Productside Stories

Bridging Product Management and Product Marketing Teams with Rose Hartwig

Featured Guest:

Rose Hartwig | Former SVP of Global Brand & Product Marketing at Peloton
26/06/2024

Summary

In this conversation, Rina Alexin and Rose Hartwig explore how the relationship between product management and product marketing can make or break a product’s success. Rose shares her journey into product marketing, inspired by a passion for helping people understand technology and its value.

They unpack how both teams can overcome common pitfalls such as misaligned messaging, unclear expectations, and communication breakdowns. Rose emphasizes the importance of early collaboration — avoiding the “baton handoff” mindset — and building trust through shared insights, clear assumptions, and frequent alignment meetings.

The discussion also dives into strategies for handling stakeholder complexity, product pivots, and beta launches, while balancing innovation with realistic timelines. Rose concludes with practical advice on how PMs and PMMs can strengthen their relationship — from joining each other’s interview panels to turning assumptions into written agreements.

Takeaways

  • Collaboration between product and marketing must start early — not just at launch.

  • Avoid the “handoff” mentality; instead, build a continuous partnership.

  • Clarify roles, responsibilities, and assumptions early in the process.

  • Turn assumptions into written agreements to prevent misalignment.

  • Regular communication forums improve transparency and decision-making.

  • Timing matters — not every product update needs an immediate launch.

  • Treat roadmap discussions as joint efforts between PM and marketing.

  • Encourage truth-telling and realistic assessments within teams.

  • Product marketing must understand the product deeply, not just the message.


Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Welcome to Productside Stories
02:31 The Importance of Telling a Clear Product Story
06:02 Why Collaboration Should Start Early
08:13 Balancing Early Involvement Without Overloading Teams
10:15 Clarifying Roles, Responsibilities, and Assumptions
13:23 Building Communication Plans and Identifying Assumptions
15:24 Managing Stakeholders and Communication Balance
16:21 Lessons from Misalignment and How to Prevent It
18:31 How to Recover When Collaboration Breaks Down
20:15 The Importance of Timing and Roadmap Alignment
22:38 Handling Beta Launches and Managing Public Feedback
25:01 Pivoting Product Strategies and Messaging
27:37 Understanding Jobs to Be Done and Realigning Value
29:06 Encouraging Truth-Telling and Realistic Assessments
30:33 Strengthening Product–Marketing Relationships
31:51 Turning Assumptions into Agreements
32:10 Where to Find Rose Hartwig

Keywords

product management, product marketing, alignment, communication, collaboration, product launches, Peloton, Palm, Abbott Labs, Rina Alexin, Rose Hartwig, stakeholder management, customer feedback, beta testing, leadership, roadmap planning, jobs to be done, cross-functional teamwork, agile collaboration

Introduction and Welcome to Productside Stories

Rina Alexin | 00:00–00:46

And welcome to *Productside Stories*, the podcast where we reveal the real lessons learned from product leaders and thinkers all over the world. I’m **Rina Alexin**, CEO of Productside, and your host for this episode. Today, I’m thrilled to be joined by **Rose Hartwig**, a senior product marketing leader with experience at companies like Palm, Peloton, and Abbott Labs. Rose, thank you so much for being here!

Rose Hartwig | 00:46–02:31

So great to be here, Rina. My start in product marketing came from wanting to help people better understand how to use technology. I’ve always gravitated toward gadgets and software, but I noticed that the way these products were built and messaged wasn’t always optimized.

I wanted to take complex technologies and make them simple — help people understand, engage, and find real value. It wasn’t just about selling something but helping people through their journey — discovery, use, and advocacy. That’s what pulled me in, and it’s been a rewarding career ever since.

The Importance of Telling a Clear Product Story

Rina Alexin | 02:31–04:54

So true. Often, product teams focus on adding features but miss the story behind *why* those features matter. Product marketing brings the “why” to life — the story of how this product changes the user’s experience, not just what it does.

Rose Hartwig | 04:54–06:02

Exactly. It’s not about convincing users to stop what they’re doing — it’s about showing them new value. Like with e-readers, it wasn’t “stop reading books.” It was, “read more, anywhere.” Storytelling bridges that emotional and practical gap.

