Micro-Interview: Yoni Solomon, Product Marketer

EDITOR’S NOTE:

This week is my 2-year anniversary at G2. 

Yoni Solomon, my friend, started 6 months after me.

At the office — “back then” — we sat side-by-side and talked constantly. One day, the convo went like this: 

“My girlfriend asked me something last night,” he said. 

I took off my headphones and leaned back. “Oh,” I said. “Let’s hear this.”

“She asked me the difference between your job,” he pointed at me, “and my job.” 

(I’m a Copywriter and Campaign Strategist. Yoni’s a Product Marketer.)

“And?” I said. 

“And I told her,” he said, “I give Eddie the colors. Then he paints the picture.”

I wrinkled my forehead and nodded.

If you’ve ever studied the late, great copywriting master, Eugene Schwartz, you’ve probably come across this quote: “Copy isn’t written, it’s assembled.”

In other words, the copywriter’s work is not to invent something new but, rather, to present existing information in a new, compelling way. 

Over the years, I’ve worked on hundreds of G2 campaigns with Yoni and his talented team — Aubyn, Kaityln, and Gina — and each one began with their briefs and messaging houses, the raw materials they compiled. Doing my job would be impossible without these folks. 

Want to learn more about Product Marketing?

Yoni’s Micro-Interview is a (mini) master-class. In only 536 words, you’ll learn: 

• 3 things product marketers split their time between…

• The #1 mistake most new product marketers make…

• Your mission and purpose as a product marketer…

And much more... 

Enjoy!

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Thank you, Yoni.

Let’s get started:

“What’s your work routine?”

I wake up, and typically consume ~15 articles between the time I begin my commute to the time I arrive at work. 

I try to reserve my mornings for intake, rather than output — meaning I'll avoid checking/answering emails until I've sat down at my desk and got settled. From there, I'll split my time (and brain) three-ways, between: 

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1. ferocious tactical project management

2. data/results analysis for campaigns/products

3. creative ideation for messaging and new campaign ideas. 

Then... I go home?

“What do you know about your work now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”

The importance of truly going deep and wide with your craft. 

Product Marketing is a weird role. It's a hybrid/intersectional discipline sitting somewhere in-between Product, Marketing, Sales & Customer Success. You're not quite any of them, but you're also kinda all of them. 

That pretty much means that you have to have equal parts expert level understanding of how those disciplines function independently and together. You'll have to essentially know as much about the entire org you sit in the middle of as possible, and go really deep into the nooks/crannies/details of each of those areas if you're going to add any meaningful value to those teams. Both in terms of your work, and even in terms of holding your own in meetings with them. 

You're there to help each team solve their own puzzle, so you need to make damn well sure you understand the puzzle (and pieces) you're trying to help them with first!

“What did your biggest professional failure teach you?”

You really can't message your way around a product built for a problem which doesn't exist. 

When rubber hits the road, there needs to be a true reason why someone would want/need/care about a capability we're trying to market. And no matter how cool the message is — or the concept for the capability — if no one wanted it in the first place, all the product marketing in the world isn't going to solve for that.

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“What’s the #1 thing that has helped you shorten your craft’s learning curve?”

Placing equal focus on absorbing intel on Products + People + Processes. 

It's only with all 3 in your back pocket when you can really take a step back and objectively view how an entire organization works and operates. (Or in some cases DOESN'T work or operate.) 

Once you have those down, analyzing even the largest global organizations isn’t all that different from a car engine. The mistake many make is diving straight into the Products to learn those as quickly as possible. But without understanding the real people behind the building, marketing and selling of those products — AND the internal processes that allow us to literally conduct and facilitate business — you'll have a hard time getting up to speed and knowing where to even begin your focus.

“What book has helped you the most over your career?”

Lord of the Rings — obviously! 

“And your parting piece of advice?”

Focus on finding the ideal system (e.g., company type, size, team structure, maturity) for your talents, rather than the 'sexiest' company or brand name.

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