Jason Oakley
An insight without action isn't worth much. And unfortunately it's the case for a lot of PMMs.
If you have some type of unique insight, but all you do is tell other people about it, you're relying on them to connect the dots and decide what to do next.
For it to be valuable to the business, you need to explain why your insight matters, recommend what should be done about it, and take action. And for the record, an action could be to find more information or a decision to do nothing about it. That's fine too.
But a meaningful insight that just lingers without any action. That’s useless, ignorant even. Especially if you've discovered something potentially harmful to the business or a major opportunity that needs to be addressed.
In that case it's your obligation to rush into that room and shake some sense into people.
One common desire that I hear from product marketers is that they “want a seat at the table.” They want to be included in strategic decisions and projects, and asked to join important meetings.
The only way that can happen (without an obvious exec title) is if you can demonstrate unique insight. A proven ability to contribute things that nobody else can, or a perspective that is truly different from everyone else's.
As a PMM you're in a unique position to do that since you are so close to the customer, the sales team, the competition, the product, and the market. You're helping on deals, you see what's on the product roadmap (and why), and you talk to the customers that are using the product successfully.
Don't sell yourself short - the information in your head is valuable!
At first, you might need to push it on people, like Rich Purnell (aka Donald Glover) in this scene from the Martian.
Do you think he was going to sit around and wait to be invited to share his thoughts? No! He had an insight that could potentially safe the mission.
And that's what happens. Once you demonstrate you have valuable insights to offer, it changes from you having to push them on people, to people asking for them. Asking for your opinion, input, and insights on a regular basis.
That's how you get a seat at the table.