Loved: How to Rethink Marketing for Tech Products

by Martina Lauchengco

In today�s hyper-competitive market, how a product is taken to market is at least as important as the product itself. It is no longer enough for marketers and product teams to just announce their product is superior. Even if what a product does is unique, others claim they do the same things, leaving customers very confused. As a result, product marketing for tech products has never been harder...or more important. This book explains what it really takes to bring a technology product successfully to market. The frameworks are simple but powerful and easy to deploy. They address how to adapt product marketing to more agile development cycles, how to stand out when other products do similar things, and how to position products and companies with thoughtful execution of strategy versus simply �doing marketing.� It takes the best of �classic� positioning, messaging and product marketing and applies these practices to modern realities of the tech and customer landscape.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Entrepreneurship, Design, Professional Development, Audiobook, Buisness

276 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2022

Reviews

[Sebastian Gebski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A neat, short book on a very specific topic - product marketing. I guess that many people who have rated it low have expected yet another product management/development one (like the two previous installments by Marty Cagan). In my case - I've read the description, so there was no surprise.

I've found it quite "complete" - pretty much everything I expected is here: how does product marketing work, what are typical tools and techniques, how to measure the effectiveness of product marketing, how does product marketing collaborate with marketing (it's NOT the same!) and product management/development - there's definitely a lot of good stuff here.

One thing that annoyed me (but that's my bias kicking in) was that the book has fully abstracted from the nature of the product - there are zero specifics when it comes to different types of products. It's not a cardinal sin (& well, every author has to set some boundaries in the end), but especially today, with many fully digital products that are massive differences when it comes to marketing B2B or B2C products. Products for pros, for casuals, or for technical audiences. Commodity products & high-tech ones. And so on.

I had the impression that the book is very strongly influenced (for a reason) by the way BigTech is doing their product marketing - some techniques, lingo and patterns are strikingly familiar. For both good and bad (as TBH some of BigTech companies do VERY BAD product marketing, but that's another story ...). In the end, it's probably NOT a book for experienced prod. marketing professionals, but if you're just starting in such a role, or play a different role in product-focused org(s), it may be a VERY valuable source of information. Recommended - 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

[Julian Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A relatively complete look at what constitutes modern product marketing. Although I don't do this role anymore, I do appreciate seeing more and more literature as of late covering the role of the product marketing manager (PMM) in bringing products to market. With an inexhaustible stream of new products coming out every day, proper positioning & messaging within the overall umbrella of brand and corporate marketing are increasingly critical to product success and getting them noticed by the users and buyers that matter most.

That said, I wouldn't say that Lauchengco's book is the best of all the product marketing books that I've read. It is a little dry, and does not quite animate the role of PMM as the key driver for both product and business success in a really passionate way. I don't think this is entirely Lauchengco's fault. Today, PMM still takes a back seat role in many organizations. If you want to know who controls the levers of power in a product-led organization, it is obviously product management, and unfortunately, PMM is under-invested in. Accordingly, it means they are reactive to market conditions rather being than proactive and focus only on tactical responsibilities that must be done (like launches) and less on strategic tasks (competitive & market intelligence; providing an outside-in view of PM's strategy and roadmap). It also means that there is an enormous amount of unevenness in PMM skillset and execution so it's hard for other functions -- PM and marketing both -- to know what to expect from PMM.

I also wish that Lauchengco had been less insular in her book, relying on her own background pre-Costanoa Ventures at Microsoft, Netscape and LoudCloud. As formative as these experiences were, they are a little bit dated. In writing the book, she had the opportunity to interview many other PMMs and bring their experiences and successes to light, and she could have done more of that. I also would have appreciated Lauchengco not just providing examples of PMM when it works well, but challenges that a PMM needs to overcome, grounded in real-life examples. It's too easy for PMMs or other marketing leaders to read such a book and think that a successful go-to-market plan is a walk in the park (as Lauchengco provides a "framework", of course), when in fact, most of what a PMM does on a day-to-day basis regardless of company size is troubleshooting and firefighting GTM problems.

