Rekha Srivatsan

Welcome to the PMM world! ;) My approach to this would be: * Take a closer look at the particular job responsibilities. If the job responsibilities are heavy on content creation, I'd include samples of the content you've created in your marketing portfolio. * In addition, include a variety of different content pieces too. This will help the hiring team know your diverse skills as well as give them ideas on what they can do -- making you a standout winner. * You can also look at the company's website to understand their current content mix, voice, etc. And see if you can include things you've created to fit that approach. * Extra credit would be to always add things you've worked on or created to your LinkedIn profile. I usually add my interviews, webpages, videos, customer stories, blogs that I've created to my profile with some context. In summary, go for a mix of different channels/ideas you've done to give them a taste of what they can expect from you. Good luck!

I love when candidates go above and beyond! I always do when I interview for my next role. A 30-60-90 is extremely helpful for the hiring manager to know how you prioritize and candidly, will also help you decide if the role is the right one for you. I'd almost always have a deck with my 30-60-90, SWOT of the product, the target persona analysis for any role you are applying for.

Sorry, that didn't work out! Here's how I would approach this assignment: * Study Certain's website to understand their current product messaging and positioning. And make sure your draft is different from this but not drastically different. * Play closer attention to their customer stories/testimonials to understand their use cases. This gives you a glimpse of what features to highlight in your GTM strategy. * The goal is to get more leads, so take a look at their pricing and packaging to see if there can be a better approach. * Understand Certain's key competitors in the enterprise segment. How do they market, what do they advertise, their customer testimonials. * Try a peer-to-peer software comparison site like G2 crowd to understand real customer POV for Certain and their competitors. Bonus: If an interview does not work out, I'd recommend you reaching out to ask for feedback from the hiring manager. Most hiring managers will share feedback to help you grow. Good luck with your next interviews!

I don't care about the candidate's background when interviewing for my team. I've hired folks from engineering, solution engineering, sales, and customer success teams and they've become successful PMMs. That being said, most of them have this in common: * Can-do and flexible attitude - Ready to take on any challenge. Open to solving it creatively and however long it takes to wrap it up. * Connecting the dots - Instead of being siloed as just a PMM, thinking about the adjacent functions like campaigns / content / GTM teams and how to involve them. * Good copywriting skills - Flair for writing is key for a PMM. * Product experts - Know the product extremely well and ready to strategize with the product team for roadmap discussions. * Creative problem-solvers - Always thinking about ways to do things differently and not afraid to try something new. 

I'm a huge fan of shorter, concise resumes. If you can articulate your journey and experience on one page, it will help me to process your resume well. Some red flags I've observed: * Typos/grammatical errors on resumes - Attention to detail is a core skill for a PMM, so it is a big turn-off for me if your resume has these errors. * Lack of customer narrative - Customer conversations are integral to a PMM role, so if it's not mentioned in during the interview that's a red flag for me. * Run-on sentences - As a PMM, you are expected to have clear, concise communication -- verbal and written. * Too much fluff - When stating your experience, be real and practical. Don't exaggerate it too much or make it super jargon-y that its difficult to follow.

I'm a huge fan of shorter, concise resumes. If you can articulate your journey and experience on one page, it will help me to process your resume well. Some red flags I've observed: * Typos/grammatical errors - Attention to detail is a core skill for a PMM, so it is a big turn-off for me if your resume has these errors. * Lack of customer narrative - Customer conversations are integral to a PMM role, so if it's not mentioned in your resume that's a flag for me. * Run-on sentences - As a PMM, you are expected to have clear, concise communication -- verbal and written. * Too much fluff - When stating your experience, be real and practical. Don't exaggerate it too much or make it super jargon-y that its difficult to follow.

You have all the right line items! In addition, I'd recommend: * Focus groups for messaging/positioning/pricing & packaging: I'm a huge fan of getting feedback from prospects and customers on any new changes. This helps to have impactful content. * Video editor/agency: Having a 3rd party video editor helps speed up content creation considerably. Plus, they can usually handle multiple projects at the same time and you can create new sales or external-facing collateral pretty fast. * Tool to track sales content adoption: Highly recommend a tool to track content adoption by your sales team. Helps you understand what kind of content sticks with your sales team to double down. 

