Product Marketing Life

Only 15% of organisations have effective AI governance, and product marketing is feeling that gap. Tom Crist, Principal at Fluvio, has spent his career building product marketing functions across industries, and he thinks most teams are using AI in ways that quietly erode the quality of their output. He talks about where human synthesis still matters, how to build trust through content, and what it actually means to differentiate when everyone has access to the same tools.

What happens when you’re hired as the first product marketer in a 30‑year‑old, engineering-led company? In this episode, Wendy Werblin, Director of Product Management, Product Marketing, and Strategy at ScriptPro, breaks down how she: Turned “we need more features” into “we need product–market fit” Ran cross-functional persona and journey workshops instead of going solo Built an 18‑month delivery roadmap that finally gave engineers the why If you’re a founding PMM, or sit between product, sales, and marketing, this one’s basically your field guide.

Most product marketers learn their craft in SaaS, where data is everywhere. Maitri Gandhi, product marketing specialist at Hoshizaki America, works without it. She talks about building ICP messaging across sectors like food service, hospitals, and education using qualitative signals and trial and error, and why she thinks sales enablement is less about assets and more about giving a sales team something to talk about.

Mike McGee, Director of Product Marketing at Vantaca, joins the show to share his journey from retail sales to leading marketing teams – including a pivotal stop in customer success at Buildium, where he developed deep expertise managing large clients in the community association management space. Mike unpacks what product marketing really means: a uniquely cross-functional role that sits at the intersection of product, customer, and partner marketing. He opens up about the shift from individual contributor to team leader, what he looks for when building a team, and why so many organizations still misunderstand what product marketers actually do.

In this episode, we're joined by Doug Kimball, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Digital Science, who shares his unconventional journey from counseling to product marketing – and the through-line that connects both: clear, human communication. Doug unpacks his go-to framework – "So What? Why? Who Cares?" – and how it keeps messaging sharp and impactful. He reflects on his time at Nielsen, where a rare pivot through sales gave him a 360° view of how products are built and sold, and at Blue Yonder, where he developed competitive strategy from scratch. Now at Digital Science, he's focused on building a cohesive product marketing team and the frameworks to help it thrive. He's also authored a book on messaging and is active on LinkedIn as a mentor and connector.

What does it really take to make a product launch land? Amruta Hunnurkar, Go-to-Market Lead at Amazon EMEA, brings 14 years of product marketing experience to unpack why the discipline is far more than a support function but a core revenue driver. Drawing on her time at Samsung and in the startup world, Amruta explores how the rules of the game shift depending on where you work: structured process versus scrappy agility, big-brand playbooks versus getting in the room early. She also draws a sharp distinction between a product launch and a product marketing launch, and explains why confusing the two can cost you.

What does it take to build genuine trust with your customers – especially when the stakes couldn't be higher? In this episode, we sit down with Angeline Giammona, a product marketing leader whose career is a masterclass in meeting people where they are. Angeline takes us through her time at Bobbie, an infant formula company, where she built lifecycle marketing and customer engagement strategies from the ground up – including a fundraising campaign that sold out in under three hours. She opens up about what it really means to market in high-emotion, high-trust categories, and why understanding your customer's world matters far more than promoting your product's features.

What does it really take to make product marketing drive revenue – not just awareness? In this episode, fractional CMO Aruna Inalsingh pulls back the curtain on her unconventional path from engineer to startup marketing consultant, and shares what she's learned working across wildly different industries – from beauty and fashion to drone manufacturing. Aruna makes the case for a smarter, more balanced approach to product marketing: one that delivers quick wins without losing sight of long-term strategy.

Join us as Jess Ruby, Director of Growth Marketing at UniUni, shares her inspiring journey into growth marketing. She emphasizes how embracing data and metrics can transform how marketing teams demonstrate their impact, especially crucial during times of uncertainty and budget constraints. Through relatable examples like tracking conversion rates and measuring revenue from sales decks, Jess shows how product marketers can clearly communicate their value and strengthen their strategic position.

Maniesh Joshi, VP of Product and Commercial Marketing at Transcarant, discusses the importance of empathy and clarity in product marketing. He shares his journey from healthcare consulting to becoming an "accidental marketer," highlighting his roles at Medtronic and Omada Health. Maniesh emphasizes the value of having a strong point of view loosely held and the need for product marketers to drive innovation. He recounts successful launches, including a beta pilot for a patient engagement app and a rapid AI solution launch at Transcarant, which generated $60 million in pipeline in 60 days.