One last nitpick, particularly around the term "go-to-market" (GTM). Put bluntly, it is hella confusing, and I did PMM for four years of my career! Lauchengco doesn't help here, even though she says she will in a section called "Key Terms" where she promises to distinguish "GTM engine", "GTM strategy", "product GTM", "GTM model", etc. by choosing terms that don't all contain the term "go-to-market". (Example: "distribution strategy" instead of "GTM strategy" or "GTM model".) But unfortunately, she completely ignores her own definitions throughout the rest of the book, instead littering imprecise use of the term "go-to-market" or GTM everywhere. For someone who advocates concision and precision as a core competency of being an effective PMM, this is a let-down, because frankly, there are lots of people inside a company who are willing to just throw around "go-to-market" as a term to make themselves sound smarter, and it seems like Lauchengco herself falls into this trap.

The book does contain useful information about the practice of PMM, and it will undoubtedly get a lot of airtime because of the author's connection to Silicon Valley Product Group (SVPG). This is essentially the third book in the SVPG series, following Inspired and Empowered (both of which are excellent). But overall, it felt like it was rushed to market just to fill that obvious gap in SVPG's teaching materials, and really could have used tons more research and examples beyond Lauchengco's own, and also another serious editing pass to ensure that the material is as crisp as it could be.

[Liezel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started a bit slow to me and was not as immediately immersive as the other two SVPG offerings. I found the examples very American, and struggled to relate to all of them because they were outside of my frame of reference. That being said, I made copious notes and will be using a number of these concepts in my daily work as product manager right away

[Elan Kol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the latest in the SVPG book series on product management and marketing. As with the other books, there are some good advice and practical nuggets in there, but it also felt very surface level and yet again there aren't any life changing insights or any big reveals for a experienced PM or Marketer and that's a big loss.

[Maria Hristeva · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book provides a concise, insightful guide for product marketing professionals and anyone striving to build impactful products that truly resonate with users. The book explores practical methodologies that blend product management and marketing functions in a way that can be applied directly in the real world—ideal for both newcomers and seasoned PMs and PMMs looking to elevate their work.
I was impressed by the book clarity and directness. Lauchengco doesn’t waste time with high-level theory alone; she dives straight into actionable strategies and frameworks. These are enriched by her own experiences and observations, allowing readers to gain new perspectives on how product marketing operates in practice. Her insights into the role of product marketing management (PMM) shed light on the nuances of how PMMs add value, driving both product success and brand loyalty.

Another highlight (my favorite actually ❤️) is her exploration of collaboration. Lauchengco emphasizes how closely product managers and PMMs must work to align goals, voice of the customer, and go-to-market strategies. Her examples are particularly useful for understanding how this collaboration can move beyond “nice to have” and become a core driver of product impact.

Highly recommend the book for Product managers who want to learn more about marketing, the role of Product Marketing Managers and how both two could collaborate effectively.

[Anatoly Sharifulin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book 'Loved' about Product Marketing Managers left me with mixed initial impressions.

The first part was too general and I almost stopped reading. However, the latter sections completely redeemed it with practical recommendations on messaging, hiring, career growth, areas of responsibility, and real company examples.

Recommend for CEOs, founders, product, marketing and sales managers who want to understand the strategic role of PMM better.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

read for work, very informative and would be great for any early career product marketer. a little dry at times but quite readable and accessible

[S.Ach · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I transition from a Product Management role to Product marketing in an IT company, I find this recommended book to be quite insightful. Time well invested.

[Melissa Anson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has become my PMM textbook! It's laid out so well with so much great information. I couldn't help but grab a highlighter and go to town!

[Shana]

Highly anticipating this book from a hometown friend who has always been an enviable combination of braniac, creative talent, strategic thinker and hard, hard worker motivated by purpose and leading with joy. A tech leader who beyond being in the right place at the right time, was an essential element to making once baby tech companies major brands and successes. I look forward to learning from Martina and hearing her warm, direct lessons and stories and fully expect inspiration.
If you are interested in business books, leadership, certainly smart marketing as well as learning from and drawing insight and inspiration from an empowered AAPI woman of color knowledgeable about Silicon Valley from incubator to Microsoft, join me in adding this to your want to read list!

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't a fan of this book. It felt very surface level - using a bunch of jargon and recycled concepts to talk about product marketing. It was like the author didn't know how to clearly explain what product marketing is.

Perhaps as a product manager I've been doing a lot of what the author argues is in the wheelhouse of product marketing, but I finished the book not clear on the line between product management and product marketing. Even the author seemed to come as selling product marketing as a function rather than explaining it.

Overall, there were some good takeaways, but the whole book felt a bit like a jumbled mess. If you're interested in learning more about product marketing, I'd wait for a second edition or find another book to read.

