Micha Hershman

Great question. Difficult to answer, without knowing more about you as a human (feel free to reach out to me on LI and we can chat more specifically). That said, here is my general thinking on the subject: First, leverage your experience. You sales background is a huge asset. Use your experiences to help the Marketing team get a better understanding of customer pain points, buyer personas, and the nuances of the sales funnel. Your team will find your knowledge to be invaluable in crafting effect ...Read More

Don't believe the "experts". NO ONE knows the answer to this question with confidence). All that said, here are my hot takes:AI will have an impact on your career as a Demand Generation professional in the medium term. How? -Automation of your routine tasks: AMEN. This is a great thing and will allow us all to spend more time focused on more interesting creative and strategic problem solving. -Enhanced Data Analysis: Again, this is rad. Imagine you have your own, personal data scientist to help ...Read More

As a startup grows, the dynamics of demand generation and key stakeholders involved in the process will indeed change significantly. It's a great question and something to be prepared for. Some thoughts: Early stage (seed/startup) key stakeholders: Founders/CEOs: Expect Founders to take a very active role in demand generation at this stage. Brace yourself - they will have many opinions and very strong opinions. Sales leadership: Collaboration with sales is crucial to align messaging with custome ...Read More

Great question! Thanks for asking. I joined JumpCloud for five simple reasons (a framework I'll continue to use as I evaluate future roles): First, it's a great business with strong SAAS performance compared to industry benchmarks (especially in this day and age). Second, it's the right scale and complexity for me. Big and interesting enough to be a challenge for years to come...but familiar enough that I knew I could hit the ground running and begin to contribute right away. Third, and to the p ...Read More

To be successful as a Demand Generation Manager, both soft and hard skills are essential. More hard skills early in your career, and a clear shift to soft skills later. Here's my hot take: Hard Skills Data Analysis: Proficiency in interpreting data and analytics to make informed decisions. Ability to use tools like Google Analytics, Tableau, or Excel to track and analyze campaign performance. Getting comfortable with fast, sloppy startup math (vs the ideal but rarified state of statistical signi ...Read More

Tough one – unfortunately common and much easier said than done. Of course, managing competing priorities and ensuring focus in demand generation require effective communication and alignment with the executive team. Here are some proven strategies to work collaboratively with the CEO and executive team to prioritize and stay focused: Regular communication: Meet weekly with your Marketing leadership to discuss priorities and understand theirs. If there's a conflict, use this time to discuss and ...Read More

Another great question, one of the most sensitive and difficult! Handling a situation where two senior executive stakeholders disagree can be challenging, but it's critical that you develop the skills to navigate these moments diplomatically to ensure alignment and build your own reputation as a bridge-builder. Some thoughts: Listen actively: Seek to understand the perspectives of both stakeholders. Listen to their concerns, goals, and expectations carefully. Ensuring that they feel heard and re ...Read More

This is another hard one. Securing incremental resources for your marketing efforts involves making a compelling case to your executive leadership team. And sometimes these asks are absolutely critical to achieving the big, hairy ambitious goals you are being asked to achieve. Consider this step-by-step approach to making your case: Understand your needs: Start by thinking through exactly what resources you need and why. Whether it's a larger budget, additional staff, or access to new tools, dev ...Read More

Short answer: Yes, it's one of the very best paths to CMO at a growth stage startup. Medium answer: I could be wrong but my experience tells me that growth stage startup C level roles (the only space I know) come from one of two backgrounds: PMM or Demand Generation. They are going to hire to solve the problems they are facing. It's usually driving predictable demand first, with a measure of brand building second. Worth thinking as you navigate your path forward.Longer answer: Please see my answ ...Read More

This is an important question. Do it right, and you can accelerate your career, secure more exciting projects, and earn the trust of your leadership. Here are a couple of things I would tell my younger self: Speak Their Language: Your head of marketing and head of finance have a point of view on how to evaluate return on investment. Do you know what it is? Every person and every company does it differently: ROI, LTV/CAC, payback period, etc. What framework you use – and how it's calculated – doe ...Read More