For my first year as a product marketer, I operated under a simple theory: Do good work, and executives will notice.
I built competitive programs. I enabled sales. I launched products. I worked 60-hour weeks and produced results.
And executives barely knew who I was.
When I passed the CEO in the hallway, he'd smile politely and keep walking. When I sent updates on competitive wins, I got radio silence. When I presented at all-hands meetings, execs checked their phones.
I was frustrated. I was doing the work—why wasn't I getting credit or visibility?
Then I watched a peer PMM—someone with less experience and frankly weaker work—get promoted to Senior Director in half the time. When I asked our CMO why, she said: "She's built strong relationships with the exec team. They see her as a strategic partner, not just an execution resource. They invite her into planning conversations because they trust her judgment."
That's when I realized: Good work alone doesn't build executive relationships. Strategic partnership does.
I'd been executing on what I thought executives wanted. I should have been asking them what they actually needed and making myself useful in those areas.
The shift from "doing my job well" to "making executives' jobs easier" changed my career trajectory completely.
The Mistake I Made (That Most PMMs Make)
I thought managing up meant:
- Presenting polished decks at exec meetings
- Sending comprehensive updates on my projects
- Being responsive when executives asked for something
That's not managing up. That's being a good employee.
Managing up is:
- Understanding what keeps each executive up at night
- Proactively solving problems before they ask
- Making yourself indispensable to their success
I was waiting for executives to come to me with requests. I should have been anticipating their needs and delivering value before they asked.
Example of what I was doing:
CEO asks: "Can you pull together competitive analysis for next week's board meeting?"
I spend 20 hours building comprehensive analysis and present it at the board meeting.
CEO says: "Thanks, this is helpful."
What I should have been doing:
Two weeks before board meeting, I send CEO a message: "Board meeting coming up—I'm guessing competitive positioning will come up. I've drafted a one-page competitive brief covering market position, win rates, and strategic threats. Want me to include this in the board deck? Happy to adjust based on what you want to emphasize."
CEO responds: "Perfect timing. Add a section on enterprise competitive gaps—that's been on my mind. Let's discuss on our next 1:1."
The difference?
First approach: I'm reactive. I do good work when asked.
Second approach: I'm proactive. I anticipate needs and create value before being asked.
Executives don't build relationships with people who execute well. They build relationships with people who make their lives easier.
The Framework That Changed How I Built Executive Relationships
After watching my peer get promoted while I stayed stuck, I asked her how she built such strong exec relationships.
She shared a framework she learned from a former COO: Value before visibility.
"Most people try to get visibility first—they want execs to notice them, then they'll deliver value. It doesn't work. You have to deliver value consistently, and visibility comes as a byproduct."
Her approach:
- Understand what each executive cares about most
- Deliver value in those specific areas without being asked
- Build a reputation as someone who makes their job easier
- Visibility and trust follow naturally
I rebuilt my executive stakeholder strategy using this framework.
Step 1: Understand What Each Executive Actually Cares About
I scheduled 30-minute coffee chats with each C-suite executive. Not to pitch my work—to understand their priorities.
I asked each of them:
- "What are your top 3 priorities this quarter?"
- "What information do you wish you had more visibility into?"
- "What keeps you up at night?"
- "Where do you feel like you're making decisions without enough data?"
CEO cares about: Market positioning, competitive threats to valuation, board preparation, strategic differentiation.
CRO cares about: Win rates, competitive deal losses, sales productivity, pipeline quality.
CFO cares about: Revenue predictability, customer acquisition costs, expansion revenue, churn risk.
CMO cares about: Message market fit, campaign performance, brand differentiation, pipeline contribution.
VP Product cares about: Customer feedback, competitive feature gaps, market requirements, adoption metrics.
I took notes in every conversation and identified where PMM could deliver unique value to each exec.
The insight: Every executive has different information needs. Generic "here's what PMM is working on" updates don't serve anyone. Targeted value delivery to each exec's specific needs builds relationships.
Step 2: Deliver Value Proactively (Without Being Asked)
Instead of waiting for executives to request competitive analysis or market insights, I started delivering them on a predictable cadence tailored to each exec's needs.
