Creating a PMM Brag Document: Tracking Wins for Reviews

My performance review was in three days. My boss asked me to document my accomplishments for the year so she could advocate for my promotion.

I opened a blank Google Doc and stared at it. What had I accomplished this year?

I knew I'd done a lot. I'd launched products, improved win rates, trained sales, built competitive programs. But I couldn't remember specifics. Which launches? What were the win rate improvements? What exactly did the competitive program achieve?

I spent six hours frantically digging through Slack, old emails, and presentation decks trying to reconstruct my year. I found some numbers but missed half my wins because I simply couldn't remember them.

My boss submitted a weak performance review because I'd given her weak documentation. I got a standard raise instead of the promotion I'd been expecting.

The PMM who got promoted instead of me had sent her manager a 5-page document with every win from the year, complete with metrics, stakeholder testimonials, and business impact calculations. Her manager submitted an airtight case for promotion. She got promoted.

Same year, same quality of work. Different outcome because she'd tracked her wins all year and I'd tried to remember them in three days.

I learned a painful lesson: Your performance is judged based on what you can prove you accomplished, not what you actually accomplished.

If you can't document your wins with specifics and metrics, they might as well not have happened.

Why Most PMMs Can't Remember Their Accomplishments

Here's what happens without a brag document:

January: You drive a successful launch that generates $4.2M in pipeline. Huge win. Everyone celebrates.

February: You improve competitive win rates by 18% through a new battle card program. Another big win.

March: You reduce sales ramp time from 90 to 65 days through restructured enablement.

...and so on through the year.

December: Your boss asks what you accomplished this year.

You remember "launches" and "competitive stuff" and "enablement work" but you can't remember:

• Which launches generated what pipeline
• What the exact win rate improvement was
• What ramp time was before vs. after your changes
• Which stakeholders praised your work
• What strategic initiatives you drove vs. supported

Without specific data, your performance review sounds like: "I launched several successful products, improved our competitive positioning, and made sales enablement better."

That's not compelling. That gets you "meets expectations" and a 3% raise.

The PMM with a brag document writes: "I drove 6 product launches generating $18.4M in total pipeline. I improved competitive win rates from 35% to 53% through a battle card program, worth $4.2M in additional revenue. I reduced sales ramp time from 90 to 65 days, effectively increasing sales capacity by 30%. Combined business impact: $22M+ in measurable revenue contribution."

Same work. Different documentation. Different outcome.

If you don't track wins when they happen, you won't remember them when reviews happen.

What Actually Goes in a PMM Brag Document

Most people think brag documents are just lists of accomplishments. They're not.

A effective brag document is evidence that makes your promotion case undeniable.

Here's what mine includes:

Section 1: Quick Stats (The Headline Numbers)

This is the TL;DR that your boss can copy directly into your performance review or promotion packet.

2024 Impact Summary:

• Revenue Impact: $22M+ in measurable contributions (launch pipeline + competitive wins)
• Launch Performance: 6 launches, $18.4M pipeline, 3x average performance
• Competitive Program: Improved win rates from 35% to 53% (18% improvement, worth $4.2M ARR)
• Sales Effectiveness: Reduced ramp time from 90 to 65 days (30% improvement)
• Strategic Initiatives: Built win/loss program, launched competitive intelligence system, redesigned sales enablement framework

This section takes 30 seconds to read and immediately shows your value.

Section 2: Detailed Wins (The Evidence)

For each major accomplishment, I include:

Win title: "Competitive Program Drove 18% Win Rate Improvement"

Context: "We were losing 65% of deals against Competitor X. Sales didn't understand how to handle their objections."

