In the latest episode of Product Marketing Maestros, host Nitin Kartik sits down with Steffi Li, Director of Product Marketing at Zilliz, to discuss how she successfully navigated a challenging product launch while working at Confluent.

Catch the full episode here.👇


From resolving product and marketing misalignment to fostering communication between teams, Steffi’s story is a masterclass in product marketing problem-solving. If you’ve ever found yourself caught in the middle between product and marketing teams, this episode is packed with actionable insights.

Why product marketers should care

Steffi’s experience highlights one of the most common challenges in product marketing—when things go wrong, it’s easy for teams to start pointing fingers.

This case study underscores the importance of gathering data, involving customers, and fostering collaboration between product and marketing to ensure a successful launch. For any product marketer navigating similar challenges, Steffi’s approach is both insightful and practical.

Main takeaways

  • Identify the root cause: Gather customer data to uncover the real issues behind poor product adoption.
  • Facilitate direct communication: Get product teams and customers talking to solve technical challenges quickly.
  • Shift the roadmap: Use customer feedback to drive necessary changes in the product development plan.
  • Support post-launch: Product marketers should continue pushing the revised product to market after resolving the issue.

Meet Steffi Li

Steffi Li is the Director of Product Marketing at Zilliz, with over a decade of experience spanning product marketing, product management, and strategy. She has a proven track record of growing B2B data infrastructure businesses and has worked at top companies like Confluent and Astronomer.

With an MBA from Wharton and a Master of Science from the London School of Economics, Steffi’s career has taken her across three continents, giving her a truly global perspective in the tech industry.

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