Grant joined Sisu as their first Marketing hire when they had 9 employees and zero customers. Those numbers would have some people running for the hills, but not him. In this episode, Grant will elaborate on the criterion he used to assess the opportunity at Sisu, where he steered his focus during different growth stages, and what skills he built upon when considering making the jump from director to VP.

Sisu's VP of Marketing, Grant Shirk

“The company story is the company strategy.”
— Ben Horowitz, Partner and Co-founder, Andreessen Horowitz

For many startups, marketing isn’t important—until it is. This hasn’t always been the case. For the past decade, everyone was obsessed with finding a “growth hacker.” But now, product marketers are in high demand as companies realize their value. Startups are now asking: when should I hire a product marketer? Should my first marketing hire be a product marketer?

Lots of people want to be the first product marketer, but only a few make the leap. They’re the builders. The fixers. The risk-takers. They embrace the chaos. They’re comfortable being uncomfortable.

This is a journey into their world. It’s about sharing the thrills and chills of being the first product marketer at a startup. Along the way we’ll meet some amazing people. You’ll hear engaging stories about imperfect product launches. The challenges and nuances of everyday work. The skills needed to succeed. And of course, fresh perspectives on what it really takes to be a company’s first product marketer.

The only way to be on this journey is to begin. Let’s go.

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In this week’s season finale, we are featuring Priyanka who leads PMM at Qualia. Qualia is a company whose mission is to transform and improve real estate transactions. Real estate is a new industry for Priyanka, so tune in to hear how to learn a new space and make a jump into a new domain. You’ll also hear how to think about growing the function beyond 0 to 1 and building not just a team, but a product that lasts. It’s likely that your team will change - you’re bound to lose and gain people who you consider key players. At the end of the day though, your product will likely survive your team. So, how do you approach this and build a product that solves real life problems? Connect with Priyanka on LinkedIn.
Join Priyanka on Sharebird. Questions covered in this interview:What is it like to own product marketing?What do you look for in a company/team/role?How did you evaluate the risk of a new role?What are some of the challenges early on? What about now?What are some of the thrills (highs) and chills (lows) of your product marketing career?

Next Phase Growth Beyond Zero to One with Qualia’s Head of Product & Partner Marketing, Priyanka Srinivasan

Kevin leads the product marketing function at Retool, an early stage startup and platform for developers to build internal tools. In this interview he and JD discuss growing your personal career and how to identify areas that both challenge and energize you. They discuss what it’s like to be a hands-on builder and learn by doing, how to accelerate your career and the company’s narrative while being both the strategist and executer.  Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.
Join Kevin on Sharebird. Questions covered in this interview:What is it like to own product marketing?What do you look for in a company/team/role?How did you evaluate the risk of a new role?What are some of the challenges early on? What about now?What are some of the thrills (highs) and chills (lows) of your product marketing career?

A Cheat Code to Establishing PMM with Retool’s Head of Product Marketing, Kevin Garcia

Wondering what it’s like to join series A startup and establish the PMM function? Blake is the very first product marketer at Process Street, a workflow management tool. In this interview JD and Blake discuss his journey from content marketing to product and what it’s been like strategically building something completely from scratch and being product marketer #1. They also discuss how to amplify your work, keep up with the pace of the organization, and how to loop in peers and mentors when evaluating your new opportunity or move. Also, they're hiring!  Connect with Blake on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Join Blake on Sharebird. Questions covered in this interview:What is it like to own product marketing?What do you look for in a company/team/role?How did you evaluate the risk of a new role?What are some of the challenges early on? What about now?What are some of the thrills (highs) and chills (lows) of your product marketing career?

Building PMM From Scratch with Process Street’s Sr. Product Marketing Manager, Blake Thorne

One thing that product marketers have in common is that scrappy “get shit done” mentality. In this interview Jack and JD talk about how being a part of a growing company has led to career growth and promotion for Jack. They also dive into the challenges and growing pains of seeing a company grow and scale, hiring frameworks, interview tips, and how brand building is made possible through category creation. You’ll also hear how data and analytics aid to inform decisions and the many highs and lows of Jack’s journey in PMM.  Connect with Jack on LinkedIn.
Join Jack on Sharebird. Questions covered in this interview:What is it like to own product marketing?What do you look for in a company/team/role?How did you evaluate the risk of a new role?What are some of the challenges early on? What about now?What are some of the thrills (highs) and chills (lows) of your product marketing career?

Structuring PMM & Talent Acquisition with Jack Wei, former Senior Director Product Marketing at SmartRecruiters

Apart from being a certified first degree black belt in taekwondo, William is a seasoned product marketer who is taking the good he’s learned from former roles at Twilio and GitLab and channeling that into building out the PMM function at Osano, a data privacy platform. In this interview he and JD discuss what it was like to be a part of two different companies that went public, how to create and build a 30/60/90 day plan that encompasses both quick wins and long term strategy, and the benefits of being transparent and making your work accessible to all.  Connect with William on LinkedIn.
Join William on Sharebird. Questions covered in this interview:What is it like to own product marketing?What do you look for in a company/team/role?How did you evaluate the risk of a new role?What are some of the challenges early on? What about now?What are some of the thrills (highs) and chills (lows) of your product marketing career?

Sisu's VP of Marketing, Grant Shirk

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