For CEO (cares about market positioning and board prep):
Monthly email the week before board meetings: "Board Meeting Brief: Competitive Positioning Update"
- One-page summary of market shifts, competitive threats, and strategic implications
- Key data points formatted for inclusion in board deck
- Proactive heads-up on questions board might ask
For CRO (cares about win rates and competitive losses):
Weekly Slack message every Monday: "Competitive Pulse: Key Wins & Losses"
- 3-bullet summary of notable wins/losses from previous week
- Pattern identified (e.g., "Lost 3 enterprise deals to Competitor X on compliance")
- Recommended action (e.g., "Updating battle card to address compliance objection")
For CFO (cares about revenue predictability and churn risk):
Quarterly in-person meeting: "Win/Loss Revenue Impact Analysis"
- Revenue at risk from competitive threats
- Revenue opportunity from addressing competitive gaps
- ROI analysis on proposed competitive investments
For CMO (cares about message market fit):
Monthly: "Market Signal Report"
- Customer language from win/loss interviews
- Messaging that's resonating (or not) in deals
- Recommended positioning adjustments
For VP Product (cares about customer feedback and competitive gaps):
Bi-weekly: "Product Intelligence Brief"
- Top feature requests from lost deals
- Competitive features driving deal losses
- Customer feedback themes from recent interviews
Notice the pattern: I'm not sending the same update to everyone. I'm delivering targeted value based on each exec's specific information needs.
The result: Within three months, executives started coming to me proactively. CEO would forward competitive questions from board members. CRO would ask for my take on deal losses before making decisions. CFO included me in pricing discussions.
I became a resource they depended on, not a function they managed.
Step 3: Make It Easy for Them to Consume Your Value
The mistake I made early: I'd send executives 8-page reports thinking comprehensive = valuable.
Wrong. Executives are overwhelmed with information. Comprehensive reports get filed away unread.
What works: Short, scannable updates that deliver value in 60 seconds.
My format for executive updates:
Subject line: Clear and specific (not "PMM Update")
- Good: "Competitive Alert: Competitor X Launching Enterprise Features Next Month"
- Bad: "Market Update"
First paragraph: The insight in 2-3 sentences
- "Competitor X is launching enterprise compliance features next month based on their roadmap leak and sales hiring patterns. This addresses the #1 objection in enterprise deals we're currently losing."
Second paragraph: Business impact
- "We've lost 18 enterprise deals citing compliance gaps in the last quarter ($3.2M pipeline). This launch will likely accelerate losses unless we address it."
Third paragraph: Recommended action
- "Three options: (1) Fast-track our compliance roadmap ($400K, 6 months), (2) Partner with compliance vendor (faster, lower cost), or (3) Reposition away from enterprise. Recommend discussion at next exec meeting."
Optional: Detailed appendix
- "Full competitive analysis attached if you want details."
Total: 150 words. Executive can read it in 60 seconds and know exactly what's happening, why it matters, and what they should consider doing.
I sent these micro-updates consistently, and executives started trusting that anything from me would be worth reading.
The Regular Touchpoints That Build Trust
Beyond proactive updates, I established regular touchpoints with key executives.
Monthly 30-minute 1:1s with CEO:
Not status updates on my projects—strategic conversations about market dynamics.
Agenda I'd propose:
- One competitive trend I'm seeing and what it means for us
- One customer insight that's strategically relevant
- One decision coming up where I can provide input
These conversations positioned me as a strategic advisor, not a tactical executor.
Bi-weekly 15-minute syncs with CRO:
Fast check-ins on competitive dynamics impacting deals.
Format:
- Quick wins/losses update (2 minutes)
- One pattern I'm seeing (3 minutes)
- One thing sales needs from me (2 minutes)
- Open discussion (8 minutes)
These built a relationship where CRO saw me as a partner in winning deals, not just a support function.
Quarterly business reviews with CFO:
Data-driven conversations about PMM's revenue impact.
I'd present:
- Win rate trends and revenue impact
- Competitive program ROI
- Investment recommendations with projected returns
These built credibility that PMM wasn't just a cost center—we drove measurable revenue impact.
The key: These touchpoints weren't about updating executives on my work. They were about delivering strategic value specific to their needs.
How to Navigate Executive Politics Without Getting Burned
Six months into rebuilding executive relationships, I walked into a political minefield.
CRO wanted to invest $500K in enterprise sales expansion. CMO wanted to invest that budget in brand awareness. Both asked me for competitive data to support their position.
