How Product Marketers Lead As Company Quarterbacks with Kimberly Biddings, BIO-key International
Better Product
Product marketing is at the intersection of many teams in a product company. The work of a product marketer supports the wider product team, sales, marketing, executive stakeholders, and most of all, buyers. It’s for this reason product marketers tend to play a quarterback role, says , VP of Product at . As Kim knows from experience, they’re responsible for not just knowing a product in and out—they have to translate its selling points for others to use. Join Kim and Tina to hear more about the opportunities product marketers can bring to your growing organization. Follow us on and to...
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Why Your Positioning Should ‘Pick a Fight and Take a Stand’ with Catherine Spence, Microblink
Better Product
One of the fundamental strategies product marketers must lead is positioning. It’s what determines how you’ll talk about your product, your company, and your brand as you scale. So why do so many people get it wrong? , VP of Global Marketing at , joins Leanna to share her best lessons on brand and product positioning, from leading marketing at an international company to her own startup, Pomello. If you’re looking to stay in your comfort zone, this isn’t the episode for you. Catherine shows us why we need to use our positioning to pick a fight and take a stand, especially in B2B...
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Product Marketing’s Essential Purpose with Martina Lauchengco, Author of LOVED
Better Product
In today’s world, building a great product isn’t enough. You have to master your go-to-market strategy by telling a story that will leave a lasting impression on your audience. Product marketing gets you there, according to long-time product marketer and partner . Martina is the author of the latest book from the esteemed Silicon Valley Product Group, . Alongside Tina and Leanna, she explores how her career start as a product manager equipped her with the product curiosity and technical competence needed to thrive when marketing digital products. She shows us today how to...
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Trailer: Unlock Product Marketing
Better Product
Product marketing is the foundation for better product. It should play a strategic role in your business from day one. It's a product discipline to master and respect—not just a list of jobs to be done. But product marketers continue to struggle with recognition. Because the discipline is still new, the way product leaders think about product marketing is continuously evolving. That’s why and are taking over the Better Product podcast for a special series on the power of product marketing. Alongside fellow industry experts, they’ll explore why digital products need product...
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The Power of Your Positioning
Better Product
How you position your product can help you connect with the people who most need it, unlocking rapid growth for your company. But first, you need a solid foundation. Today, Christian and Meghan discuss what product leaders get right vs. wrong when positioning their products. Led by Meghan’s insights in product marketing, we’ll also walk through a process any team can use to find a position that will give you a cutting edge while letting you stay true to who you are. Follow us on and to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by ....
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Elon Musk, Twitter, and Ego in Product
Better Product
For better and for worse, ego follows us all into our work lives. But leaders must pay special attention to what role ego plays in building a product. Sometimes, ego can be the charisma an early-stage founder needs to get attention for what they’re creating. Other times, ego is a roadblock that can lead to ignoring critical perspectives from users and the product team. Using Elon Musk’s Twitter purchase as a case study, today’s show explores what role ego plays in product, when to use it to your advantage, and when to empower others to take charge. Follow us on and to see...
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When It's Time For A Product Glow-Up
Better Product
Everything has to start somewhere. But in product and in life, the beginning tends to be awkward. We have room to grow, and glow, up. The real question isn’t about whether we’ll glow up, but when. Christian & Meghan walk us through their answers from working in UX, product marketing, and brand to help us all find the best moment to embrace the “product glow-up” while staying true to our vision. Follow us on and to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by . The community is the connection point for product leaders &...
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How Product Research Limits Uncertainty and Helps Us Face Our Fears
Better Product
Product research is a discipline that’s transformed in recent years. The days of waterfall testing are over. Today, research is happening at every stage of a product’s life cycle, and there are more tools than ever before to help. But how do product teams stay focused on what truly matters? How do we single out real insights from an outpouring of data? Christian & Meghan unpack their lessons learned about product research and examine how the field has evolved. They’ll also explain why research isn’t actually about finding answers; it’s about limiting uncertainty. ...
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Experience-Driven Products for Relationship Wellness with the Founders of Ours
Better Product
Today we’re talking about love—but not in the way you think. We’re looking at the intersection of product and a timeless human experience: falling in, and out, of love. Forget couples counseling as you know it. co-founders , , and are using their relationship wellness platform to reduce stigma and build “software for love.” In conversation with Christian & Meghan, the Ours founders will help you cherish the couple experience (and building great products) all over again. For more insights on how product is shaping modern health and wellness, revisit our series on...
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Messaging Mix-Ups and How to Avoid Them
Better Product
Messaging is the story we tell about our product. But how do we know if we’re telling the right story? To talk about your product, you need to learn from the audience you serve, while never losing sight of the bigger picture your market provides. Christian & Meghan will share their observations on product messaging best practices and red flags to avoid; plus, they’ll explain why the best messaging is often the simplest. They’ll also attempt to message their own lives, as inspired by quotes from comment section fights and the great Humphrey Bogart. Revisit with of for...
info_outlineMany employers are coming to a huge realization: there’s power in investing in people. But keeping teams happy, organized, and engaged at work can be easier said than done. That’s why in recent years, dozens of digital products have emerged to give rise to the challenge. So-called people operations, or people ops, products exist to give workers better processes that can help them believe in (and stay) at their companies amid challenges like the Great Resignation. In this series of Better Product, we’re exploring how people ops products are one way employers can ensure their teams are seen, heard, and respected, and why these products are growing in popularity.
We’re talking to leaders in the people ops space, including:
- John Wetzel, CEO & Co-Founder of Gather
- Tim Prohm, VP at the KellyX Digital Innovation Lab
- Julie Jeannotte, Employee Engagement Expert & Senior Researcher at Officevibe by GSoft
Our producer Erica is joining the conversation to ask the tough questions and be an advocate for you, our listeners. Want to add your own take? Write a note or record a voice memo, and send it to [email protected] to join the conversation.
Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to see the latest in Better Product, a show part of the Better Product Community powered by Innovatemap. The community is the connection point for product leaders & practitioners to learn and share what it takes to design, build, market, and sell better products. Learn more at betterproduct.community.
Takeaways:
- People ops products are multiplying, but the shift from HR isn’t new.
- Companies that take people ops seriously keep their employees at the center and create a culture with them in mind.
- Product leaders in people ops are trying to measure and respond to human nature with tech.
Things To Listen For:
[3:00] Why we’re talking about people ops, vibe shifts, and the future of work
[6:30] How we define people operations vs. HR
[7:30] “People ops is about creating a better holistic experience for teams”
[8:30] Exploring our different levels of work experience
[12:30] Tying today’s people ops products back to 2006, Laszlo Bock, and Google
[13:00] People ops products ask: how can companies fit the way they operate into people’s lives—not the other way around
[14:30] Design to design ops, security to security ops, and people to people ops
[16:00] In the age of remote work, companies have to consider, “what else do I have to offer?”
[17:00] People ops lets companies “create the canvas for culture to emerge”
[19:30] People ops products have to be intentional about fostering interactions
[20:00] How the people ops transformation is “making the attention to people and experience more systemic”