When it comes to product development, the collaboration between engineers, product managers, and product marketers is crucial. However, a big issue that repeats itself is when product marketers are overlooked. When the involvement of product marketers is disregarded, serious challenges arise. In this blog, we will explore the problems that occur when engineers and product managers exclusively focus on shipping code, without integrating the valuable insights of product marketers. By neglecting their perspectives and market expertise, organizations risk developing products that fail to meet customer needs and maximize market potential.
There are several problems that occur when engineers connect with product managers and ship code without setting up a proper go-to-market plan. First, there are no goals or milestones in place, engineers and product managers will launch products as soon as they are able to release them, leaving marketing and other internal teams missing key items for a successful launch, and leaving customers confused.
Value propositions, positioning, and messaging that are crafted for a specific ideal customer are skipped, and the overall strategy lacks. There’s more to it but for the sake of time, I will share a few key points to explain the importance of having product marketing involved in the development and launch process.
Limited Market Understanding:
When engineers and product managers solely concentrate on shipping code without the input of product marketers, there is a significant danger of developing features and functionalities that lack alignment with market demands. Without thorough market research, customer feedback, and insights, the development process becomes disconnected from the target audience. This oversight can result in wasted resources, missed opportunities, and a failure to deliver products that effectively address real-world problems.
Reduced User-Centricity:
Product marketers play a vital role in championing the voice of the customer. By excluding them from the conversation, engineers and product managers risk overlooking critical user insights and needs. Product marketers excel at understanding customer pain points, preferences, and desires, which are essential for creating user-centric products. Ignoring their involvement can lead to a product that fails to resonate with its intended audience, resulting in poor adoption and customer dissatisfaction.
Missed Market Opportunities:
Product marketers possess a deep understanding of the competitive landscape and emerging market trends. Their insights are crucial for identifying market opportunities and differentiators that can give the product a competitive edge. By neglecting their involvement, engineers and product managers may miss out on potential features, positioning strategies, or marketing tactics that could enhance the product’s market positioning. This oversight hampers the organization’s ability to fully capitalize on the market’s potential and may result in missed growth opportunities.
Ineffective Go-to-Market Strategies:
Product marketers are instrumental in creating effective go-to-market plans that drive product adoption and success. Their expertise lies in crafting messaging, identifying target markets, and understanding distribution channels. Without their input, engineers and product managers may struggle to effectively communicate the value of the product or determine the best avenues for reaching customers. This lack of coordination can lead to disjointed marketing efforts, missed promotional opportunities, and a diminished impact during the product launch phase.
Lack of Alignment and Collaboration:
When engineers and product managers exclude product marketers from the conversation, it often results in a lack of alignment and collaboration across teams. The absence of open communication channels hinders effective decision-making, goal alignment, and overall project success. Without incorporating the perspectives of product marketers, there is a higher risk of developing products that do not meet customer expectations, miss market demands, or lack a clear market positioning strategy.
The collaboration between engineers, product managers, and product marketers is essential for successful product development. When product marketers are excluded from conversations focused solely on shipping code, organizations face several challenges, including limited market understanding, reduced user-centricity, missed market opportunities, ineffective go-to-market strategies, and a lack of alignment and collaboration. To prevent these issues, organizations must emphasize cross-functional collaboration, recognize the value of diverse perspectives, and ensure product marketers are included as vital contributors throughout the product development lifecycle. By integrating their insights, organizations can build products that align with market needs, resonate with customers, and maximize their market potential.
I hope this blog brought you some value that can help your team become more collaborative, and make your products shine brighter with your customers, and in the market. If you have any questions feel free to reach out. Thank you for reading. Peace.
