In this keynote, Article Group's CEO, James Townsend, challenges product marketers to look outside their world and resist their product's gravitational pull and focus relentlessly on customer empathy instead. Too often, organizations become seduced by the excitement of building and launching products—the innovation cycles, feature releases, and technical capabilities that define what we do as product marketers. But what happens when this product obsession overshadows the very customers we're trying to serve? From Samsung's missed opportunity to Regis Corporation's costly reinvention of existing solutions, the pattern is clear: companies that fall in love with their products instead of their customers waste resources, lose focus, and ultimately surrender market share to competitors who understand what customers actually need. Key learnings will include: - How Samsung's "Next Big Thing" success was built on customer insight, not corporate philosophy—and why abandoning that put a ceiling on their growth - Why the seductive appeal of being a "product company" leads to expensive solutions for problems that don't exist, illustrated through Regis Corporation's empathy misstep - How entertainment industry storytelling frameworks can provide the structure and discipline product marketers need to build customer-centric narratives that resist product gravitational pull

High-performing product marketing teams are essential for driving success. This roundtable discussion offers a unique opportunity to learn how your peers are fostering thriving teams through innovative approaches to learning & development, mentorship, and more. In this session, speakers will lead a more intimate discussion on tables with the overarching theme of building and scaling your PMM team into the industry gold-standard. Topics will include: - Cultivating a growth mindset: Explore how leading organizations are prioritizing continuous learning through initiatives like personalized learning plans, mentorship programs, and skill-building workshops to empower team members and enhance their capabilities. - Building strong mentorship frameworks: Discover best practices for establishing effective mentorship programs that foster knowledge transfer, accelerate professional development, and promote a culture of support within product marketing teams. - Driving engagement and retention: Learn how your peers are leveraging innovative approaches to L&D and mentorship to boost team morale, increase employee engagement, and improve retention rates in a competitive talent market. Join us for an interactive session where you'll gain valuable insights from other leaders, share your own experiences, and discover practical strategies to empower your product marketing teams to thrive.