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A thread about being the first product marketing person at a startup from having been that person to years of helping hire, onboard, and mentor them. 0/
1/ Start before you start
Chances are that the people you’re going to work with are largely unfamiliar with marketing. You should make sure you know what it means to them and what they think it's going to do for the company BEFORE you start.
Chances are that the people you’re going to work with are largely unfamiliar with marketing. You should make sure you know what it means to them and what they think it's going to do for the company BEFORE you start.
2/ Make a dent
As the first product marketer, no one is going to onboard you. Figure out what you can move the needle on and do it as a mark of your own successful onboarding. On. Day. One.
As the first product marketer, no one is going to onboard you. Figure out what you can move the needle on and do it as a mark of your own successful onboarding. On. Day. One.
3/ Talk to everyone
Founders, product, eng, sales, success, users, customers, people who didn't buy, people who churned…. Get a feel for what really matters about the company and what it's building.
Founders, product, eng, sales, success, users, customers, people who didn't buy, people who churned…. Get a feel for what really matters about the company and what it's building.
4/ Find the gaps
…between how people inside the company talk about these things vs how users/customers do. Drive a conversation about the differences. Figure out how to close those gaps.
…between how people inside the company talk about these things vs how users/customers do. Drive a conversation about the differences. Figure out how to close those gaps.
5/ Understand users
Build a deep understanding of users, their daily pains, goals, pressures, constraints, influences, and workflows.
Build a deep understanding of users, their daily pains, goals, pressures, constraints, influences, and workflows.
6/ Learn the product
It’s incredibly hard to build internal credibility, if you don’t know the product well. You should be able to, in a pinch, act as a ~decent product manager or sales engineer.
It’s incredibly hard to build internal credibility, if you don’t know the product well. You should be able to, in a pinch, act as a ~decent product manager or sales engineer.
7/ Write everything down
For the company to be pulling in the same direction, everyone not only has to be building the same thing—they have to be doing it for the same people, thinking and talking about it in the ~same way.
For the company to be pulling in the same direction, everyone not only has to be building the same thing—they have to be doing it for the same people, thinking and talking about it in the ~same way.
8/ Drive growth
Apply what you’re learning to the website, campaigns, webinars, videos, product copy, case studies, customer interviews…
Apply what you’re learning to the website, campaigns, webinars, videos, product copy, case studies, customer interviews…
9/ Launch something
Bring a new feature or product to market. Figure out how to talk about it, where to launch it, whether to try to get into the press, or if you want to launch on Product Hunt, or…
Bring a new feature or product to market. Figure out how to talk about it, where to launch it, whether to try to get into the press, or if you want to launch on Product Hunt, or…
10/ Keep things connected
Keeping product, sales, marketing—and maybe other functions—connected is likely going to fall on you. Because product marketing sits at the intersection of these disciplines.
Keeping product, sales, marketing—and maybe other functions—connected is likely going to fall on you. Because product marketing sits at the intersection of these disciplines.
11/ Be the voice of the market
Become the voice of the customer + the market. You want people to look to you to know if a value proposition will appeal to customers. Or if a feature is going to be competitive. Or…
Become the voice of the customer + the market. You want people to look to you to know if a value proposition will appeal to customers. Or if a feature is going to be competitive. Or…
12/ Ask for help
You're not going to know everything. No one does.
Ask for help! Find a mentor! Tell your founders you'd like an advisor!
You're not going to know everything. No one does.
Ask for help! Find a mentor! Tell your founders you'd like an advisor!
13/ Embrace change
Any job where you’re the first doing something is going to change over time, sometimes dramatically. Embrace it.
Any job where you’re the first doing something is going to change over time, sometimes dramatically. Embrace it.
Fin/ Never stop learning
Good luck!
For more, read the whole post I wrote about this. ;) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-first-product-marketer-aneel-lakhani/
Good luck!
For more, read the whole post I wrote about this. ;) https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-first-product-marketer-aneel-lakhani/
