What might a 30-60-90 day plan look like for a Jr. PMM as they're being introduced to product marketing and coming up to speed on the company itself?

First 30 Days

• Focus on learning the product (demo, the features, product positioning)

• Learn about your business (sales process, pipeline, key KPIs, goals/success metrics - the basics of the business)

• Listening tour to learn about your customer and competitors

  • Listen to gong calls from customers and prospects

  • Review your ICP, buyer persona cards, customer journey etc

  • Review competitors websites, internal battle cards etc (have them do research on each competitor and continue into 60 days)

• Review your brand guidelines (tone of voice, how your write & speak etc)

First 60 Days

• They should be comfortable demoing the product (confident and able to do it)

• Competitive research & voice of customer (ongoing)

• Start to introduce them to folks across the business

• Identify a few quick wins for them -- what are 1-2 projects they can take on and deliver in the first 60 days to showcase value and feel accomplished?

• If possible, have them shadow an ongoing product launch so that they can learn through absorption

First 90 Days

• Define their scope and responsibilities.

  • Will they be a generalist? If so, what areas of PMM will you have them work on?

    • Some ideas: Competitive research & building battle cards, building foundational sales assets (one pagers, building customer case studies, voice of customer (from customer feedback etc))

  • Will they have a focus? On positioning? on product launches?

    • Define what their goals are related to this for the quarter - and how you will measure success for it

• Make sure to keep checking in with them (weekly 1-1s). You'll start to identify the areas they are strong and where they need more coaching. Provide that in real-time to them so they can keep learning.

For a Junior PMM, the 30-60-90 day plan should focus on building foundational knowledge, learning the ropes of product marketing, and gradually contributing to key initiatives. Your manager will be your greatest asset to succeed so don’t be afraid to ask for more time or help.

Here’s how I’d structure onboarding to ensure a smooth introduction and set a junior PMM up for long-term success:

First 30 Days: Learn, observe, and build a foundation

The first month is all about gaining a deep understanding of the product, company, and market. The key goal is to absorb information and start building relationships.

1. Learn the product: I’d have the Jr. PMM dive into the product—attend demos, listen to Gong calls, explore its features, and understand how it solves customer pain points. They should also familiarize themselves with the product roadmap to grasp where the product is headed.

2. Understand the market and customers: I’d encourage them to review customer personas, market research, and competitor analyses to get a sense of the competitive landscape. If possible, they should also talk to sales or customer success teams to hear about customer challenges firsthand.

3. Build relationships: 1:1s with key cross-functional stakeholders—Product, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success—are critical. I’d create the list for them ahead of time. The Jr. PMM should spend time learning how these teams operate and how product marketing can support them.

4. Help with a small task(s): Typically, there will be small tasks that we’ve been waiting for the hire to help with before they even started. So, I’d ask them to start working on some of the tasks. This allows them to acclimate to the business by doing and gain confidence as they complete the tasks. 

Next 30 Days: Start contributing and building confidence

After laying the groundwork, the next 30 days should focus on translating that knowledge into actionable contributions. This is where they can start to take on manageable projects. What your business needs will be unique, but here are some ideas: 

1. Support messaging or positioning: At this stage, the Jr. PMM could contribute to updating or refining existing product messaging. Whether it’s working on value propositions, competitive comparisons, or sales enablement materials, they should start applying their learning to real-world tasks.

2. Own a small project: I’d assign them a small project to build confidence, such as helping with a piece of product collateral, creating a competitor battle card, or assisting with content for a minor product update. This gives them a taste of ownership while keeping the stakes manageable.

3. Contribute to a launch: If there’s an upcoming product launch, the Jr. PMM could play a supporting role (depending on how your PMM team is structured). This could involve helping coordinate internal communications, building sales enablement tools, or drafting customer-facing messaging. It’s a great way for them to learn the launch process without fully owning it.

4. Provide insights from market research: At this point, they should be able to offer some early insights from their market research and competitor analysis, potentially helping the broader team fine-tune positioning or campaigns.

Final 30 Days: Own initiatives and drive results

By the third month, the Jr. PMM should be ready to take on more responsibility and start driving some results. This is where they can start owning initiatives and making more meaningful contributions. Examples could be: 

1. Own an initiative: I’d encourage them to take full ownership of a product marketing initiative, whether it’s leading a smaller launch, creating a customer case study, or spearheading a new piece of sales enablement. This gives them a chance to showcase their skills and make a bigger impact.

2. Deliver sales enablement: By now, they should have enough understanding of the product and customers to deliver a piece of sales enablement—whether it’s a new deck, battle card, or training materials. It’s a great way for them to contribute to sales and marketing alignment.

3. Track and measure success: In their final 30 days, they should start thinking about how to measure the impact of their work. Whether it’s tracking the adoption of the sales enablement they created or helping set KPIs for a project they’re involved in, this will introduce them to the metrics-driven side of product marketing.

4. Continue building XFN relationships: They should keep building relationships across the company, establishing themselves as a go-to resource for product marketing support.