[Daniel Casper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, product marketing explained

This is the first comprehensive book on product marketing I've found. As a product manager, this is valuable insight into how to work with and enable the product marketer function. The ideas also benefit any product manager who has the capacity and opportunity to incorporate product marketing into their role.

[Daniil Lanovyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it a good introduction to product marketing, nicely written with the right mix of theory and practical examples. Recommended for everyone involved in creating modern technological products.

[Megan Alford · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit of a sequel to Inspired, which I read a year ago. This book is informative (especially with regard to Product Marketing), but it reads much like a textbook.

[Mladen Marković · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book and a must read for all product marketers, but also to all product managers and people working closely on products.

[Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dunno. Even after reading this, I don't think there's a need to differentiate marketing from product marketing, personally. For example, when distinguishing the two at the beginning of the book, Lauchengco states that product marketing is about deciding who to target. Well... marketing does that, too. Marketing is marketing but new terms will inevitably emerge and "product marketing" is the term that the cool kids are using nowadays, so I picked up this book.

Lauchengco mentions that product marketing influences pricing decisions. In an ideal world, maybe, but in the realities of the business world: usually not. Marketing does not usually have a say in determining pricing; it's more something you read about in textbooks but rarely happens. Pricing is determined by other areas of the business 99% of the time.

That said, I liked the emphasis on strategy before tactics, as marketing is often too tool/tactic-obsessed. The "How to partner with sales" chapter was helpful, although I somewhat question Lauchengco's notion that marketing should focus on accounts where customers have been engaging/"account based marketing" vs. broad-based marketing approaches. As Sharp's research shows in "How Brands Grow", you're generally better off targeting the whole relevant market as much as possible instead of worrying about highly granular targeting. She also talks about retention but Sharp's research has shown that that is overrated as a concept. Just focus on acquiring new customers and don't worry so much about retention, says Sharp.

I liked the various examples of specific companies' marketing approaches that Lauchengco sprinkles throughout the text, such as Pocket and Looker. That made the book more interesting. Chapters 19 "One-sheet product go-to-market canvas" and 25 "One-sheet messaging canvas" (and the accompanying CAST guidelines) are useful templates that could help me in the future.

[Assaph Mehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good resource on Product Marketing, though quality varies in parts.

This is the latest in the SVPG book series on product management and marketing. As with the other books, there are some good advice and practical nuggets in there, but also a lot of preaching "one way to do it" tone and varying degrees in quality.

The first quarter of the book (part 1) is purely preaching, and aimed at those who don't know much about either product management or marketing. The bulk of the book (parts 2-4) offers a good balance of background, case studies, and practical advice on building a product marketing practice, by relying on both product management and marketing and generating the right outputs. It could help product managers and general marketers understand each other and cover product marketing better, though for experienced product marketers (who came into this discipline from either side, as often happens) it will be a bit basic.

The last section (part 5) is aimed at leaders looking to establish a product management practice. It's a bit lighter on practicality, and there is a definite mismatch between the audience of the three parts.

Overall worth the read, but no necessarily the best book on the topic out there. As with all of SVPG books, there is that feeling that they are good at what they do, but the books aren't so much about teaching that effectively as they are around drumming up consultancy business.

[Salman Ladha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comprehensive guide into Product Marketing.

I’m a massive fan of the Silicon Valley Product Group (SVPG), so when they announced they’d release a book dedicated to the craft of Product Marketing, I was thrilled to dive in. Martina Lauchengco thoroughly covers the basics and builds her narrative around four critical fundamentals of the role. PMM as:

- Ambassadors - Using market empathy as the driving force for all subsequent actions
- Strategists - Conductors of their products GTM strategy
- Storytellers - Crafting a compelling narrative that shapes the market's perception
- Evangelists - Enabling others to tell the story effectively

Unfortunately, the book fell short for me. As someone with over five years of product marketing experience, Loved only reinforced existing models instead of introducing new concepts. I’d highly recommend aspiring or new product marketers to give them a framework for the role and suggest it to product management to understand the role better.

The most significant success of this book is that it elevates the role and further validates its importance in the industry.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar to other books from SVPG, there are a fair number of sections that are mostly applicable to huge companies with massive resources — less interesting to me at present. I think they must tend to work with really large companies most of the time. However, this one is more practical so I liked it more and got a bit more out of it.