Great question and one that comes up all the time! The structure of the PMM team can vary depending on the size of the organization, the nature of the product, and other factors. I lead the Service Cloud PMM team, the largest cloud for Salesforce. So, it is a mature product with a billion+ annual revenue. So, my team is structured by the product portfolio, and I have one team that leads the strategic PMM initiatives like AR, PR, Launches, Website, etc. Each PMM on my team needs to be the product expert — so working closely with the product team on defining the roadmap to working on the right content to enable the field. So they are more of a generalist PMM who goes deep on a product.

I like the positioning doc to address your audience need, how do you stand out / differentiated, what do you provide and white space. For example, if you have customer need, you can easily come up with the FOR and WHO; if you have white space, you can fill in the UNLIKE; and if you have unique capabilities, you can communicate the PROVIDES and ONLY. It really draws out that CRITICAL THING that defines your company or product.

Setting up a Product Marketing function for the first time in an organization requires careful planning and strategic execution. Here's a general outline of a 30-60-90 day plan to help you establish a Product Marketing function effectively: First 30 Days: Understanding and Planning 1. Understand the Business: * Dive into the company's products, services, and overall business strategy. * Meet with key stakeholders, including product managers, sales, and leadership, to gain insights into the company's goals and challenges. 2. Define Objectives: * Clarify the objectives and goals for the Product Marketing function. * Align with the broader marketing and company objectives. 3. Assess Resources: * Evaluate existing resources, both human and material, that can be leveraged for Product Marketing. * Identify any gaps or additional resources needed. 4. Build Relationships: * Establish relationships with cross-functional teams, especially product management, sales, and customer support. * Gain insights into their perspectives and expectations. 5. Competitive Analysis: * Conduct a thorough competitive analysis to understand the market landscape. * Identify key competitors, their strengths, weaknesses, and market positioning. Next 30 Days: Strategy Development 6. Define Target Audience: * Refine or develop buyer personas based on market research and discussions with stakeholders. * Ensure alignment with sales and product teams on target customer segments. 7. Messaging Framework: * Develop a messaging framework that clearly communicates the value proposition and differentiation. * Ensure consistency across all communication channels. 8. Content Strategy: * Outline a content strategy to support product marketing initiatives. * Identify key content types needed throughout the customer journey. 9. Sales Enablement: * Collaborate with sales teams to understand their needs. * Develop sales enablement materials, including product guides, FAQs, and pitch decks. 10. Metrics and KPIs: * Define key metrics and KPIs to measure the success of Product Marketing efforts. * Set up tracking mechanisms and reporting systems. Next 30 Days: Execution and Optimization 11. Campaign Launch: * Plan and launch initial product marketing campaigns. * Monitor performance and gather feedback for optimization. 12. Feedback Loops: * Establish feedback mechanisms with sales, product, and other teams. * Use feedback to iterate and improve messaging and strategies. 13. Customer Communication: * Develop a plan for communicating product updates and news to existing customers. * Ensure customer-facing teams are briefed on these updates. 14. Evaluate and Optimize: * Analyze the performance of the initial campaigns and make data-driven adjustments. * Identify areas for improvement and optimization. 15. Documentation: * Document processes, strategies, and outcomes. * Create a knowledge base for the Product Marketing function. Beyond 90 Days: Scaling and Growth 16. Iterate and Expand: * Iterate on successful strategies and expand product marketing efforts to new markets or customer segments. * Scale the function based on the evolving needs of the business. 17. Training and Development: * Provide training sessions for other teams on product messaging and positioning. * Develop a continuous learning plan for the Product Marketing team. 18. Cross-Functional Collaboration: * Strengthen collaboration with other departments, fostering a culture of alignment and shared goals. * Seek opportunities for joint initiatives with sales, product, and customer support. 19. Thought Leadership: * Establish the Product Marketing team as thought leaders in the industry. * Explore opportunities for speaking engagements, webinars, and content partnerships. 20. Measure Impact: * Continuously measure the impact of Product Marketing on overall business goals. * Use insights to refine strategies and demonstrate the value of the function. This plan provides a structured approach to setting up a Product Marketing function and ensures a balance between understanding the organization, strategic planning, and tactical execution. Adjust the specifics based on the unique needs and dynamics of the organization you are working with.