How do you market in a world that never stops? Sedall Asante, Product Marketing Director at Aptos Labs, shares his journey from JP Morgan to crypto, the power of evergreen campaigns, and why taking calculated risks early can skyrocket your marketing career.

In this episode, Nupur Bhade Vilas, Head of PMM at Kustomer, shares how she transitioned from engineering to product marketing, using organization, detailed notes, and AI tools to drive success. She reflects on leading marketing through major transitions – like Twilio’s SendGrid acquisition and Kustomer’s rebrand – highlighting the importance of trust, clear communication, and team alignment during change. Nupur also offers advice for PMMs navigating mergers: seek clarity, use AI as a thought partner, and advocate for your growth.

Listen as Maitri Sheth, Senior Product Marketing Manager, reveals the untold story of making AI work for humans, not the other way around. In this episode, Maitri takes us behind the scenes of her career transition from B2C to B2B marketing and shares the hard-won lessons from leading Gong's groundbreaking AI narrative. Discover how she's using cutting-edge tools like ChatGPT and Claude to revolutionize product messaging while maintaining the human touch that actually converts.

How do you build a career when the path isn’t clear? Michelle Zak’s journey from fine arts and design to product marketing leadership is anything but traditional. And that’s exactly why it works. In this conversation, Michelle shares the lessons she’s learned navigating startups, shifting industries, and carving out a role that often looks different from company to company. From “job crafting” to breaking into new industries without prior experience, she highlights the skills and mindset that helped her stand out in a tough job market. → Why design thinking is a natural foundation for product marketing → The power of “job crafting” and how to use it at any stage of your career → Tips for breaking into new industries without direct experience → What to expect when moving from late-stage to early-stage startups → Why product marketing is always “more than you think”

Join Hannah Pickering, Director of Product Marketing at Centivo, as she explains her journey from writer to product marketer, emphasizing the importance of understanding business operations and earning trust. She highlights her experience in various industries, stressing the need for product marketers to connect the dots, develop unique perspectives, and build credibility by engaging early with product teams.

Emily Wengel, Product Marketing Team Lead at Origami Risk, shares her journey from biotech to product marketing, where she now leads a growing team. She breaks down how improv sharpened her communication skills, the challenge of finding product-market fit, and why project management and stakeholder alignment are essential for PMMs. Disclaimer: Everything was correct at the time of recording. Origami Risk has since hired a VP of Product Marketing to join Emily and the PMM team.

What really makes a customer say “yes” or “no”? In this episode, we sit down with Andrew Peterson, co-founder of Clozd, to unpack the secrets behind win-loss analysis and why it's the most overlooked source of growth for B2B companies. Andrew shares his journey from the early days at Qualtrics to launching Clozd, a company that’s redefining how sales, marketing, and product teams learn from lost deals. We explore the win-loss maturity curve, the rise of AI-driven insights, and how Clozd’s Expert Network is helping teams win more strategic deals. Plus, he makes a strong case for why product marketers deserve more credit and how AI can elevate their role to become even more essential. Sponsored by Clozd – the leader in win-loss analysis. Learn more at https://www.clozd.com . Download the Win-Loss content Andrew mentioned here: 👉 State of Win-Loss Analysis Report 👉 Definitive Guide to Win-Loss Analysis

In this episode, we sit down with Kristen Brooks, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Octane, as she shares her inspiring career journey – from her early days in partner marketing at Cisco to leading enterprise strategy and demand gen alignment.

In this episode, Susanna Bogardus, Principal PMM at Workday, shares her path from account management to product marketing – and how AI tools like GPT-3 are reshaping how we work. She dives into building trust in AI, using tech to support (not replace) human roles, and why customer support is a goldmine for insights. Susanna also shares top advice for aspiring PMMs: hone your soft skills and know your customer.

In this episode, our host, Sid Khaitan, spoke with Steffi Li, Head of Product Marketing, about her path from advertising to building a career in technical B2B product marketing. She shares how a research background shaped her PMM instincts, what it’s like breaking into the field without a technical degree, and why domain knowledge and foundational processes matter – especially in early-stage startups.