AMA: Klaviyo Former VP-Product Marketing, Sahil Sethi on Product Marketing interviews

MBA certainly provides access to a network and usually a world-class quality education and introduction to marketing frameworks which are useful in any marketing job. But it also comes with a huge opportunity, and often, financial cost My personal take is that MBA can help in functional transitions but may not be required if you are already in marketing/ product marketing. I am a fan of learning on the job which MBA cannot provide

Note - I don’t always look for autonomy unless I believe it is a key requirement for the role. Many PMM roles require more execution skills, a hustle mindset and someone who can get things done - even if it requires a bit of handholding and coaching along the way However, if autonomy is what the role demands , I try and suss it out by asking a ton of follow questions to standard behavioral questions. When a candidate explains a story/situation from their previous work experience, I often double click and ask questions like - “Tell me the process of how you arrived at that answer”, “How did the team build that campaign”, “What happened after the first meeting when this idea was proposed ? How was it put into action” , “Who was the project lead on this initiative ? What was your role in this ?” “How did you measure you were doing a good job? What would have happened if you didn’t meet this goal” and so on Through questions like these, and more - I am trying to understand their role on the project. Are they the leader, the driver, the orchestrator, the project manager, or something else ? Are they working independently or constantly needing coaching ? Did they feel a sense of accountability and ownership to the discussion ? Were they responsible for the project success or simply around success ?

My favorite question is very simple I ask them “Can you pitch me your product?” (if they come from any marketing role) It allows me to understand their storytelling skills. It helps me understand if they are truly comfortable with the idea of messaging and positioning (which I think is fundamental for any PMM to be successful. They have to understand it - even if they aren’t developing it). It helps me understand their oral communication skills. Sometimes, it also demonstrates a bit of flair and creativity. And this is often the jumping off point into other questions The best answers vary but they are pithy (50-100 words, 30-45 seconds ), and cover a good story (the before state, the after state, the what, why, how is my product better) and uses language/words that are clear and easy to understand for any layperson

This is such a good question There are many ways to demonstrate success of messaging/positioning work 1. Talk through the process - Explain your approach to developing messaging and positioning. Talk about the customer interviews you did, the drafts you wrote, the messaging pillars you discarded and why, the frameworks you followed, the internal sales validation you did, the product deep dives you sat through, the brainstorming sessions and workshops you led, the customer testing you observed and the internal roadshows you led. Talk about how your brought stakeholders together, how you helped gain alignment and consensus and how you helped drive a sense of urgency and impact 2. Talk through the storytelling - Good messaging relies on good storytelling. Good stories involve a problem (customer pain point), a solution (your messaging - what, why, how your product solves the problem), and the outcome (value points, reasons to believe). A simple way to show your work on messaging is to talk about the elevator pitch (~50 words) before your work, and after your work. That demonstrates that you know your work, and command and confidence in your message. I always ask this question “How would you describe your product to me?” in any PMM interview, particularly if I am interested in knowing more about the candidate’s messaging skills 3. Talk through the deliverables - I understand the question is about not showing documented work but i believe that is the best way to show messaging and you should be ready to share any deliverables here. It could be a pitch deck, a one pager, a blog post, a thought paper, a webinar abstract, a web page, a recorded demo - anything where elements of your messaging are showing up - even if your name is not against the deliverables. Hiring managers understand that most PMMs are not copywriters but it is always good to demonstrate the ‘substance’ of your messaging work show up in different places To talk about the success of messaging, it is important to understand which aspect of customer journey is it impacting. Sometimes messaging is used in acquisition channels (ads, website, webinars, SDR emails etc.) and it is driving more leads/MQLs/pipeline. More commonly, a lot of PMM messaging shows up in conversion channels (pitch decks, demos etc.) where it impacts win-rates, deal velocity, avg deal size etc. It can also impact adoption/retention/expansion metrics where you can talk about upsell/cross-sell rates, churn rates, product adoption etc. Being clear on the metrics is first step to explaining the impact on messaging If your work is recent and the impact numbers aren’t ready, then it is important to talk about the process outcomes. What was the reception to the new pitch deck when you led the trainings ? How many downloads did you get ? How did the early set of customers react to the message when you presented to them ? Did your website see any lift in conversion rates when your A/B tested the new headline ? Even basic things like measuring CSAT from internal trainings can be an example of impact

* Not being able to strongly respond to the question “Can you pitch your product to me ?” * Not being ready with good writing samples * Not coming with strong examples of your leadership skills - influence, persuasion, relationship building, collaboration and more These questions demonstrate the fundamental aspects of product marketing. The first is about messaging/positioning/value prop. The second is about whether you can write/communicate that in words (even a pitch deck or a webinar abstract or a demo video whose script you wrote is a writing sample). The third is about your ability to work with others and be a connector and orchestrator. I believe you will get one of these questions, or their derivatives, in most PMM interviews

