because there’s no “correct” answer. Product Marketing varies depending on the industry, company size, and maturity. So evaluate the “right” experiences based on what you want to learn and what you want to accomplish. I’d challenge you to put the title aside and focus more on the responsibilities that interest you.

Generally speaking, the more senior you get, the broader your scope. So I’d say it’s important to:

 1. Develop more cross-discipline expertise vs deep discipline expertise. It's often called having "T-shaped" skills, where you have deep knowledge in 1 to 2 areas of product marketing (like GTM strategies) AND a wide range of other core skills at the top of your T (like pricing & packaging, analyst relations, etc). Self-awareness is key here. So take some time to identify what your areas of expertise are. What aspects of PMM can you do in your sleep? On the flip side, what responsibilities are challenging or draining? If you’re a PMM focused on a specific part of inbound or outbound product marketing, look for ways to flex into other areas that aren’t part of your job description. The skills at the top of your T could even include aspects outside of PMM, like data analytics, sales, research, etc. Having a broader knowledge base will help you gain more perspective, which is valuable as your career progresses.

 2. Practice influencing without power. This does not mean bringing your ego to work. It’s actually the opposite. Product marketing is one of the most cross-functional roles out there. And we often need to influence groups of people despite not having authority, regardless of our level. That all starts with building great relationships and trust. So invest time and effort in relationship building to make XFN folks “friends of PMM”. Besides relationships, organizational knowledge and subject matter expertise are also important to help you influence. People want to be heard and understood. The more you understand how your business operates, how different teams function, and what their challenges are, the better partner you can be. That’s the power of empathy. So take every opportunity to zoom out — learn about how a business runs, how various functions contribute to overall business objectives, and the challenges different teams face.

 3. Learn to be an effective people manager. You’ll likely be hiring and leading a team as a product marketing leader. However, most people underestimate how difficult and stressful it can be to move from being an individual contributor (IC) to a manager. Being a manager isn’t easy. What made you successful as an IC probably won't work in a management position. So, if you know you want to follow that path, start learning! Take advantage of your company's management tools, resources, and classes. Better yet, if you can manage vendors, contractors, or interns, take advantage of those opportunities. The key is continuously asking them for feedback to help adjust your management style. Everyone has different needs and works differently. Make sure you customize your management approach based on individuals’ needs. If you prefer reading, "The Making of a Manager" by Julie Zhou could interest you.

Read. Watch. Listen. Consume as much information as possible. Knowledge is power. People listen and follow leaders who have opinions. Opinions are shaped by experiences.

When you're uncomfortable, there's a good chance you're probably learning. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations. 

Remember, if you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room.