If you’ve ever seen a company desperately throwing features at the wall to see what sticks, you’ve witnessed one of the fastest ways to burn money and fail. Yet, it’s shockingly common, especially in startups and even some big-name companies. Finding product-market fit isn’t about pushing features into the wild and hoping for the best (no matter how “cost-effective” it seems). Instead, it’s about listening to your customers and building what they need. Often, that is usually one thing.
That’s where product marketing managers (PMMs) step in. Now, let’s get one thing straight. Product Marketing means many things in many companies. At startups, PMMs are often shoehorned into many different hats, including (but not limited to) performance marketing, growth marketing, brand marketing, social media marketing, and every other marketing under the sun. That is not product marketing. Product marketing is a very specific, creative, and strategic role where the PMM must be wholly in touch with feature creation and customer behavior when using the product.
Given this narrow definition of what a PMM does, the conversation becomes much more strategic. I’ve been a product marketer in the smallest of companies (think 1-3 employees) and I’ve been a product marketer in the largest of companies (think 8,000-15,000) employees, and these are some of the most important lessons I’ve learned.
Why “Release and Pray” Doesn’t Work
When companies try to find product-market fit by blindly releasing features, they waste time, resources, and goodwill. Customers get confused, sales teams lose confidence, and leadership starts scrambling.
The solution? Flip the script. Ask your customers what they want. Sell the solution before you even build it. Pre-orders, waitlists, and commitments validate demand better than any whiteboard brainstorming session ever will.
Instead of “build it and they will come,” think “sell it, then build only what’s needed.” This customer-led approach doesn’t just save money—it delivers features people actually want.
When I worked at Teamworks, I had the pleasure of working with Jim Cavale. A very interesting and ambitious entrepreneur. Jim cared about bringing financial safety and monetary safety to college athletes. So he started this company, called INFCLR (pronounced in-flu-en-cer, not in-flick-er). Instead of spending big on development, testing UIs, or running expensive ads, Jim did something bold: he skipped the build phase entirely.
Armed with nothing but Figma demos, he went straight to athletic directors. No working product. Just a vision, some images, and a simple question: “Would you use this?” The response was overwhelmingly positive.
Jim wasn’t just a great salesman—he was smart about how he validated his idea. With the demand confirmed, he didn’t need to waste time building features no one asked for. He built exactly what the market wanted, and INFCLR became a success.
This is what PMMs should champion: go to your customers, figure out what works, and double down.
- Ask before you act. Pre-orders, demos, and prototypes aren’t just scrappy—they’re powerful tools to validate demand.
- Focus on what customers love. What’s resonating? What’s not? Dive into the data and conversations.
- Be the connector. PMMs have a unique role in tying customer insights to Product, Sales, and Success teams.
In startups and beyond, blindly building features is the fast lane to failure. Instead, sell first. Build second. And watch how much faster you can find true product-market fit.
If You’re A Bad Project Manager, You’ll Be A Bad Product Marketing Manager
Being a great Product Marketing Manager (PMM) isn’t just about crafting compelling messaging or influencing strategy—it’s about keeping all the moving pieces in motion without dropping a single one. Whether you’re at a startup or a global enterprise, if you can’t manage projects effectively, you’ll quickly find yourself drowning.
PMMs often (and often should) juggle multiple launches, each with its own timeline, dependencies, and stakeholders. A new product rollout, a rebrand, or even a minor feature update requires coordination across Product, Sales, and Customer Success teams—all while staying aligned with your marketing strategy. If you’re not organized, you risk missing deadlines, miscommunicating goals, and delivering lackluster results.
Take your product testing seriously, but never forget to test your marketing. Messaging, visuals, and even product names need to be validated before they hit the market. Every detail matters, and that requires precision in execution.
How do you stay on top of it all?
- Use the Right Tools: Platforms like Asana, Monday, and Trello aren’t just nice-to-haves—they’re lifesavers for keeping track of timelines, tasks, and team collaboration.
- Create Clear Trackers: Maintain centralized documents for launches, messaging iterations, and performance metrics. This ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
- Overcommunicate: Regular updates to stakeholders keep everyone aligned. A well-run project is one where no one has to ask, “Where are we with this?”
- Test, Iterate, Repeat: Your marketing is just as important to test as your product. A/B test messaging, visuals, and CTAs to ensure they resonate.
The best PMMs are part strategist, part storyteller, and part project manager. Without the ability to manage projects well, even the strongest ideas will fail to see the light of day. Want to stand out as a PMM? Master the art of juggling.
Credibility Should Be The Flavor Of Every Month
In the world of product marketing, data is your sharpest tool—and your biggest ally. The best messaging isn’t just creative; it’s credible. And nothing builds trust faster than stats that prove your product delivers real results.
Why tell customers your product is amazing when you can show them? For example:
- “92% of users improved productivity by 30% with Product Awesome.”
- “Customers saved an average of $10,000 annually using our solution.”
These aren’t just numbers; they’re benefits turned into undeniable proof.
How to Harness Data for Messaging
- Start with the Benefits: Focus on what your customers care about most—saving time, cutting costs, boosting performance—and back it up with data.
- Make It Relatable: Numbers that feel abstract won’t resonate. Instead of “10x ROI,” say, “Saved the average customer $5,000 per quarter.”
- Leverage Case Studies: Customer stories paired with data are a one-two punch. They humanize the stats and make them more impactful.
- Keep Testing: Use data to measure the performance of your messaging. If a stat doesn’t resonate, refine it.
The bottom line? Stats aren’t just numbers—they’re your credibility on paper. Great PMMs live and die by data, using it to craft messaging that doesn’t just inform, but converts.
