Here's how you can navigate a boss who lacks clear direction in product marketing.

Marketing decisions are data driven. With a clear understanding of the goals/what you expect to achieve, put together your analytics including demographics, preferences, anything to back up your the direction of your marketing initiatives. Above all, make sure that your initiatives are on brand with your product. Then present your findings to your boss in a collaborative way. You have the data but ask him/her what they think. Get their buy in. My favorite W.C. Fields quote is, "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit." Not that you are presenting bullshit, but you catch my drift. Ultimately, make them think it is all their idea. You might not get the glory, but you will get the job done.

Use data to back up your proposals and decisions. Market insight, customer feedback, and analytics can help justify your strategies and provide a clearer direction.

O tempo me lapidou de diversas formas! Uma delas foi entender onde aqueles que estão próximos querem chegar. Use a sabedoria para apresentar suas ideias de marketing. Procure as oportunidades para apresenta-la e as fraquezas do time para ajudar a todos.

This is where your confidence kicks in and you realize your boss, even though still be your mentor, you are a valuable asset to the organization, who can effectively add and contribute in a meaningful way. Yes, data is very important to back you marketing decisions, but the innovation and creativity will not necessarily come out of that. Sell your plan and engage your boss to make it a team effort, each one with their skill set.

Start by engaging in detailed discussions to uncover the long-term vision for your product and the target market. This foundation is crucial for aligning your marketing efforts with the company's broader objectives. It’s about asking the right questions and piecing together the bigger picture, creating a roadmap where one might not be clearly provided. This proactive understanding helps in crafting strategies that not only meet immediate marketing needs but also support long-term business objectives, facilitating a more targeted and effective market approach.

In the face of vague directives, clarity in communication becomes your best tool. Actively seek to clarify and confirm instructions, echoing back your understanding. Documenting these exchanges not only helps in keeping track but also prompts your boss to think through their instructions, making them more precise over time. Detailed notes and shared summaries help me ensure alignment, improving project outcomes through enhanced mutual understanding.

When directions are sparse, identify opportunities where you can add value and take the lead. Propose clear, actionable plans that address these opportunities. Showing initiative can fill gaps in leadership and direction, and often, it encourages clearer guidance from above as your boss sees the impact of your actions. Proactive employees can significantly influence project outcomes. - Keep an eye on customer feedback and market trends to pinpoint new opportunities.. - Break your proposals into smaller, manageable tasks that clearly show how you plan to move from concept to execution. - Aim for early successes that can quickly demonstrate the value of your initiative. - Document results and learn

Remember, as a Product Marketer, you have the word "Product" in your title for a reason. Use the leverage it gives you to spend more time with product and engineering. You need to know your product and the product managers and engineers who build the product to build a stronger case for yourself and your decisions. Allyship is every PMMs survival strategy. Making friends with them, spending time with other teams, and exchanging ideas, even if they are strictly not related to your KPIs, can help build informal bonds that can later be used to build stronger, formal, collaborative bonds.

Feedback from various stakeholders not only helps these scenarios, but it can also help you identify internal gaps in your product positioning and messaging, helping you shape enablement plans.

You're not alone - most people suffer under unclear leadership. The key is to proactively fill that direction void yourself. Overcommunicate, build your own stakeholder intel channels, pitch strong data-driven recommendations. Tactfully fight for what's right when the signs point to crazytown. Will you always have a crystal clear endpoint? No. But if you're marching in a smart direction beating to the drum of customers' needs, you're on the right path. It's on you to quietly lead when the captain's asleep at the wheel. Step up, trust your gut, and keep steering. You've got this. In product marketing, done and directionally correct beats perfect every time.

Everyone thinks they can do marketing nowadays. So if your boss feels that perhaps their strategy, or vision for PM is the way to go - you can either go with the flow and let the numbers speak for themselves OR you can take initative and try to drive your strategy (this can only happen though with "trust") Essentially, everyone wants a WIN in business and as a marketer it can be challenging to be truly valued when you do have a boss that feels they can do your job. Just know that it's a long game and let data, numbers, etc. be your power.