I think the best product marketing candidates have three things in common * They are strong on the core requirements for the role. In most cases, it involves a degree of comfort with developing or activating messaging/positioning/value propositions for products/solutions/audiences/segments. They can simplify complex ideas, convey it in different media types and can explain the process behind it confidently * They are natural collaboators and very very strong at working with others. Could be product, sales, CS, other folks in marketing. Best PMM candidates, even the junior ones, can comfortably play an aligner/orchestrator role. They can bring consensus and calm to heated discussions, and connect different factions together * They have a ‘growth mindset’. Strong PMM candidates know that PMM is a ‘breadth function’ and that they will often wear multiple hats -even if it is not part of their job description today. Strong PMMs are adaptive and flexible, eager to learn new skills and take on new challenges and help drive ownership and accountability with a strong ‘growth mindset’

Good question. As PMMs, our roles touch so many aspects of the company that ROI could be hard to define. My advice to every PMM is to think through the impact of their work, and the process of measuring their impact --- on a day to day basis, and not after the activity. So when the question does come up, you have a response ready. ROI can be measured both in terms of quantifiable business metrics as well as your impact on people, on the company brand, on the product roadmap or the company strategy For business metrics, be clear about metrics that your work directly influences. It could be awareness metrics (share of voice, brand awareness, brand perception), acquisition metrics (leads, MQLs, pipeline), conversion metrics (win-rates, conversion rates, sales velocity) , retention metrics (churn/expansion, upsell/cross-sell rates), adoption metrics (30/60/90 day adoption by features or personas), or overall business metrics (revenue, ARR) e.g. “Since we launched the new messaging, our sales win rates have increased by 20%. Some of this is due to better training and onboarding of our reps, but a lot of that is our emphasis on competitive differentiators in the new messaging and the quality of enablement that I led” is a great response if your work centers around sales enablement Or “My work on setting up our launch engine is leading to better, more timely communication of our feature updates to both customers and partners. The social buzz around our launches is high, and we are seeing our users come back and use the product more. The cohorted weekly active user count is up and we are exceeding the 30-day adoption targets for every single feature launched last year. Our renewal rates are also up by 5 points and a lot of it is due to our launch and innovation momentum that is directly impacted by my work “ is also a good response It is possible that you work in an organization where the linkage between your work and business success isn’t clear. Or it’s not something that your current manager has ever cared about. This is where you have to do the hard work of working with someone in ops/BI and trying to quantify that impact. It doesn’t have to be perfect. But you need to demonstrate the process of thinking through impact.

As long as you have generally worked in functions in or adjacent to product marketing (e..g content, campaigns, market research etc.), my guidance is to always use one resume that covers the breath of your experiences. I see some candidates fret over preparing a resume that is more tailored to PLG, and another that speaks to enablement, or another that is more tailored around launches - depending on what they believe the role demands. I don’t think that is necessary. All hiring managers appreciate a breadth of experiences and would like to see the entirety of you in your resume However, If you are applying to product marketing from a different function altogether (e.g. CS, Product management, Ops etc.), then it might make sense to have a ‘PMM friendly’ version when applying to product marketing roles. Highlight any experiences that will be relevant to the product marketing role One tip for functional transitions. It may be useful to write a cover letter explaining your relevant experiences, and your motivations, when applying to a product marketing role from another function. Not every hiring manager read cover letters, but those who do will appreciate listening about you in your own words. Cover letter also demonstrate clarity of thought, self-awareness and written communication skills - all key components to success as a PMM

As a hiring manager, I often ask candidates for these exercises if I feel like I need to better understand their thought process. This comes in the form of question prompts where I may ask them to develop a POV on a particular GTM problem and their approach to it. It covers elements of what you describe (e.g. SWOT analysis, or their thoughts on company/product) I personally don’t ask candidates to prepare 30-60-90 day plans, or reports on the company/product as I don’t believe they have the entire context. I also think it is the manager’s role to co-build a strong 30-60-90 day plan. If I am a hiring manager and you build a 30-60-90 day plan without my asking you for it, or some perspective on the company , I won’t penalize you. it will demonstrate a strong sense of initiative. It will help you stand out in my eyes as someone who really wants this job, as you took the time to do this. I won’t look at whether you actually got the SWOT right, or whether your product/company knowledge is on point or not. I don’t expect you to know a lot about the product/company as an external candidate. However, not all hiring managers may share this view. It is important to outline your assumptions and set the right expectations. The goal is to focus on the elements you want to stand out (e.g. taking initiative, going above and beyond, passion for the company, structured thinking about your plan) and not on the actual accuracy of the answer.