The perspective seems to be that Product Marketing really is and should be the first marketing in a company, and Product Marketing is the superset that encompasses of all of Marketing; and then Marketing really is the superset that encompasses the entire company. Sales, Go To Market, Customer Success, even Product actually are and should be subsets of Product Marketing. Heh. It may be a bit of a stretch, but that perspective provides a useful lens and angle for thinking about your business.

[Patrik Gustafsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a good read that offers a fresh perspective on marketing in relations to product management, UX design, and the philosophy of creating. Lauchengco explains the fundamentals of product marketing and how to adapt product marketing to more agile processes. The book was very informative and gave me a better understanding of the role of product marketing. I recommend this book to someone interested in learning more about product marketing and grasp the basic concepts. But I also think the book gives a limited view on the PM role, and that role has been better explained in other books.

Happy reading! :)

[Anna Šuštar]

"Loved" by Martina Lauchengco was a challenging read for me, perhaps due to my background as a product manager with no experience in product marketing. The language and concepts in this book felt significantly more complex compared to others in the same series, such as "Inspired." This complexity made it difficult at times to fully grasp all the ideas presented.

Despite these challenges, I found the book to be quite enlightening. I learned a lot from my initial read-through and definitely plan to revisit it. Hopefully, with a bit more familiarity with the subject matter, I will be able to gain an even deeper understanding the second time around.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yet another sub-par business book in the world. I wanted to read this as cross-training since I felt like the go-to-market on my last big release was a shit-show and that maybe this would help better guide my next launch. Having read Inspired (twice, as directed by a couple managers), I thought this might be equally helpful. However, go-to-market is just a small piece of this book which is mostly filled with bromides of what makes a good product marketer. There isn't much substance. I didn't learn anything. There are a few templates provided that could be useful.

[Tomasz Staniak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved: How to Rethink Marketing for Tech Products by Martina Lauchengco covers a wide range of topics, including customer research, product positioning, and launch planning. However, the book doesn't deliver on its subtitle: it doesn't really challenge or rethink the status quo in product marketing.

The book provides a good overview of product marketing principles, but it could be improved by providing more specific advice on how to implement those principles. It can be used as an introduction to product marketing, but it's not a must-read for experienced product marketers.

[Artur Skowroński · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure... On the one hand, this book is packed with a lot of sensible information; on the other hand, I'm probably not the target audience (even having product management experience), as it's been a while since a book has exhausted me this much. I get the impression that it's really targeted towards marketing product managers, and perhaps only them. And it is not due to being too technical - I've came with a curious mindset, and simply got bored.

However, I suspect that for such individuals, there will be plenty of interesting tools and concepts. Hence one additional star.

[Ecaterina Moraru · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting if you are working in a smaller company and if you are curious about how big companies approach the topic.

Product Marketing is useful in big corporations, so this book gives an insight into what is happening in scenarios that employ specialized people. If you are a generalist, this is just dreaming. Lots of stories, some "recipes". Fluff book in general, but some chapters are really good (7, 11, 13, 19, 25, 27, 28).

[Fan Marin · Rating 2 out of 5]

1. start with the end in mind - every plans fit in the overall strategy.
2. market shapes success.
3. shift from building the product to product marketing mindset: who is the right market, best way to reach them, etc.
4. set clear position, shift market perception, otherwise competitors will work against you.
5. competition: move ahead of your competition, do not just respond.
6. understand customer insight and market is the foundation of product marketing.
7. find out what customers want, what they're missing, using your product to help them close the gap.
8. make customers feel heard, and known.
9. choose credibility and clarity.

[Martina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new for a former marketer. Also plenty of examples and advices Martina shared come from disfunctional product organization, where product marketer comes to safe what is a responsibility of product manager or product designer.

[Carlos Alberto Ledezma · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a product manager, I found this book useful to understand the relationship between product management (ers) and marketing (ers). Overall I found it easy to follow, concise and full of practical advice. Definitely a good reference for both product managers and marketers.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well laid out book. Love the examples, and different sections of the book based on job descriptions and roles. Perfect for those in the role or wishing to be. Informational and helpful for those in jobs that are adjacent. Lots of excellent take aways no matter your business or software.

[Madeleine Work · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just moved into product marketing from content marketing, and even I got zero value from this book. Maybe it would be good for someone who doesn’t know anything about marketing? But for me it was too basic to be useful.