This week on Twitter, under the #prodmgmt hashtag, members of the product management community engaged in a discussion about whether it was better to hire a domain (industry knowledge) expert and teach them product management or a good product manager and teach them the domain. The conversation morphed into one about whether the location of the hired product professional matters.
If you read this blog, you clearly know how I feel about both subjects:
- I would hire a product manager – domain (industry/market) knowledge can be learned, especially since it is ever-changing.
- It shouldn’t matter where the product manager resides assuming they have the right technology tools to communicate and they are willing to fly (like road warrior travel) and they don’t whine about either.
(You can read some of my past arguments to support these assertions on previous posts here, here and here.)
So, now that we have that discussion started, my next question is: Should product marketing sit under the development team, the product management team or the marketing team in the organization?
It is accepted that in a perfect world the product manager would report to the CEO/COO, but what about the product marketing professional?
The product marketer is responsible for knowing the market well, and taking the product information to a segmented, customized level. But, is that a marketing function? Just because this person can make “pretty Point presentations” (not my words, but I was once told this as a compliment. oh!) does that mean they belong to the world of marketing communications?
From the outside in, I would put it the world of product marketing with product management, on the outside of the development team as well as the marketing team. After all, to be effective, they know the product – and relevant personas - as well as the product manager. They belong together.
But, where would you put the role in an org chart?
Filed under: Business Culture, Communication, Development, Management, Product Management, Product Marketing | Tagged: Communication, Development, Marketing, Product Management, Product Marketing, Service, Value
I think generally people will agree that if financially viable product marketers and product managers are two separate roles. If this is the case, then they should be on the same team. If it is not financially viable for two people, then problem solved – one person both roles!
Where the person/team sits, ideally on a product management team with leadership that has an executive seat. As long as we can keep them out from under the CTO or Sales we are good.
Stewart
Agree Stewart…BUT, if the two roles are separated, where do they end up? Product management typically falls under development, and product marketing?
That is probably true for the uninformed organizations. I think the product marketing role, a pure product marketing role as we know it, is rare but likely blended into the marketing department.
Excellent question – in my humble opinion – Product Management should stand-alone from Development and have a seat at the Exec table (either in direct reporting to the CEO or reporting to a VP at the table)
I have seen so many interpretations of the Product Marketing role and different interpretations of the mandate of the Marketing department that it makes it unclear clear if they are really part of Product Management or if they belong in the corporate Marketing group. Regardless, the important factor is that the role needs to work closely with both the Product Managers and with the Marketing group.
Excellent question – in my humble opinion – Product Management should stand-alone from Development and have a seat at the Exec table (either in direct reporting to the CEO or reporting to a VP at the table)
I have seen so many interpretations of the Product Marketing role and different interpretations of the mandate of the Marketing department that it makes it unclear clear if they are really part of Product Management or if they belong in the corporate Marketing group. Regardless, the important factor is that the role needs to work closely with both the Product Managers and with the Marketing group….