You're the first PMM at a startup. Nobody really knows what product marketing does. Your job description said "strategic positioning and GTM leadership." Reality is: sales wants battlecards yesterday, product wants you to write release notes, and your CEO keeps asking when the website will be updated.
Everyone has opinions about what you should do. Nobody understands what PMM actually contributes to the business.
You need to build credibility fast, or you'll spend your time executing everyone else's tasks while the strategic work that actually matters never gets done.
Here's how first PMMs build the credibility to do real work.
Solve One Urgent Problem First
Don't start with strategy. Don't propose a comprehensive six-month roadmap. Don't try to educate stakeholders about what PMM should do.
Find one problem that's actively hurting the business today and fix it in two weeks.
Ask your Head of Sales: "What's the biggest pain point in closing deals right now?"
Common answers:
- "Reps don't know how to handle this one objection"
- "We're losing to Competitor X and nobody knows why"
- "The pitch deck is a mess and everyone uses different versions"
- "New reps take too long to ramp up"
Pick one. Fix it fast. Ship something tangible that makes an immediate difference.
If the problem is competitive losses, create a one-page battlecard based on talking to your top two reps. Test it on the next five deals. Share results in the sales Slack.
If it's the pitch deck, shadow three sales calls, identify what's broken, fix those specific slides, and get it into reps' hands within a week.
The quality doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to be better than what exists and delivered quickly.
Make Sales Look Good
Your fastest path to credibility is making sales more successful.
Sales is visible. When they win, everyone notices. When you help them win more, you get credit.
Identify your top two sales reps. Ask them: "What would make your job easier?"
Then deliver it.
They need better competitive positioning? Create it.
They need proof points for a specific industry? Find them.
They need a demo script that works? Build it with them.
When those top reps start closing more deals and crediting your materials, everyone pays attention.
Bonus: Top reps are usually well-respected internally. When they advocate for PMM, stakeholders listen.
Invest in making sales heroes. Their success becomes your credibility.
Show Up Where Decisions Happen
Credibility comes from being in the room when important decisions get made.
Ask to join:
- Product roadmap meetings
- Sales pipeline reviews
- Customer escalation discussions
- Leadership planning sessions
Don't wait for invitations. Request access.
In these meetings, contribute value:
Bring customer perspective: "I talked to three customers this week who mentioned this problem."
Connect dots others miss: "This roadmap item solves the same problem that's causing competitive losses."
Ask clarifying questions: "Who is this feature for specifically? What outcome are we enabling?"
You're demonstrating that PMM adds perspective others don't have.
Over time, people start inviting you because they value the input. That's when you know you have credibility.
Document What Others Won't
Early-stage companies are terrible at documentation. Things live in Slack threads, meeting notes, and people's heads.
You can build credibility by being the person who documents important decisions and makes them accessible.
Create:
Launch tracker: Simple spreadsheet of what's launching, when, and who's responsible.
Competitive intel repository: Centralized place for battlecards, competitor updates, and win/loss insights.
Messaging one-pager: Clear documentation of current positioning so everyone uses consistent language.
ICP definition: Written definition of who you're selling to and who you're not.
These seem like small contributions. But when sales can find the latest battlecard instead of asking someone, when new hires can onboard using documented messaging, when product knows what customers are asking for—that's valuable.
And you're the person who created that value.
Establish a Communication Rhythm
Credibility grows when people know what you're doing and how it's helping.
Create a weekly PMM update. Email or Slack post. Three sections:
Shipped this week: Battlecards updated, launch materials created, customer interviews completed.
What we learned: Key insights from customer conversations, win/loss analysis, or competitive intelligence.
What's next: Priorities for the coming week.
Keep it brief—5 bullets maximum per section. Make it scannable.
This accomplishes three things:
- Makes your work visible so people know what PMM does
- Shares insights that help others do their jobs better
- Creates accountability for shipping consistently
After three months of weekly updates, stakeholders understand what PMM contributes. That understanding is credibility.
Speak the Language of Revenue
PMMs who talk about "brand positioning" and "market awareness" struggle to build credibility at early-stage companies.
PMMs who talk about "why we're losing deals" and "what customers need to hear to buy" get credibility fast.
Connect everything you do to revenue:
Instead of: "I updated our messaging framework."
Say: "I updated our positioning based on the last 10 wins. Reps who've used it report shorter sales cycles."
Instead of: "I launched a competitive intelligence program."
Say: "I built battlecards for our top 3 competitors. Sales used them in 15 deals last month, winning 60% versus 40% before."
Instead of: "I conducted customer research."
Say: "I interviewed 8 recent wins and found they all chose us for the same reason. We should lead with this in demos."
You're doing the same work. But framing it in terms of revenue impact gives you credibility with the people who control your success.
Own Measurable Outcomes
Credibility grows when you own metrics that matter.
Volunteer to be responsible for:
Win rates against key competitors: "I'll own improving our win rate against Competitor X from 40% to 55% this quarter."
Sales enablement adoption: "I'll ensure 80% of reps access and use new battlecards within one week of launch."
Launch readiness: "Every launch will have enablement materials ready three days before availability."
Customer insight volume: "I'll conduct 15 customer conversations per month and share insights weekly."
When you hit these commitments, you build trust. When you miss them, you learn what's realistic.
Either way, owning outcomes shows you're accountable for results, not just activities.
Deliver On Time, Every Time
Nothing kills credibility faster than missing commitments.
If you say you'll have battlecards ready by Friday, ship them Friday. If you commit to joining sales calls, show up.
Early in your tenure, reliability matters more than perfection.
Better to ship good-enough work on time than perfect work two weeks late.
Set conservative deadlines. Under-promise and over-deliver. Build a reputation as someone who does what they say they'll do.
This sounds basic, but most people struggle with it. Consistent reliability is a massive differentiator.
Know When to Say No
Credibility also comes from protecting your time for high-impact work.
When asked to do something that's not PMM's job, say:
"I could do that, but it would mean delaying [high-impact project]. Would you like me to reprioritize, or should we find someone else to handle this?"
This shows:
- You understand priorities
- You're focused on impact
- You're willing to be helpful but not a catch-all
People respect clear boundaries when they're explained with business context.
Build Alliances With Other Functions
Don't try to build credibility alone. Partner with leaders in sales, product, and customer success.
Ask them:
"What would make PMM most valuable to you?"
"How can I help you hit your goals this quarter?"
"What should I definitely not do?"
When you deliver on what they need, they become advocates. When your CEO asks "What does PMM do?" your allies answer with specific examples of impact.
Those testimonials are worth more than anything you can say about yourself.
The Six-Month Credibility Test
You've built sufficient credibility when:
Sales asks for your help proactively: They come to you with competitive deals, not the other way around.
Product includes you in roadmap discussions: They want customer perspective before making decisions.
Leadership asks for your input: They value your insights on positioning, competitive landscape, or GTM strategy.
You can say no without backlash: People respect when you decline low-impact requests to focus on strategic work.
Your recommendations get implemented: When you propose something, stakeholders take it seriously.
If you have 3 of these 5, you've built real credibility. If you have all 5, you've established PMM as a strategic function.
Start Today
You don't need six months to build credibility. You need six smart decisions:
- Fix one urgent problem in your first two weeks
- Make your top sales reps more successful
- Show up where decisions happen
- Document what others won't
- Communicate your impact weekly
- Own measurable outcomes and deliver consistently
Do these six things and you'll build more credibility in 90 days than most PMMs build in a year.
Credibility isn't about tenure or seniority. It's about demonstrating value consistently until stakeholders can't imagine operating without you.
That's how first PMMs earn the room to do strategic work.