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Which role is more strategic and has more power in the Tech industry, the PM or the PMM? Who has the final call on products decisions?

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4 Answers
Messaging Strategy
  1. Mary Sheehan
    Mary Sheehan

    Adobe Head of Lightroom Product Marketing | Formerly Google, AdRoll • 8y

    Really interesting question. It depends on what you define as power. PMs are responsible for building the product (so they ultimately have the final call on product decisions), but PMMs are tasked with getting that product out in front of the right target user. You can have the best product in the world, but if it isn't marketed, no one will know about it.    The ideal situation is that PM + PMM work together, tackling big decisions together and that nothing is done in a silo. When you have a ro ...Read More

    999 Views
  2. Mike Flouton
    Mike Flouton

    Boxford Capital Managing Partner | Formerly Barracuda, SilverSky, Digital Guardian, OpenPages, Cybertrust • 8y

    Mary pretty much nailed this one. Ideally you both have a lot of power and divide it and wield it jointly. But if you need a direct answer to who has the final call on product decisions, it's PM. 

    390 Views
  3. Judy Abad
    Judy Abad

    Navan Global Director, Business Strategy and Comms • 8y

    As Mary said, it definitely depends on how you define power, but in general, the PM makes the final call on the building the product and the PMM makes the final call on the launch strategy. Well, actually, it’s really the CEO that has the final call on everything, but you get my point.    In terms of which role is more strategic, it depends on what you enjoy doing and what you want to learn to do more of. PMs are generally defining the “what, why, and how” of the product, working closely with en ...Read More

    2,446 Views
  4. Daniel Palay
    Daniel Palay

    KPI Sense Chief Executive Officer • 6y

    Both must be equally strategic, just in different ways, and often on different timelines. Regarding power, it depends on how you define that. Politically speaking, my instinct says that in most companies it's PM because they "make the stuff." PMM has the "power" to make it succeed or fail in the marketplace, but unless you're a vindictive egomaniac with seriously self-destructive tendencies, chances are you're not going to wield that power to drive an outcome other than success. 

    359 Views

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