I could have:
- Supported CRO (who I had closer relationship with)
- Supported CMO (who was technically my boss)
- Tried to stay neutral and avoided taking a position
Instead, I did something that felt risky but turned out to be career-defining:
I analyzed the question independently and made a recommendation neither of them expected.
I presented data to both of them (separately, first) showing:
- Enterprise expansion would generate $2M revenue but required 18 months to pay back
- Brand awareness would generate awareness but had unclear ROI on revenue
- Alternative: Investing in mid-market expansion would generate $3.2M revenue with 6-month payback
I recommended the option neither had proposed.
Both pushed back initially. CRO wanted his enterprise expansion. CMO wanted her brand campaign.
But when I presented to the full exec team, the CFO backed my recommendation because the ROI was clearest. CEO agreed.
The lesson: Don't pick sides in executive politics. Analyze the business question independently and recommend what's best for the company.
Yes, this sometimes means disappointing stakeholders. But executives respect PMMs who think independently more than PMMs who tell them what they want to hear.
The CRO told me afterward: "I didn't agree with your recommendation, but I respect that you analyzed it objectively instead of just backing what I wanted."
That's when I became a trusted advisor instead of a political pawn.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Managing Up
Most PMMs think: If I do great work, executives will notice and value me.
The reality: Executives are managing 10-15 direct reports, board relationships, investor relations, and strategic decisions. They don't have bandwidth to notice your great work unless you make it visible and relevant to their priorities.
The PMMs who build strong executive relationships:
- Understand what each executive cares about specifically
- Deliver value proactively in those areas
- Make it easy to consume their insights (short, scannable, actionable)
- Establish regular touchpoints focused on strategic value
- Navigate politics by analyzing independently, not picking sides
The PMMs who don't build executive relationships:
- Wait for executives to ask for things
- Send generic updates about their projects
- Create comprehensive reports that don't get read
- Only interact with executives in formal meetings
- Align with one executive and alienate others
The difference in career trajectory is dramatic.
I've watched PMMs with exceptional execution skills stay stuck at individual contributor levels because they never built executive relationships.
I've watched mediocre PMMs get promoted because they understood how to make themselves valuable to executives.
Execution gets you respect from peers. Strategic partnership gets you promoted.
How to Start Building Executive Relationships (This Week)
If you're not currently managing up effectively, here's how to start:
This week:
Schedule 30-minute coffee chats with 2-3 key executives. Ask:
- "What are your top priorities this quarter?"
- "What information do you wish you had better visibility into?"
- "Where do you feel like you're making decisions without enough data?"
Take notes. Identify where PMM can deliver unique value.
Next week:
Send one proactive value delivery to one executive.
Example: If CEO mentioned competitive threats as a priority, send a one-page competitive brief you think will be useful for their next board meeting.
Subject: "Competitive Brief for Board Meeting (Proactive)"
Body: "I know the board meeting is coming up and competitive positioning usually comes up. Drafted a one-page brief covering current market position and key threats. Happy to adjust if you want to emphasize different aspects."
[Attach one-page brief]
Ongoing:
Establish a regular cadence of value delivery to 2-3 key executives. Could be:
- Weekly competitive pulse to CRO
- Monthly market signal report to CEO
- Quarterly revenue impact analysis to CFO
The key: Start small, deliver consistent value, build reputation as someone who makes their job easier.
Visibility and relationships follow value.
What Changes When Executives See You as Strategic Partner
Eighteen months after I started intentionally managing up, I noticed a shift.
CEO started CCing me on competitive questions from board members.
CRO included me in territory planning discussions.
CFO asked for my input on pricing decisions.
VP Product invited me to roadmap planning sessions.
I wasn't just executing PMM work—I was influencing company strategy.
The specific moment I knew it had worked: CEO pulled me aside after an exec meeting and said: "I want you in the room for our strategic planning offsite next month. You have market perspective the rest of the team doesn't have."
That offsite led to strategy decisions I directly influenced. Those decisions led to a promotion to Director.
None of that happened because I got better at execution. It happened because I made myself valuable to executives by understanding their needs and proactively delivering strategic value.
Managing up isn't about impressing executives. It's about making their jobs easier by delivering value they didn't have to ask for.
Do that consistently, and you become indispensable.
That's when your career accelerates.