A brief overview of my session at Silicon Valley Product Camp 24-March, 2012. Guidelines on how to break into product marketing and product management.
SVPCamp presentation breaking into pm or pmm revised
1. How to Break Into Product
Management or Product
Marketing
Panel Moderator: Tim Johnson
value-prodmktg.blogspot.com
24-March, 2012
2. Agenda
Introductions
Market Research Video
Panel Questions
Faisal’s Story
Audience Questions
Summary
3. Introductions
Tim Johnson – Moderator
◦ http://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-johnson
Jennifer Doctor
◦ http://www.linkedin.com/in/jidoctor
Faisal Nisar
◦ http://www.linkedin.com/in/faisalnisar
4. Panel Questions
What are the essential skills needed for
PM/PMM?
◦ Tim - write, present, question, listen, analyze
◦ Jen – build credibility, persuade
◦ Faisal – all the above plus persistence
5. Panel Questions
What are some typical routes to the jobs?
◦ Tim – customer facing & adjacent jobs, like
sales, SE, tech support, training, other marketing
jobs
◦ Jen – business analyst/development, project
manager
◦ Faisal – startup founder, project
management, engineer
6. Panel Questions
Big Company or Small Company?
◦ Tim – Big = more likely for entry-level, small =
more oppty to define position
◦ Jen – Big = be careful of being pidgeonholed
◦ Faisal – It depends!
7. Panel Questions
How do I get experience without having
experience?
◦ Tim – look at what you’ve done already that is
related and call it out on
resume, volunteer/community projects
◦ Jen – work with other departments, put yourself
into situations where you help on projects
◦ Faisal – found or help out on a startup, include
some metrics of making a difference
10. Summary
Consider yourself to be a product
◦ Match product/brand fit to market needs
◦ Build or highlight the skills you need
Work towards the goal
◦ Adjacent jobs
◦ Direct approach
Find a mentor & work with them
Get known in the community