PM and PMM relationship. Why it matters in startups?

THE INTRODUCTION

Hello 👋 Marketing Context Fam!! Welcome to this week’s edition.

In todays edition of startup marketing deep dive we unpack a critical startup marketing aspect of “what makes the relationship of Product marketing manager and Product Manager so critical”. We will cover:

• Why PMM and PM relationship matter

• Unpack the core concepts

• Look at an example

• Resources

THE CONTEXT

Why it matter?

A startup marketing manager ( PMM) position is an exciting opportunity to work in a dynamic environment to learn, grow and make an impact.

As a startup PMM your energy is electric, the ideas are flowing, and you're brimming with excitement to bring the best product to market. But with a nascent product and a limited runway, success hinges on a critical partnership: the one between the PMM and the Product Manager (PM).

This is something I often get asked by PMMs looking at a career at a startup and also by founders who don’t have clarity on what the role of the PMM should be in sync with the PM.

This guide dives deep into the PMM and PM relationship within an early-stage tech startup, navigating the path from initial idea to achieving product-market fit (PMF).

We'll explore how these roles differ, the challenges you'll face together, and the magic that unfolds when collaboration takes centre stage. So, grab your metaphorical beret and let's get started!

THE DEEP DIVE

In a early startup, both PMMs and PMs wear multiple hats. Often there roles and responsibilities overlap leading to confusion and conflicts.

PMs and PMMs should deep dive into each other's domains in order to have empathy for each other's roles and objectives and to learn how to effectively work together

If I have to broadly divide the role of the product marketing manager and the PMM, to navigate the crucial idea-to-product-market fit (PMF) stage: then it can be categories as below

Product Manager (PM): The product captain.

• Focus: Defining the product vision, roadmap, and features based on user needs and market research.

• Key Deliverables: User personas, product requirements documents (PRDs), prototypes, minimum viable products (MVPs).

• Challenges: Prioritizing features, managing development resources, making data-driven decisions with limited data.

Product Marketing Manager (PMM): The product evangelist.

• Focus: Understanding the target market, crafting the product story and messaging, driving user acquisition and engagement.

• Key Deliverables: Competitive analysis, messaging frameworks, go-to-market strategy, launch campaigns.

• Challenges: Validating market need, ensuring messaging resonates with users, proving product value with limited features.

Potential Conflicts:

• Feature Creep: PMs might prioritize too many features, while PMMs push for a focused MVP.

• Messaging vs. Reality: PMMs might overpromise on product capabilities based on limited functionality.

• Data Dependence: Both roles might struggle with limited user data to make informed decisions.

How to collaboration:

• Shared Goal: Both PM and PMM work towards achieving PMF – a product solving a real user problem with a passionate user base.

• Continuous Feedback Loop: PMs provide PMMs with insights from user testing and usage data. PMMs help refine product direction based on market feedback.

• Building a Cohesive Story: Together they craft a compelling narrative around the product's value proposition.

Collective Impact:

Efficient Product Development: Focused feature prioritization and clear communication lead to a product users love.

Targeted Marketing & User Acquisition: A well-defined product story attracts the right users and fuels growth.

Stronger Market Position: Achieving PMF early validates the concept and sets the stage for future success.

STRATEGIES IN ACTION

Why is the relationship critical?

For early startup, the road to product launch and achieving product market fit are the two most critical milestones. The role and the relationship between the PM and the PMM becomes very critical in achieving these milestones in a seamless way. 

The way I see it is,

PMM complements the founder's role of a (CEO) where as the PM complements the role of the COO/CTO.

To break down the role, of a PMM and how they need to collaborate with a PM in an early startup. I will illustrate how they work at Awvent, my startup

About Awvent:

Awvent, is a SaaS platform which uses augmented reality to virtually demo difficult to demo manufacturing and engineering products Cover the role of PMM and PM to encompass to take Awvent to market

The Objective:

Awvent's AR platform lets companies virtually demo complex manufacturing and engineering products, transforming the sales process. But how do you translate this technical innovation into an essential solution for your target market? This is where the PMM-PM tango begins! 

Phase-1: Understanding the Market You Lead:

PMM spearhead market research to comprehend the needs of our ideal customers – sales and marketing teams in manufacturing and engineering firms. Through surveys, interviews, and competitor analysis, we uncover their pain points: expensive physical demos, limited reach, and the inability to effectively showcase intricate product features. 

Phase-2: Crafting the Awvent Story

Teaming Up: Armed with market insights, PMMs collaborate with our PMs to translate Awvent's technical expertise into a compelling user story. You focus on the benefits: reduced demo costs, wider sales reach, and the ability to wow customers with interactive AR demos. Our PMs ensures that the product roadmap aligns with these user needs.

Phase-3: Building the Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Product managers leads the development of the Awvent MVP, focusing on core functionalities – AR model upload, intuitive demo creation tools, and analytics to track user engagement. PMMs provide continuous feedback based on market research to ensure the MVP resonates with target users.

Phase 4 : Go-to-Market strategy

Our target market strategy is the most critical part of taking our product to market.Product marketing manager takes charge of crafting this strategy working with the founders. This involves develop messaging that highlights the user benefits and a competitive edge. Working with product manager, they create demo videos and case studies showcasing how Awvent empowers businesses. social media, content marketing, and targeted outreach become your weapons of choice.

Phase-5: The All-Important Feedback Loop (A Shared Responsibility)

Continuous Improvement: As we launch and users interact with the Awvent MVP, both PMMs and PMs play a crucial role. The product manager analyses user data to identify areas for improvement where as product marketing managers gather user feedback through surveys and interviews. Together, they refine the product and messaging based on this valuable input.

This collaboration between PMM and PM is an absolute necessity.

Through open communication, shared goals, and a commitment to user-centricity, they ensure Awvent achieves PMF and impact the way complex products are sold.

RESOURCES ON SPOTLIGHT

Implementation Tips:

• Get Clarity: Both PMM and PMs need to get clarity about the other’s role. The roles differ and hence starting with any pre conceived notion can be disastrous

• Prioritise: Focus on validating the most critical assumptions first.

• Communication is Key: Regularly share findings and updates with the team to ensure everyone is aligned.

  Resources

  • Article: Why startups needs product marketing?

  • Book: The Lean Startup