What framework do you use when assessing a new opportunity at a different company?
Some criteria I've used in the past: what problems have I solved that I'm good at and what do I want to solve next, the team makeup, where the role sits in the organization, company culture, and where the product fits in the market
Mike Berger
Ex-VP, Product Marketing @ ClickUp, SurveyMonkey, Gainsight, Marketo | Formerly Momentive, Gainsight, Marketo • November 11
For those of you who are earlier on (first ~8 years) in your career, here is the framework I'd use:
- People (and Culture) - You should feel energized about working with the people at the company, ESPECIALLY your manager, and the culture should feel like a fit.
- Company - Join a rocket ship with a brand that has buzz, and you'll have a lot of options when you're ready for whatever comes next. Join a slow growing company no one has heard of, and far fewer doors will open. Like it or not, that is the reality.
- Learning Opportunities - Are you going to be surrounded by people that will help you grow as a PMM, or not? For your first few PMM jobs, don't join a company where you'll have few people to learn from, or where you'll be the only PMM.
- TAM - this is something I learned the hard way. Join companies going after large total addressable markets. It's no fun when growth becomes restricted due to a small TAM.
- Product - look for a product that provides an excellent user experience with clear differentiation and strong product market fit. Picture yourself pitching the solution to a prospect. If you feel like you'd have to spend days in front of the prospect simply to convince them that they might need it...run.
- Wealth Creation - obviously you need the salary that allows you to pay the bills, but things get complicated on the equity side. For equity, I personally wouldn't focus on it earlier in your career. Earlier in your career the odds are stacked against you making life changing money. So focus on the things higher up on this list.
Obviously many of these things are interrelated.
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Chris Glanzman
ESO Director of Product Marketing & Demand Generation | Formerly Fortive • October 15
Make sure you're optimizing for learning!
Ensure compensation is fair but don't optimize for salary yet! This isn't an excuse for companies to lowball you. Realize that you'll have plenty of time to monetize your learnings later, though.
Play the long game; optimize for what you'll learn and how quickly you can learn it. This will be a product of the role itself, the team, and the company.
Find an environment that will surround you with knowledge and a culture that supports curiosity instead of stifling it.
The earlier you are in your career, the more important this is.
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