At The Product Recruiter (a division of Martyn Bassett Associates), we specialize in helping early and growth-stage B2B SaaS companies unlock scale through hiring the right product talent across product marketing, product management, and engineering.
Recently, we hosted a live AMA focused on one of the most misunderstood and high-impact roles in tech startups: Product Marketing.
The goal? Give founders and product marketers a no-fluff, honest look at what’s happening in the market right now—from hiring trends and salary ranges to must-have skills and real talk on where PMM fits in a startup’s growth journey.
We brought together three of our in-house experts:
- Andrew Shaw works directly with founders, CEOs, CMOs, and CPOs to scale their teams.
- Tyler Pelly, our go-to Product Marketing recruiter and trendspotter in the PMM talent space.
- Dilsher Singh, host of this session and our Practice Lead for Engineering & Technical Product Management Recruiting
Here’s a recap of what we covered and what you should take away if you’re hiring (or becoming) a startup PMM in 2025.
The State of Product Marketing in 2025
If you’re looking for PMM talent right now, you’re not alone—over 4,000 open roles are posted in North America alone. And that’s not counting stealth-mode startups or roles filled through networks and headhunting.
But what are companies looking for?
Short answer: Right now, most lean startups are seeking a Swiss Army knife—a PMM who can handle more than just launch plans and messaging. Founders want someone who can own GTM, create sales decks that convert, write sharp content, and maybe even dabble in demand gen and lifecycle marketing.
We recently worked with a Series A B2B SaaS startup with $5M in funding. Their ideal PMM? Someone who could:
- Own product messaging and positioning
- Write marketing content
- Build sales enablement tools
- Contribute to growth strategy
- Analyze market trends
- And… still be strategic about the roadmap
That’s a tall order. And that’s the trend. Startups want more output per hire, making defining the role (and setting realistic expectations) even more critical.
Does Domain Expertise Matter?
Yes—and no.
If you’re building in a complex space like cybersecurity or fintech, hiring someone without prior domain experience is risky. There’s too much nuance.
But are you in a more general SaaS category or consumer product space? Transferable skills matter more than industry familiarity. The ability to dig into the product, understand the customer, and execute cross-functionally is often more valuable than niche domain knowledge.
Who Should PMM Report To?
One of the most common questions we get is: Should PMM report to Product or Marketing?
The answer: It depends on what you need them to drive.
- If you want tight alignment with the roadmap and customer insights, it would make the most sense to have PMM report to Product.
- It might be the better home if you need demand gen firepower and closer ties to Sales and Marketing.
- Some organizations go hybrid, with dual reporting or dotted lines to both teams. This can work, but only if expectations are clearly set from the start.
There’s no universal correct answer. The key is clarity on the role’s North Star—what they’re solving, and who they need to be most aligned with to solve it.
Founders: What to Nail Before Hiring Your First PMM
If you’re hiring your first Product Marketer, pause before you post the job.
The biggest issue we see is founders who misfire because they know they need help but aren’t sure what that help looks like, so they end up with a PMM who isn’t totally aligned with their North Star.
Before you even write the job description, get aligned on:
- What problem are you solving?
- What does success look like in the next 6–12 months?
- Which team or function needs the most support?
A vague job posting creates mismatched expectations and sets everyone up to fail.
Salary Ranges: What PMMs Are Making in 2025
Compensation varies by geography, seniority, and specialization, but here’s what we’re seeing across B2B SaaS:
- Entry-level PMMs (0–1 year): $70K–$100K base + equity (sometimes no bonus)
- Mid-level PMMs (3–5 years): $110K–$140K base + equity/bonus
- Senior/Principal PMMs (6–9 years): $170K–$225K base + comp mix
- Heads of Product Marketing: Typically $225K+ (often roll up into broader Product or Marketing leadership in smaller orgs)
We also see more hybrid comp structures: equity + RSUs + performance bonuses. Geo-neutral salary bands are on the rise as startups look to balance cost with access to top talent.
The bottom line is that great PMMs still command strong comp, especially if they’re proven builders.
Certifications vs. Experience
During the AMA, someone asked if certifications or AI boot camps boost your chances in this market.
Our take: Experience always wins.
Yes, certifications can help early in your career or signal curiosity, but if you’re mid- or senior-level, hiring managers care way more about what you’ve actually built and shipped.
Want to stand out? Point to impact:
- A sales deck that’s still being used
- A GTM strategy that drove real revenue
- A messaging framework adopted org-wide
That’s what gets you hired.
Job Titles: Should You Adjust Yours?
If you’re doing PMM work but your title doesn’t reflect it, don’t just change your title and make stuff up. We’ve seen this and it never ends well (and usually comes out in the background check!)
Instead, tell the story: what you did, who you did it with, and what the outcomes were.
Your resume and LinkedIn need to do more than list titles—they need to reflect your actual contributions. If you think it’s your title that keeps you from getting interviews, reach out directly to the hiring managers. DM recruiters. Show up at events. Sell yourself and your PMM skills. That’s how people often get hired in smaller startups.
What Makes a Great PMM?
Once you’ve checked the skills box, what separates the top 1%?
In the case of startups, Founders want someone who:
- Thinks like an owner
- Has a point of view backed by data
- Collaborates well across functions
- Can roll up their sleeves and ship
Low ego is also non-negotiable. You need to be able to talk about what didn’t work, what you learned, and how you bounced back. That kind of self-awareness and grit goes a long way.
As we said in the AMA: the best PMMs aren’t perfect—they’re real. And they’re builders.
Final Takeaways
If you’re a founder hiring your first PMM or a product marketer trying to land your next role, here’s what matters most:
✅ Define what success looks like
✅ Focus on real impact, not fluff
✅ Communicate clearly and confidently
✅ Show curiosity, humility, and drive
Need help figuring out what kind of PMM your startup actually needs? We’ve helped dozens of founders do precisely that. Book a call.