There are many product communities worldwide, but I always felt they were reserved for product managers (PMs).
Some of their boilerplate descriptions suggested I stay away, as they focus on “product design, development and management, business modeling, metrics, user experience, and all the other things that get us excited.”
While we know product marketers (PMMs) should be the CEOs that run the world, we all had our fair share of “other” moments, and a product gathering seemed like one of them.
I couldn’t help but wonder: could I be a guest at the party even if I wasn’t on the invite list? Is product marketing one of the “other things” that get product managers excited?
When ProductTank Bucharest announced they were opening mentoring submissions, I hoped they’d be willing to include product marketing in their inner circle.
I decided to take a chance.
Not the first time I showed up at the party with my best bottle of wine in hand.
What happened next
To my surprise, they accepted my submission as a mentor, and product marketing was already a topic of interest in their community of over 1,000 members.
This wasn’t even their first product marketing mentoring track, and I had the chance to reconnect with some old friends (both PMMs and PMs) who were already part of this group.
Lesson learned.
A boilerplate can’t capture the full depth of a community, a job, or a project, and it certainly shouldn’t stop you from exploring new opportunities.
PMs and PMMs – Frenemies or BFFs?
Product marketers and product managers often share the same goals: building better products, delivering value, and driving growth. Yet, we sometimes speak different “languages,” focus on different OKRs and metrics, and don’t always see eye-to-eye on positioning, timelines, or go-to-market plans.
Mentoring PMs gave me a front-row seat to these differences and highlighted just how much we can learn from each other. It was also a clear reminder of why product marketing deserves a seat at the table.
I’ve always been lucky to work closely with product, and I still miss many former PMs.
When I joined my current company, discovering I’d be sitting an arm’s length away from product made me say “yes” to this job even more than the exciting industry. Even as we expanded globally, that early proximity was invaluable.
It allowed us to establish a solid foundation and build a partnership beyond formal meetings. Sometimes, nothing beats a quick, productive chat over coffee. Plus, you can always lean over and say, “Hey, about that launch date…”
Strong PM/PMM collaboration can make or break a launch as products and industries become more complex. That’s why, for this mentorship, I teamed up with two seasoned PMs and made collaboration a central theme of our product marketing mentoring track.
Group vs 1-1 mentoring: The bistro approach
PMs are, without a doubt, the most organized team I’ve ever worked with. They’re so organized that even at the bistro – when we went out – they have the menu analyzed, priorities sorted, and orders optimized before the waiter could say, “Still or sparkling?”.
I love how they thrive on tools and processes, ensuring everything runs like clockwork.
However, I was having second thoughts about the mentoring program following an overly organized approach. Would it turn into a monologue? A dry training session? I asked so many questions during our prep time (sorry!).
Mentoring doesn’t always have to be formal, and you can find a balance between structure and flexibility.
As I was teaming up with these two PMs to co-lead the mentoring sessions, we worked hard to keep sessions interactive and intimate. We encouraged mentees to share their challenges in a safe, small-group setting.
Before the program kick-off, mentees registered and were carefully selected based on relevance and group size.
Our product marketing sessions drew great interest (I was surprised by how much). This meant making some tough trade-offs to ensure the program stayed impactful.
Group mentoring has pros and cons, and I still lean toward a 1-on-1 approach, whether more formal like the PMA program or more of a natural connection. There’s something special about the personal relationship and tailored advice in a 1-1 setting.
However, with my spare time already dedicated to my PMA mentees and being a PMA Ambassador, committing to another 1-1 program wouldn’t have been realistic. Group mentoring turned out to be an enjoyable alternative.
It allowed me to share insights with a broader audience, spark discussions, and make a meaningful impact without overcommitting.
In the end, it felt like running a bistro with a packed house. You might not get the attention of a quiet dinner, but the energy and variety of perspectives make it a memorable experience.
When done right, everyone leaves satisfied and ready to give you a great Yelp review.
Product marketing topics we covered
Product marketing is a hot topic, so there’s enough material to fill a year-long program.
With one mentor in the UK and me traveling to the US at the time, we couldn’t meet in person to brainstorm over coffee. But distance didn’t stop us.
We connected remotely and narrowed it down to four product marketing topics:
- Go-to-market strategies: Start-ups vs. scale-ups: Exploring how GTM strategies evolve based on company stage, resources, and market dynamics.
- Customer-centric product development: Turning insights into action: Discussing how to bridge the gap between customer feedback and actionable product changes that deliver value.
- Product and product marketing OKRs and metrics: Understanding how to align objectives and measure success across PM and PMM teams for maximum impact.
- Product and product marketing collaboration: Diving into the nuances of PM/PMM partnerships, how to align on priorities, and why strong collaboration drives results.
What I took home
The mentorship program within the product community was more than a series of sessions; it was an opportunity to reflect on what makes product marketing essential and how collaboration with product managers can shape better outcomes.
Here are the lessons that stood out most:
1. Product marketing is in high demand
If you’re wondering who’s paying attention to product marketing these days, it’s PMs – and lots of them! We’re not the “other” in the crowd and are more than welcome in their communities.
The fact that mentees showed up bright-eyed (or coffee-fueled) at 8 a.m. for these sessions speaks volumes. Especially for PMs in smaller organizations, the hunger to sharpen their go-to-market strategies is undeniable.
Whether they have dedicated PMMs or are hoping to get resources, they know product marketing isn’t just helpful; it’s critical to their products and organizations.
2. PM/PMM collaboration: Show, don’t tell
We didn’t just talk about collaboration. Co-leading sessions as PMs and PMMs brought the concept to life.
By bridging perspectives and swapping insights, we showed our mentees how collaboration between our two teams can make a bigger impact. There’s no better way to inspire teamwork than by demonstrating it in action.
Charley Gale
3. Real-life examples drive the most value
Theories and frameworks only get you so far. What truly resonated with mentees were real-world scenarios, those messy, unpredictable moments that come with actual projects.
Sharing the challenges we’ve faced, the solutions we tried (some that worked, others not so much), and the lessons we took away made the sessions relatable and actionable.
4. Tools and techniques enhance learning
Hosting online sessions meant we had to get creative. Leveraging visual tools made discussions far more interactive and fun.
These tools weren’t just helpful in keeping things lively; they also introduced mentees to practical ways of improving collaboration in their day-to-day. Mentees appreciated that we worked with visual tools (e.g, Miro, FigJam, Butter Scenes) and learned new ways to use them.
5. Diversity makes a difference
Some mentees were fresh into their careers, while others were seasoned entrepreneurs with their own startups. This mix of experiences made every session unique. As we moved through the program, the conversations became deeper and richer, showing how much we all had to learn from one another.
Takeaways
I’ve been a mentor and a mentee in formal and informal settings, so this wasn’t my first rodeo in an organized program. I’ve continued to find incredible value in mentoring through the Product Marketing Alliance and even shared insights into the experience with one of my mentees.
This time, mentoring product managers in a group setup brought its own mix of challenges and rewards.
Product communities offer one avenue for sharing expertise and building bridges between PMMs and PMs, while PMA provides a great opportunity to grow and mentor in the product marketing space.
My experience has been rewarding. It sharpened my ability to communicate complex product marketing concepts to product managers and helped me develop my mentoring skills.
So, if you’re looking to share your product marketing knowledge with other communities consider exploring mentoring programs that resonate with your goals and values. For those closer to home, the Romanian product community is already gearing up for its 7th mentoring edition this spring.
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