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.

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

8. A testimonial
 Faisal Nisar – In His Own Words

9. Audience Questions
 Now’s your time to speak up

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