WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- How to make a smooth transition from product marketing to product management.
- Why communication is the secret sauce in both roles.
- Erin’s tips for navigating the technical side without losing your marketing magic.
Erin Retka’s career has been a balancing act between product marketing and product management. Having worked in both roles at companies like Formstack, Pushpay, and Keap, she’s experienced firsthand how the skills from each discipline complement and strengthen one another. In this playbook, Erin shares her strategies for leveraging communication, collaboration, and technical fluency to make the leap from marketing to product management, and thrive in both areas. Whether you're already working in product or considering a move from marketing, these insights will guide you through the journey.
THE EXPERT
Erin Retka’s product journey spans roles across companies like Formstack, Pushpay, and most recently as a Product Manager at Keap. From building cohesive multi-product experiences to driving product-led growth, Erin’s experience includes a unique blend of both marketing and product management. Her knack for clear communication and her love for hands-on product involvement make her a master of both disciplines.
THE INSIGHTS
1 - Learn to shift from storytelling to problem solving
Erin’s journey from product marketing to product management wasn’t just a career change—it was about getting back to the action. While product marketing let her communicate a product’s story, product management gave her the chance to be part of the decision-making process and technical conversations that drive a product’s development.
“I loved telling the story in product marketing, but I missed writing it on the product management side.”
2 - Communication is your secret weapon in both worlds
One thing Erin quickly realized: Whether you're a product marketer or a product manager, clear communication is the key to success. The difference? Product marketers are translating features for the market, while product managers are translating user needs to engineers. Either way, it’s all about effective messaging and understanding your audience.
“You’ve got to be fluent enough in both areas to enable the people you’re working with—whether it’s engineers or customers.”
3 - Start small with release notes
For product marketers looking to transition into product management, Erin suggests starting with something small but impactful—like release notes. This gives you hands-on experience with the product’s day-to-day improvements and helps bridge the gap between big-picture product launches and the technical details that make them happen.
“Release notes are a great bridge—you see how a product evolves, and you can backtrack to understand the problem and the solution.”
4 - Lean into collaboration, early and often
Erin emphasizes the importance of seeing product marketing and product management as complementary resources. She relies on product marketers for competitive insights and market trends, while ensuring they fully understand the product's features. This early collaboration helps drive stronger product launches and clearer messaging to customers.
“If I can’t explain it clearly to my product marketer, then our customers won’t get it either.”
5 - Adapt the role to your skills
When it comes to in-app messaging or product walkthroughs, Erin believes the key is early collaboration. The lines between product marketing and product management may blur, but setting clear expectations up front helps avoid dropped responsibilities. Some PMs love writing copy, while others leave it to product marketers—either approach works as long as roles are defined.
“It’s all about defining the relationship from the start—who owns what and how can we best collaborate on it.”