What I did:

• Analyzed 40 lost competitive deals to identify patterns
• Interviewed 15 customers who chose competitors
• Built battle cards addressing top 3 objections
• Trained 85 sales reps (90% certification rate)
• Created ongoing competitive intelligence program

Impact:

• Win rate improved from 35% to 53% (18% improvement)
• Win rate against Competitor X specifically: 30% → 54%
• Revenue impact: $4.2M in additional annual revenue
• Sales feedback: 92% of reps say battle cards are "very helpful"

Stakeholder testimonials:

• CRO: "This competitive program is one of the highest-ROI initiatives we've done this year" (Slack, May 15)
• Top sales rep: "I've won 4 deals this quarter using the Competitor X battle card that I would have lost before" (Sales QBR, June 10)

Link to project: Battle Card Library, Training Recording, Impact Dashboard

This level of documentation makes it impossible for anyone to dismiss your contribution.

Section 3: Skills Developed

Most PMMs forget to document growth. I include:

New Capabilities Developed in 2024:

• Built first-ever win/loss interview program (completed 60 interviews, identified 3 major product gaps)
• Learned pricing strategy methodology (contributed to pricing changes that improved ASP 12%)
• Developed executive presentation skills (presented to board 2x, CEO feedback: "clearest competitive analysis we've had")
• Expanded from product launches to full GTM strategy (now participate in market expansion decisions)

This shows you're not stagnant—you're growing into the next level.

Section 4: Projects Supported (The Collaboration Record)

PMM does lots of cross-functional work. I track every major initiative I contributed to:

Q1 Enterprise Expansion Strategy:

• Role: Provided customer research and competitive analysis
• Contribution: Interviewed 20 enterprise buyers, identified 3 key differentiators
• Outcome: Strategy approved, now 30% of pipeline is enterprise (up from 10%)

Q3 Pricing Restructure:

• Role: Market validation and competitive benchmarking
• Contribution: Analyzed competitor pricing, surveyed 50 customers on willingness to pay
• Outcome: New pricing increased ASP 12% without impacting close rates

This documents wins where PMM wasn't the lead but contributed meaningfully.

Section 5: Internal Brand Building

I track how I've made PMM more visible and strategic:

Increased PMM Influence:

• Started monthly "Market Intelligence" presentations to exec team (now a standing calendar invite)
• Contributed to board deck preparation 3x this year (CEO quote: "Your competitive section was the most discussed topic")
• Built relationships with VP Product, CRO, and CMO (now regularly consulted on strategic decisions)
• Mentored 2 junior PMMs (both promoted to Senior this year)

This shows leadership impact beyond individual projects.

How to Build Your Brag Document (The Weekly Practice)

The secret isn't writing a great brag document once a year. It's updating it every single week so you never forget wins.

My Friday Routine (15 minutes):

Step 1: Open my brag document

It's a Google Doc titled "2024 Brag Doc - [My Name]" that only I can see.

Step 2: Add this week's wins

I go through my calendar, Slack DMs, and sent emails and ask:

• What projects made progress this week?
• What metrics improved?
• What positive feedback did I receive?
• What problems did I solve?
• What new relationships did I build?

Even small wins get documented:

"Week of Nov 15:

• Launch prep for Product X is on track (85 reps trained, 90% certified)
• CRO asked me to present competitive analysis at next QBR (evidence of trust building)
• Sales rep mentioned battle card helped close $200K deal (captured Slack quote)
• Completed 5 win/loss interviews, found pattern that might inform Q1 roadmap"

Step 3: Capture evidence immediately

When someone praises your work in Slack, screenshot it and add it to the doc.

When a launch succeeds, capture the pipeline data that day.

When you solve a problem, document what the problem was, what you did, and what changed.

If you wait until review time, you'll forget or won't have the receipts.

Step 4: Update metrics monthly

At the end of each month, I update my running metrics:

• Launch pipeline year-to-date
• Competitive win rate trend
• Sales ramp time improvement
• Number of trainings delivered / certification rate

This creates a chart showing progress over time.

