What is your role? Describe what you do briefly.

I’m an Associate Product Marketing Manager at SpotDraft. My role sits at the intersection of product, marketing, customer success, and sales. It helps bridge the gap between teams that build, sell, and promote the product.

When I joined, SpotDraft had a strong sales and Customer Success (CS) team but lacked a structured sales enablement function. My first focus was to consolidate and streamline enablement efforts. We had over 200 assets scattered across teams, with no dedicated ownership. By optimizing resources and bringing structure to enablement, we made it easier for sales and CS to access the tools they needed to close deals and support customers.

I also took ownership of competitive intelligence, researching market trends, analyzing competitors, and creating battlecards to refine our positioning. Over the past year, I’ve helped establish a more structured go-to-market strategy, making product marketing a more proactive function within SpotDraft.

How did you venture into product marketing?

I started my career in sales, but my real passion had always been marketing. In college, I interned with marketing teams, fascinated by the way brands differentiate themselves in the market. However, when placements began, I landed a business development role which was a completely unplanned pivot into sales.

Though I consistently overachieved targets and had a great team, I didn’t feel the excitement for sales itself. I wanted to understand the “why” behind the product I was selling. I also wanted to dive into what made it different, how it compared in the market, and what problems it was solving.

At SpotDraft, I actively reached out to the product marketing team to understand what they did. The more I learned, the more I realized it was the perfect fit. It combined my interest in storytelling, positioning, and bridging the gap between product and market needs.

Making the switch wasn’t easy. I was excelling in sales and knew the move meant starting from scratch in a new function. But with the support of my managers, I made the transition and it has been the best decision of my career.

What inherent qualities help you thrive in your role?

Humility and adaptability. No matter how much experience you bring, there’s always more to learn. Product marketing is constantly evolving, and the ability to absorb knowledge, experiment, and refine your approach is key.

Building processes from scratch. In a fast-moving startup, you don’t always have a playbook. I’ve learned to create my own frameworks for sales enablement, competitive research, and product positioning, adapting them as we scale.

Open-mindedness to feedback. The best ideas often come from cross-functional collaboration. Being receptive to feedback, whether from sales, marketing, or product. Feedback helps refine strategies and drive better outcomes.

Is SpotDraft a high-performance environment? How do you unwind?

SpotDraft is fast-paced but also trust-driven. You have autonomy to take ownership of your work. I don’t work well with rigid time blocks, so I structure my day in focused stretches, with breaks in between.

To unwind, I watch podcasts, catch up on a series, or listen to music. My biggest rule? Monday to Friday is for work, but weekends are mine.

What sets SpotDraft apart from other places you have worked?

The growth opportunities here are unmatched. Many companies gatekeep roles based on years of experience or specific backgrounds. At SpotDraft, capability and initiative matter more than tenure. I transitioned from sales to product marketing without prior PMM experience—something that wouldn’t have been possible elsewhere.

The company culture is another differentiator. There’s hustle, but also trust and autonomy. My managers gave me space to explore, experiment, and take ownership—without micromanagement.

Having been at SpotDraft for a few years, how have you seen the company evolve? What cultural changes should we sustain?

We’ve grown thoughtfully, avoiding the aggressive hiring sprees that many startups go through after raising funding. This careful approach has helped us maintain a strong team culture and sustainable growth.

SpotDraft has also maintained a relatively flat hierarchy, where everyone’s voice is heard. As we continue scaling and hiring talent from larger companies, preserving this openness and accessibility will be key.

That said, cross-team visibility is something we can improve. Teams often work in silos, and fostering more collaborative opportunities would help align efforts across functions.

What advice would you give to those starting in product marketing?

For experienced professionals: “Leave your ego at the door. Be open to feedback, even from those with less experience.”

For freshers: “Don’t get overwhelmed. When I was new, I didn’t know everything, and that’s okay. Ask questions, stay curious, and focus on learning.”