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- #10 How to become a strategic product marketing manager
#10 How to become a strategic product marketing manager
PMMs can position themselves as a leading force in the organization. Haya's insights-led approach sheds light on how we can do that.
Senda from tl;dl
April 18, 2025
This week’s PMM Talk episode features Haya Barlas (Head of Product Marketing @ JustGiving) who joins me to talk about what it really means to be a strategic PMM today—and why tactical execution just isn’t enough.
🔑 TL;DL Takeaways
1. Strategic PMMs Shape the Roadmap—not Just the Decks
Haya’s journey proves it: Product marketers can’t just market products—they need to influence what gets built in the first place.
2. Insights-Led > Opinion-Led
Being a strategic PMM means turning customer and competitor data into real decisions—not just dashboards. The magic is in translating noise into actionable insight.
3. Collaboration is Your Superpower
From product to sales to brand—PMMs are the connective tissue. Great ones bring teams together and make them smarter, faster, and more aligned.
🎤 Haya’s Journey in 60 Seconds
From sales in boutique hotels to building PMM functions at Blackbaud and now leading at JustGiving—Haya’s path wasn’t traditional, and that’s the point. Her pivot from luxury branding to mission-driven tech gave her a sharp lens on what product marketing can be: a strategic function that leads, not follows.
🧪 What Strategic PMMs Actually Do
✅ Partner with product & tech to shape development
✅ Own and activate insights (customer, market, competitive)
✅ Drive cross-functional alignment and internal storytelling
✅ Influence both short-term launches and long-term strategy
💡 The Insights-Led PMM Playbook (According to Haya)
Collect – Source data from feedback, research, and competitive intel
Analyze – Find patterns, trends, and pain points
Translate – Turn analysis into business-ready insights
Communicate – Make it simple, actionable, and impossible to ignore
“It’s not enough to have data. You need to sell the story that comes from it.”
😅 Real Talk: Imposter Syndrome Hits Everyone
Haya opens up about battling imposter syndrome* when pivoting industries. Her go-to moves:
Seek mentorship (someone’s already done this)
Immerse in the industry (talk, listen, learn)
Reflect on wins (you’ve got more than you think)
📏 Measuring PMM Impact? Start Here:
Customer engagement (are people using it?)
Market share growth (are we winning?)
Revenue lift (is the business growing?)
And sometimes? The value is qualitative—how often your insights change minds in the room.
🧠 TL;DL Challenge of the Week:
Ask yourself: Are you shaping strategy—or just responding to it?