For interviews for tenured PMMs (e.g. team leads/managers, or principal PMMs /senior ICs) , it is a common practice to ask for a case study or presentation based on a real-life business situation. Some of them require data analysis as well The most technical aspect of product marketing is ‘messaging’. I expect every PMM candidate to be able to describe a product’s value proposition in their unique way. This is a common question in most PMM interviews - “How would you describe your product to a layperson ? “

For tenured PMM roles (e.g. team leads/directors or senior/principal PMMs who may not be team leads), I do ask for an assignment We usually give an open question that mimics a real business situation (often a challenge we are facing). It could be around marketing to a new audience, or launching a new product, or some change in positioning and messaging we’d like to effect. The final presentation is usually a 30-60 min 1:many presentation where you (the candidate) has the freedom to decide how they want to use the time I am looking for both functional PMM skills (e.g. messaging, building a GTM plan) and leadership skills (influence and persuasion, communication skills) suitable for their tenure. Tips - Really important to ask a ton of questions and deconstruct the problem, espeically if it is ambiguous and open ended. Don’t jump to conclusions , especially if you have seen a similar situation in your previous experience. Every company has its unique challenges. Ask the right questions, and share your assumptions Bring examples of customer centricity. The response to every GTM challenge (doesn’t matter if it is about messaging, enablement, packaging or new launches) starts with understanding the customer challenge and pain points. If that is not given, it should be the first question you ask The presentation format also demonstrates your ability to run a meeting - a key skill for PMMs who are often orchestrators of key projects. Be prepared to engage a broader group. Emphasize strong storytelling over process. Be clear and confident in your communication

* “Tell me about a time when you dealt with professional failure” * “Tell me about a time when you had to work with an underperforming direct report ?” * “Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult co-worker in another function” * “What is your proudest professional accomplishment since you became a manager ? Why “? * “What is your rhythm of business ? How do you communicate priorities and keep your teams aligned” ? * “Tell me about a time when you disagreed with your manager ? What happened” ? * “Tell me about a time when you failed to meet your stated team goals” ? These are just some examples. I tend to keep my behavioral questions open ended but ask a ton of follow up questions

Differentiators Good messaging smartly incorporates differentiators. Yes messaging is about the outcomes and benefits, it is about the category and the disruptions , it is about value pillars but great messaging smartly incorporates differentiators in that work When you describe your product with adjectives like easy to use, flexible, integrated, intelligent, automated, enterprise-grade, accessible, secure, powerful, unified, all-in-one etc - you are indirectly conveying why your product is different/better than others. When done well, this is the key area you demonstrate how you are different Differentiators could be on features that are unique to your product, or market leadership (e.g. #customers, volume of data), on vision, or simply execution and innovation. Best differentiators are a combination of all these. True story - I was once in a scenario where we were up against an incumbent. They had more customers and a rich feature set but their innovation was stagnating. We had more engineers and bigger investments on the product, and our innovation momentum was strong (e.g. no of releases in the previous 12 months). We highlighted our innovation momentum and vision as a key differentiator. Combined with customer proof points and case studies, we dramatically improved our win rates (even though the products were very similar) In very competitive scenarios, the best way to understand differentiators is to ask customers why they chose you over others. This could come through win-loss surveys, or direct customer interviews. You could have the best ‘AI engine’ on the planet, but if that’s not the reason your customers are choosing you over competition, maybe it doesn’t deserve to be in the list of top 4 differentiators (even if your product team feels otherwise). Good messaging balances the "voice of the customer" with the product truth to create a truly differentiated and winning value proposition Building differentiators is not enough. It is important to make sure this is well represented in your customer’s buying journey. Make sure your sales reps are trained to describe your competitive differentiators in a demo, a cold call and every solution presentation. Make sure your web copy highlights not just what you do (features) and why does it matter (outcomes) but also the how you do it in a manner that is unique and differentiated. PMM is in a unique place not just to create these differentiators but also to make sure they are consistently used and described by everyone. This comes from the right enablement and company wide activation - and often requires CEO/top down support and alignment. The goal is to make sure that everyone - the CEO, the sales teams, the partners, the CSMs and everyone in marketing has the same response to the question “What is unique about xyz? How are you different that others“ Finally, when it comes to specific competitors, it is important to condense all talking points in the form of a battlecard that sales teams could use. If you have a more PLG led self-serve motion, sometimes you can articulate these competitive differentiators on the website directly as comparisons. Either way - important to highlight two things * What are the reasons why customers choose you ? Remember: it is not just about the features. * Substantiate with real customer examples