What Pros/Cons Exist for Industry-Specific PMM Career Path?

Let’s talk about the path of the industry-specific PMM. I’ve had the privilege of leading both, industry-focused and full-stack PMM teams—at Twilio (deeply verticalized hybrid GTM that paired core PLG offering with SLG for enterprise), Iterable (industry-agnostic platform focus, selling to mid-market & enterprise), and previously at Uber and Intuit. Along the way, I’ve learned a few truths about what makes this path rewarding, challenging, and—let’s be honest—occasionally frustrating.

Let's talk about the perks of specializing. First, addressing the obvious: if you’re working in a vertical like financial services, healthcare, or public sector, your industry knowledge is pure gold. Why? Because these industries are tough nuts to crack and have significant untapped TAM/SAM. Customers in regulated markets don’t just want to know that your product is good; they want to know that you “get it”—their pain points (ie mobile purchasing behavior of consumers in Retail, State & Federal budget allocations for digital innovation, health care data privacy considerations, blockchain implications for fintech), industry-specific use cases, compliance hurdles (HIPAA, FedRamp), why their day is so much harder than anyone else’s and ultimately the answer to "Why Solution X".

That’s where you come in. As an industry-specific PMM, you’re not just writing messaging—you’re translating complexity into clarity. Your expertise makes you indispensable to GTM and Sales teams that are trying to land the pitch. You’re the one who can say, “No, you don’t talk to an insurance exec about ‘seamless digital workflows.’ You talk about mitigating claims fraud and cutting costs — and X, Y, Z”. But it’s not just about the messaging. Specializing gives you a front-row seat to high-stakes strategic opportunities. You’ll work closely with Sales & GTM leadership, partners, and enterprise customers, making “you” the person folks trust in the room. This visibility? Career rocket fuel. And for early- to mid-career PMMs, it’s a golden chance to sharpen your storytelling and executive engagement skills. 

You will be surprised how immensely valuable “solutions or platform storytelling” skills are in a world full of “product-first and feature-first” pitches as a response to the competitive cycle of "feature wars".

But wait, there's a catch. For a company to move to verticals, you need verticals that are large enough to support a dedicated GTM strategy and distinct enough to justify dedicated resources. Be tuned to whether the company is serious about a verticalized business strategy. Do they have an industry SME to guide and accelerate the roadmap/GTM motion? Are they prioritizing building verticalized features/offerings? Do they have a partner ecosystem to enable penetration into verticals? A targeted & nuanced industry narrative can only get you so far - without compelling strategic investments to back up these claims, the storytelling loses firepower pretty quickly.

Second, specializing too much as a PMM can feel like falling into the narrow-focus trap. Vertical roles are valuable, but they can be limiting if you don't build transferable skills. Can you adapt your vertical narrative to a different industry? Show you're not just a "public sector" PMM but a "Solutions-focused marketer" who can tackle any complex "verticals" challenge. Take a step back and craft your "one-to-many playbook" as you delve into industries & observe the patterns. Your expertise with “Solutions” can also make you a strong candidate for roles in strategy consulting or advisory capacities. Also, many industry-specific PMMs play a key role in adapting PLG strategies for enterprise customers where horizontal PLG motions may falter ensuring you’re at the forefront of evolving marketing practices. 

And finally, let’s not ignore the elephant in the room: budgets. When things get tough (and they do— as we've seen in 2022), companies often prioritize horizontal initiatives over niche teams. If you’re in a vertical-specific role during a downturn or acquisition, you might find yourself on the chopping block faster than you can say “cross-functional alignment.” Industry-specific expertise can sometimes oversaturate niches, leading to competition for roles within those verticals. In smaller or leaner organizations (especially startups), verticalized or solutions PMM teams might face challenges like insufficient resources, unclear role definitions, or worse, orphan teams without a product/business mandate (yes, this happens).

Emerging trends in PMM/GTM motions:

1. PLG Meets Enterprise:
   PLG isn’t just for scrappy startups anymore. Enterprises are jumping on board, and PMMs who can marry PLG’s self-serve principles with tailored enterprise strategies are in high demand. You’ve got to balance technical product depth with customer empathy & industry nuance. It’s like juggling flaming torches—but with data.

2. Rise of Hybrid Models:
   PLG, SLG, ABM—welcome to the alphabet soup of modern GTM strategies. Hybrid is the name of the game, and vertical-focused PMMs are often at the heart of these efforts. Why? Because you understand how to sell both the sizzle (industry pitch) and the steak (platform & product capabilities).

3. The Push for Verticalization:
   Companies like Salesforce and Microsoft are doubling down on industry-specific solutions. If you can define and market vertical offerings, you’re playing in a space that’s going to grow. Bonus points if you can help customers navigate digital transformation— it’s like teaching them to surf the oceans when they’ve been accustomed to swimming in a pool.

4. Cross-Functional Leadership:
   As an industry PMM, you’ll spend a lot of time working with Sales, product, and Customer success teams. Your ability to bring everyone together around a shared vision is what makes you not just a PMM but a leader.

Hybrid models are becoming the norm. Successful industry-focused PMMs have a mastery of both SLG (building enterprise trust through tailored value propositions) and PLG (scaling with high-touch, data-driven experimentation).

Advice for Navigating this path: If I were mentoring someone exploring this path, I’d advise them to study companies leading in verticalized GTM strategies (Box, Salesforce, ServiceNow) and learn how their PMM teams contribute. 

1. Find your Balance// Take a portfolio approach
   Specialize, but don’t pigeonhole yourself. Build a playbook that’s adaptable to different industries. You want to be the Swiss Army knife of PMMs, not just the bottle opener.

2. Show Your Impact
   Always connect your work to business results. Did you help close enterprise deals? Influence product strategy? Lead thought leadership initiatives? Make sure your résumé screams, “I don’t just execute; I deliver results.”

3. Invest in Transferable Skills
   Data-driven storytelling, stakeholder management, market research, competitive analysis —these are your evergreen skills. They’ll serve you no matter where your career takes you.

4. Build Your Network// Connect with PMM mentors
   Engage with PMM peers on platforms like Sharebird, PMA, other platforms and try to do this IRL. I find that I learn a lot more from actual PMM meet-ups through the real talk that happens in person vs TOFU style PMM advice on Linkedin. Learn from folks who’ve been down this road and can share real examples of what works and not.

Having taken a portfolio approach throughout my PMM career (including solutions PMM roles), I believe that building a solutions PMM muscle in a specific vertical or two can be a game-changer. The key is to stay curious, adaptable, and nimble. At the end of the day, whether you’re marketing to fintech execs or healthcare providers, you’re telling a story that solves real problems. Do that well, and you’ll always have a seat at the table.

Oh, and remember: every challenge is just another plot twist in your career. And who doesn’t love a good story?