What to Track for Different PMM Levels

What belongs in your brag document depends on what level you're targeting:

For PMM → Senior PMM promotion, track:

• Business outcomes you drove (pipeline, win rates, sales productivity)
• Cross-functional influence examples (got Product to change roadmap, got Sales to adopt new messaging)
• Independent problem-solving (identified problem, drove solution without being assigned)

For Senior PMM → Staff PMM promotion, track:

• Programs you built that scaled impact (framework now used company-wide)
• Thought leadership (spoke at conference, wrote influential doc, became go-to expert)
• Company strategy influence (your analysis changed a strategic decision)

For Staff PMM → Director promotion, track:

• People development (mentored, coached, hired)
• System building (created processes that run without you)
• Executive relationships (CEOs/VPs who consult you on strategic decisions)

For Director → VP promotion, track:

• Team performance (your team's collective business impact)
• Strategic vision (multi-year initiatives you've driven)
• Board-level communication (times you've presented to or influenced board)

Match your brag document to the next level's requirements.

How to Use Your Brag Document for Promotions

The brag document isn't just for annual reviews. It's ammunition for promotion conversations.

Step 1: Share it with your boss before review discussions

Don't wait for your boss to ask for documentation. Send it proactively:

"Quick heads up for performance review season: I've documented my 2024 accomplishments with metrics and stakeholder feedback. Attached for your reference. Happy to discuss which highlights are most relevant for my review."

Your boss now has everything they need to advocate for you.

Step 2: Use it in promotion conversations

When I asked for promotion to Director, I didn't say "I think I'm ready."

I said: "I'd like to discuss promotion to Director. I've been operating at Director level for the past 6 months. Here's the evidence:"

Then I shared a summary from my brag doc showing:

• I'd hired and developed 2 people successfully
• I'd built systems (win/loss program, competitive intelligence) that scaled without my involvement
• I'd influenced 3 strategic decisions at exec level

I didn't ask if I was ready. I demonstrated I was already operating at the next level and made it undeniable with evidence.

Step 3: Reference it when opportunities arise

When headcount opened for a more senior role, I didn't just apply. I sent a message:

"I'm interested in the Senior Director role. For context on my readiness, here's a summary of strategic initiatives I've led this year that map to the Senior Director expectations."

That's not arrogance—it's making your case with evidence.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Brag Documents

Most PMMs think brag documents feel gross. They think: "I shouldn't have to document my work. Good work should be recognized."

That's naive.

Your boss is managing 5-10 people and their own deliverables. They're not tracking your wins. If you don't document them, they won't remember them during performance reviews.

Leadership doesn't see most of your work. They see the visible tip of the iceberg. If you don't document the 90% underwater, it doesn't exist in their mental model.

Promotion decisions are comparative. Your boss isn't just advocating for you—they're advocating for you versus other people being considered. The person with the best-documented case wins.

I've watched exceptional PMMs get mediocre raises because they couldn't articulate their impact. I've watched average PMMs get promoted because they had airtight documentation.

Your career advancement depends on your ability to prove your contributions, not just make them.

That feels unfair. It is. But it's also reality.

The PMMs who get promoted:

• Track wins weekly, not annually
• Document metrics and stakeholder testimonials in real-time
• Build comprehensive brag documents that make their case undeniable
• Share documentation proactively with decision-makers

They're not more talented. They're more strategic about making their contributions visible and documented.

The quality of your brag document matters more than the quality of your work when it comes to promotions.

Start your brag document today. Create a Google Doc titled "[Year] Brag Doc - [Your Name]."

Every Friday, spend 15 minutes documenting:

• Wins from the week (big and small)
• Metrics that improved
• Positive feedback received
• Problems solved
• Relationships built

Every month, update your running metrics and quarterly impact summary.

By year-end, you'll have an airtight case for promotion that your boss can submit and leadership can't deny.

Or don't track your wins. Try to remember your accomplishments three days before your performance review. Wonder why you got "meets expectations" when you know you exceeded them.

Your choice.

Your brag document is your career insurance. The PMMs who maintain it get promoted. The ones who don't get overlooked.

Start now.