Why Collaboration Should Start Early

Rose Hartwig | 06:02–08:13

I’m not a fan of the “handoff” mentality between product and marketing. True success comes when product marketers are involved early. Product managers bring customer insights to define *what* to build, while product marketers translate those insights into *how* to tell that story to the market. When both align early, the story and launch become much stronger.

Balancing Early Involvement Without Overloading Teams

Rose Hartwig | 08:13–10:15

It’s all about balance. At the earliest stages, product marketing should observe and learn, not own. Stay informed, understand hypotheses, and get involved once validation increases. Early collaboration doesn’t mean being in every meeting — it’s about being aligned on direction and timing.

My husband, who’s in product management, calls it “too soon to tell or too late to kill.” You don’t want to join too early when things are fuzzy — or too late when it’s irreversible.

Clarifying Roles, Responsibilities, and Assumptions

Rose Hartwig | 10:15–13:23

Clarifying who leads what and when is vital. Many conflicts come from unspoken assumptions — when expectations are misaligned. I always recommend turning **assumptions into written agreements**. Define what success looks like, who’s accountable, and how decisions are made.

That structure reduces ambiguity and creates psychological safety across teams.

Building Communication Plans and Identifying Assumptions

Rose Hartwig | 13:23–15:24

Keep a “living list” of unanswered questions — decisions pending, dependencies, risks. Frame questions with curiosity: *“When will we know if this feature makes it?”* or *“How will this impact operations?”* This helps teams think holistically and keeps everyone aware of what still needs clarification.

Managing Stakeholders and Communication Balance

Rose Hartwig | 15:24–16:21

You can’t have 40-person meetings every time. Smaller core groups work best — with representatives from key teams who cascade updates afterward. That ensures agility while keeping communication tight.

Lessons from Misalignment and How to Prevent It

Rose Hartwig | 16:21–18:31

I’ve seen misalignments when product marketing forgets the “product” half of their title. To earn product managers’ trust, marketers must understand the product deeply. You can’t just show up at launch — you need to know the customer problems, the roadmap, and the strategy.

How to Recover When Collaboration Breaks Down

Rose Hartwig | 18:31–20:15

If collaboration breaks down, step back and rebuild the foundation: trust and clarity. Identify what went wrong — process, communication, or assumptions. Then re-align on goals. Start small, rebuild confidence, and celebrate quick wins to restore partnership momentum.

The Importance of Timing and Roadmap Alignment

Rose Hartwig | 20:15–22:38

Timing is everything. Just because a product is ready doesn’t mean it should launch immediately. Align on when updates should go public to maximize impact. Sometimes it’s better to group features for a more meaningful market moment.

Handling Beta Launches and Managing Public Feedback

Rose Hartwig | 22:38–25:01

Betas can be tricky — information leaks fast. Assume it’ll reach the public and plan messaging accordingly. Position beta tests as part of innovation: *“We’re co-creating with early customers.”* Transparency turns potential leaks into opportunities for engagement.

Pivoting Product Strategies and Messaging

Rose Hartwig | 25:01–27:37

Pivots happen all the time. Go back to basics — the **Jobs to Be Done** framework. Identify new customer needs, reassess your product fit, and adjust messaging. Sometimes it’s a tweak; other times, it’s a full reset. Either way, honesty about what the product *can* do builds credibility.

Understanding Jobs to Be Done and Realigning Value

Rina Alexin | 27:37–29:06

Exactly — innovation isn’t linear. Sometimes teams keep building instead of reassessing whether the original problem still matters. Truth-telling early saves time and reputation.

Encouraging Truth-Telling and Realistic Assessments

Rose Hartwig | 29:06–30:33

Honesty is essential. Encourage truth-telling about risk and readiness. Leaders appreciate transparency and can plan better when they have the full picture.

Strengthening Product–Marketing Relationships

Rose Hartwig | 30:33–31:51

Include product and marketing peers in each other’s interview panels. It builds empathy and investment from day one. Also, write down decisions and agreements — that’s where clarity lives.

Turning Assumptions into Agreements

Rose Hartwig | 31:51–32:10

Revisit those agreements regularly. The best collaborations evolve, just like the products themselves.

Where to Find Rose Hartwig

Rose Hartwig | 32:10–End

You can find me at **marketingfluency.com** or on **LinkedIn** — I love connecting with other product and marketing professionals.