Go-to-Market Strategies in Product Management

Welcome and Introductions

Rina Alexin | 00:00–02:00 All right, welcome everyone, wherever you’re joining us from! Today, we’re diving into **Go-to-Market Strategies in Product Management** with a fantastic panel of experts. This session will take the form of an Ask Me Anything discussion, so we encourage your questions and participation.

I’m Rina Alexin, CEO of Productside. Let’s start with some quick introductions from our panel — Elena Madrigal, Janna Bastow, and Ken Feehan.

Elena Madrigal | 02:01–02:45
Hi everyone! I’m Elena Madrigal, EVP of Product and Product Marketing at Amaze. I lead an integrated team of product managers, UX designers, and product marketers. Our mission is to empower creators to monetize their audiences through social commerce.

Janna Bastow | 02:46–03:20
Hello folks, I’m Janna Bastow, co-founder of ProdPad and Mind the Product. I’ve worked with countless teams around the world on improving their product processes, roadmaps, and launches. Excited to chat about go-to-market today!

Ken Feehan | 03:21–04:00
Hi everyone, I’m Ken Feehan, VP of Product at Productside. I’ve been a PM, director, and product leader at companies like Apple and Intuit, and I’ve brought about 20 products to market. Happy to be part of this discussion.

About Productside and Housekeeping

Rina Alexin | 04:01–05:40 Productside, formerly 280 Group, is dedicated to helping product teams make products people *want* to buy and use. We stand by the side of product managers as partners in their professional growth.

Please post your questions in the Q&A tab or raise your hand to join us live. This session is recorded, and you’ll receive a replay link after the event. You can also join our Productside LinkedIn Community to continue learning and networking.

Panel Discussion – Common Go-to-Market Challenges

Rina Alexin | 06:00–07:00 We asked our LinkedIn audience what their biggest struggle is when going to market. The top responses included positioning, alignment, rushed launches, and unclear success metrics. Panelists, which of these resonates most with you and why?

Elena Madrigal | 07:01–08:00
All of them — but positioning is the foundation of everything. You can overcome rushed launches or alignment issues if your positioning is strong. Without it, everything else falls apart.

Janna Bastow | 08:01–09:00
Absolutely. Lack of alignment is another big one. Often teams treat release and launch as the same thing. They’re not! Misalignment creates a game of “telephone” between product, marketing, and sales — and the final message ends up inconsistent.

Elena Madrigal | 09:01–10:00
Right. Marketing often equates release with launch, which leads to panic. It’s important to give marketing context about why you’re solving a problem and what story to communicate, not just what’s being released.

Janna Bastow | 10:01–11:45
Exactly. Separate your release from your launch. You can release something quietly, test it, and then market it later when you’re confident in the messaging. Soft launches are vital for testing both your product and positioning.

Elena Madrigal | 11:46–12:30
Yes — use soft launches to test messaging and measure whether customers understand your value. It’s your rehearsal for the big moment.

Ken Feehan | 12:31–13:45
And remember — launch day is just the beginning. Real success comes from the follow-up. Continue enabling sales and marketing post-launch when they’re engaging with customers directly.

Success Stories: Favorite Launches and Lessons Learned

Janna Bastow | 17:45–19:00 My favorite launch was when we rolled out ProdPad AI. We gathered feedback early, measured engagement carefully, and released it as a cohesive product rather than a one-off feature. The focus on communication and timing made it shine.

Elena Madrigal | 19:01–21:40
For me, it was launching an AI-driven driving behavior platform at TrueMotion. We discovered that packaging our machine-learning technology as a safety feature for home security companies opened new markets. The go-to-market strategy wasn’t about capturing intent — it was about generating it.

Ken Feehan | 23:30–25:30
In my most successful launch, we used beta feedback strategically. We had our most trusted salesperson manage the beta customers, then share success stories internally. That built advocacy among sales — turning skeptics into champions.

Soft Launches and Building Trust

Elena Madrigal | 27:26–29:33 Be transparent — tell users it’s a beta or soft launch. Select forgiving, feedback-driven testers. People love to be part of something exclusive. Soft launches allow you to learn quickly and refine messaging before going public.

Janna Bastow | 29:34–31:27
Exactly. Feature flagging lets you stage your rollout — internal first, then beta users, then all customers. Measure usability and satisfaction at each stage before scaling.

Collaboration Between Product, Sales, and Marketing

Ken Feehan | 33:32–35:25 When sales reaches out for information — act fast. That moment defines whether they see you as a partner or a blocker. Product managers should “be a goldfish” — forget frustration, respond quickly, and collaborate.

Janna Bastow | 35:26–36:50
Agreed. Product management is a team sport. Everyone — sales, marketing, engineering — should contribute ideas and feedback. Centralize information so everyone has visibility into what’s coming and why.

Elena Madrigal | 36:51–37:20
A simple one-pager can make a huge difference. Summarize the why, for whom, and outcomes — with features and benefits. Keep it short and clear.

Enterprise Go-to-Market Differences

Ken Feehan | 41:19–43:15 Enterprise buyers are investing big — they need success stories and proof points. As a PM, focus not only on features but also on how your product drives ROI and transformation.

Janna Bastow | 43:16–44:47
Exactly. Enterprise go-to-market is about risk management. Understand the buying process, align stakeholders early, and validate your solution through discovery.

Setting and Measuring Success Metrics

Elena Madrigal | 44:48–46:43 Start with a clear North Star metric and define where you are now. Break it down into smaller activities that ladder up to that North Star.

Janna Bastow | 46:44–48:39
Yes — use leading metrics, not just lagging ones like revenue. Focus on engagement and conversion indicators that predict success.

Ken Feehan | 48:40–50:12
And update your metrics as your product matures. Day-one metrics differ from those in version 2.0. Focus on value, not vanity.

Creating Marketable Moments

Rina Alexin | 54:56–56:21 Tier your launches. Not every release is a Tier 1 event. Focus major go-to-market effort on launches that drive innovation or brand growth, and design smaller updates around retention and incremental value.

Elena Madrigal | 56:22–56:30
Exactly — create marketable moments that make customers feel part of your evolution.

Q&A and Closing Remarks

Rina Alexin | 56:31–End A big thank you to our panel — **Elena Madrigal, Janna Bastow, Ken Feehan**, and all of you who joined today.

If you enjoyed this session, download our Go-to-Market Pack from the Productside Playbook, designed to help you plan and execute effective launches.

And remember — we’re your partners in product. Thank you, and see you next time!