Sean Lauer

When managing a PMM team that covers multiple products or is matrixed, high-level or aggregate metrics are key. While more granular data may be needed to drive specific metrics, you need to measure the team at a higher level to measure overall team health. By looking at team-level metrics, leaders can get valuable insights into how their PMM team is doing. Here are some examples: Team NPS (by internal stakeholder groups) Adoption of new features Product usage (DAU or MAU) Customer retention Lead ...Read More

It's important to create a single source of truth so that stakeholders know where to look for the latest and greatest. If your company has a wiki (Notion, etc.), create a messaging hub within your marketing space. If they don't have a wiki, a Google Drive or Dropbox folder will also work. The more tailored you can make it to different audiences, the better. Make it simple for them to find the messaging that they need—whether it's for GTM purposes or product. PMM can sometimes feel like the "mess ...Read More

There's nothing that says gathering intel in standard ways isn't ethical or fair. There are definitely some tactics that might straddle the line and a few that go way over the line that should obviously be avoided. I would rely on approaches that are very common, ethical, and effective: Win/loss interviews Seller interviews Analyst inquiries Analyst category/industry analyses Investor resources Using competitor products (if possible) Competitor websites Competitor community forums Industry commu ...Read More

For me, a full-stack product marketer is someone who is proficient in both inbound and outbound PMM. You can work with key stakeholders like sales, customer success, product, marketing peers, and even the executive leadership team (PMM is, after all, directly tied to strategy). You’re a Swiss Army Knife when it comes to being the voice of the product and can solve problems no matter what is thrown your way. In most cases, you’ll flex different skill sets up and down depending on the product itse ...Read More

As the first Head of PMM in a startup, you should use a structured approach over your first 30, 60, and 90 days: Day 0-30: Learning & discovery—Focus on learning as much as possible. Don't worry about your impact at this point. It's your job to learn in order to make more informed decisions and build an effective plan. Key actions: People Familiarize with company tech, culture, people Stakeholder and customer conversations Meet and assess marketing team Understand sales, marketing, and produ ...Read More

As the first PMM hire, you will need to do your research before you can prioritize needs. Here's a three-step plan that should guide you to success: Talk to stakeholders: As a PMM, you are the connective tissue between product, marketing, and sales. Get to know these stakeholders. Understand their goals and their needs. Crunch the numbers: Understand historical revenue and user growth deeply. Sometimes, what people tell you is different from what the numbers tell you. Get as much data as you can ...Read More

Before launching a product, it's important to conduct thorough testing and validation. Gathering feedback from the target audience can reveal valuable insights that can be used to improve the product. When collecting feedback, focus on product functionality, overall experience, and perceived value. Closed alpha or beta tests with a select group of trusted customers or partners can uncover bugs, usability issues, or potential enhancements. It's important to include participants with a diverse ran ...Read More

When entering a competitive market, it's crucial to carefully evaluate your launch messaging to ensure maximum impact. There are three key factors to consider: Clarity and relevance - your message must be clear and address the primary pain points of your target audience. Avoid jargon and buzzwords that may confuse your value proposition. Differentiation - it's important to clearly articulate what sets your product apart from your competitors, highlighting unique features or benefits. Resonance a ...Read More

A lot of people will sum up the role of PMM as "the voice of the customer." However, this explanation falls short of clearly defining swim lanes and also crosses into other areas like customer marketing, content marketing, research, etc. In my opinion, the simplest way to describe the PMM role is "the voice of the product." Here's why: As the voice of the product, you need to be focused on both the inbound and outbound sides of PMM As the voice of the product, you need to be the connective tissu ...Read More