#189: Product Marketing | Are Product Marketers Actually Marketers? with We're Not Marketer's Podcast

In this episode, Dave is a guest on the We're Not Marketers podcast, hosted by Zach Roberts (Founder of Break Into Product Marketing), Eric Holland (current Product Marketer at Klue), and Gab Bujold (Founder at Press X to Market). They sit down to talk about Dave’s journey in B2B marketing—from marketing manager to CMO—hosting a podcast for B2B marketing, and organizing Exit Five’s first-ever in-person event, Drive in Burlington. Plus, Dave answers one important question: Are product marketers actually marketers?We’re Not Marketers and Dave also cover:One way “frameworks” might hurt your product storytelling.Why you can’t just start a podcast in B2B without this obvious skill?What Dave said is “the most important role in B2B marketing”.Don’t tell sales “what to do”. They almost never listen. Do this instead.Why “messaging by committee” sucks.Good news! The "80% difference" to great B2B marketing, uses two common PMM skills.How can we (product marketers) simplify B2B marketingTimestamps(01:05) - Dave's Journey and Podcasting Tips (05:37) - The Importance of Product Marketing (07:35) - Early Stage Marketing Strategies (14:48) - Building Trust and Influence in Startups (21:43) - Positioning and Messaging Challenges (26:01) - Addressing the Decline in Win Rate (28:01) - Importance of Executing Positioning (28:34) - Casual Conversation and Personal Interests (29:35) - Messaging Torture Chamber (30:08) - Marketing Strategies: Brand vs. Content (31:51) - Event Marketing Insights (33:36) - Simplifying B2B Marketing (37:15) - The Role of Podcasts in B2B Marketing (44:00) - Conclusion and Upcoming Events Send guest pitches and ideas to [email protected] the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletterCheck out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership***Today's episode is brought to you by Customer.io.You know that feeling when you open your inbox, and it’s just… noise? Bad marketing. Spam. Most companies are out here just talking at customers, not talking to them.Marketing messages should do more than just land in an inbox – they should create impact and drive real engagement.Customer.io helps companies send smarter, more personalized messages using first-party data. Their platform enables brands to reach customers at the right time, in the right place, on the right channel—whether that’s email, SMS, push notifications, or beyond.And the best part is that it’s all automated, so you’re not just blasting campaigns and hoping for the best. You’re running a machine that delivers real, human engagement at scale.7,000+ brands already trust Customer.io to make their marketing feel less like noise and more like connection. Join them by visiting Customer.io to get started. ***Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.Visit hatch.fm to learn more