What A Senior Product Marketing Manager At Adobe Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Product Marketing Industry
Ryan, a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Adobe, wishes someone had explained the "who," "why," and "how" aspects of product marketing versus product management earlier in their career; this understanding would have helped them recognize their strengths in customer empathy and communication, better aligning their career path sooner. The realization that product marketing focuses on the "why"—the market need and target audience—as opposed to the "what"—the product's features—is a key takeaway, highlighting the importance of understanding one's strengths when choosing a career path.
Product Marketing, Technology, Marketing, Communication, Business Strategy
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Ryan Khademi
Senior Product Marketing Manager
Adobe
University of Washington, Michael G. Foster School of Business, 2013
UCLA Anderson School of Management
Marketing
Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
None Applicable, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Product marketing is a unique role blending product and marketing expertise, offering a path for those who might not initially pursue product management.
2. A strong understanding of customer needs and marketing principles, combined with product knowledge, is crucial for success in product marketing management.
3. The key difference between product management and product marketing lies in focusing on "what" versus "why"—product managers determine the product's features and development, while product marketers define its purpose, target audience, and marketing strategy.
Transcript
So, Ryan, what have you learned about being a product marketing manager that you wish someone had told you before you entered the tech industry?
This is a great question, probably one of the best anyone's ever asked me. It’s a thoughtful book, and there are many ways to answer it.
When I first started, I knew nothing about product marketing. You'll learn that it's not something most people stumble into. Many people I talk to and mentor figure it out at some point, hear about it, or get their MBA and realize it's a path.
I wish someone could have told me everything about the job. They really told me it's a unique role where you focus on bringing a product to market, which doesn't necessarily mean product management.
Before product marketing, it's not something someone might tell you, but it's what I tell others. People who didn't go the product management route first often stumble into product marketing, like I did. After a couple of years, they might feel they aren't hands-on enough with the product or not affecting it as much. They then have a conversation about wanting to become a product manager.
One benefit of being a product marketing manager or product manager is that you can transition between the two fairly seamlessly. This depends on your connections and how well you've learned the business. Anything with a "P" in front of it, like Product Manager or Product Marketing Manager, means you'll probably be able to transition easily.
However, what people don't realize is the altitude of the business you'll work on. I wish someone had told me that if you're good with customers and think about marketing and business aspects in addition to product, you'll thrive as a product marketing manager.
I had to learn the hard way by becoming a product manager first and then stumbling into product marketing. Through reviews and performance feedback, I realized that as a user experience product manager working on a pilot at Microsoft for about a year, I was still learning the job. I had no idea how things were built and missed key details.
My ability to synthesize information, understand insights, communicate them, help drive direction, and then figure out how to market it and work with partners was unparalleled. I didn't realize that this was better suited to a product marketing manager who still understood product. I was good at it, but perhaps not specific enough to what that job needed at the time.
High level, I wish someone had told me to think about your strengths. Is your focus more on the customer side, or on the technical feasibility side?
People often ask about the difference between a product manager and a product marketing manager. It boils down to the "who," "what," "why," and "when." The product manager owns the "what"—what are we building, how are we building it, and when will it be released?
The product marketing manager, in some capacity, owns the "why." Why are we building it? Who are we building it for? We need to know when it comes out, but those are the key things in that process.
A manager once broke this down for me, and it solidified why I wanted to be a product marketing manager and what value I knew I could add. What is that "why"? What is the story behind that "why"? How do we enable that into a product? I don't need to know how it's built; that's not my focus. For me, it's about the "who" it's for and the empathy that comes with being able to market it. I wish someone had broken that down for me when I first started as a PM.