Inside Olivine #35
A New Chapter for Inside Olivine 🚀
If you're reading this, you've probably been with us on this journey for a while. And if you're new—welcome to Inside Olivine! We’re shaking things up. Our newsletter is evolving to be sharper, more engaging, and packed with insights that not only inspire but also drive action.
We’ve always believed in going beyond surface-level marketing advice. That’s why, moving forward, Inside Olivine will bring you:
PMM Tips to sharpen your strategy.
Success Stories from Olivine's client work.
PMM Resources to fuel your toolkit.
And a fun community spotlight, because marketing should never be boring.
Let’s dive into this first edition of our new era!
PMM Tips: Betting Smart with Horizontal SaaS Products
How do you decide which verticals to focus on when your product could serve... everyone? That’s the million-dollar question for marketers with horizontal SaaS products. In a recent blog post, Briana Brown shares practical advice on narrowing your focus without leaving growth opportunities on the table.
Key Takeaways:
Start with the numbers. Find which use cases have the largest market opportunities and allocate resources accordingly.
Check the competitive landscape. Identify where you have an edge—or where competitors are already winning.
Look for overlap. Once you’ve nailed a vertical, see where those insights can be “plugged and played” into similar markets.
The secret? Don’t try to win everywhere. Start with a few focused bets, measure their performance, and iterate. }
Are you navigating this challenge, too? Reply and let us know how you decide where to place your bets.
Olivine Success Story: How Smallstep Secured a Seamless Product Launch
We love a good challenge—especially when it involves helping a lean team turn big ideas into tangible success. Smallstep, a leader in automated certificate management for DevOps, came to us with a clear ask: help them shape and execute a winning go-to-market strategy for their latest product launch.
The Challenge: Smallstep's Head of Marketing and Head of Sales needed support to sharpen their messaging, strengthen their GTM strategy, and prepare marketing and sales materials that would resonate with their target audience. As a small team, they were stretched thin. That’s where we stepped in.
How We Helped:
Built Strong Foundations: From refining personas to defining messaging, we anchored the strategy in Smallstep’s unique value.
Crafted GTM Strategy: We didn’t stop at launch. We mapped out post-launch activities that nurtured engagement and growth.
Delivered Actionable Materials: New solution pages, an updated onboarding email series, and a refreshed sales deck empowered their team to sell with confidence.
Don’t just take our word for it:
“Olivine really partnered with me to dial in our sales motion... and gave our reps the confidence to have conversations with prospects.” - Head of Sales
From strategy to execution, we love seeing our clients launch with clarity and confidence. It’s a reminder that great product marketing is as much about partnership as it is about process. Do you need help launching your product?
PMM Toolkit: Tool, Template, Trend
This month, we’re arming you with a trio of resources designed to sharpen your PMM edge.
Tool: Fathom – Say goodbye to manual note-taking. Fathom is an AI-powered meeting assistant that records, transcribes, and summarizes your meetings. It's perfect for capturing insights from customer interviews or internal strategy sessions. Check it out!
Template: Persona Development Framework – Building personas? Use this template to nail down demographics, motivations, and pain points. It's a simple, actionable tool to ensure your messaging lands every time. Download here.
Trend: Lean Marketing Teams – More teams are working with fewer resources, leaning into agency and consultant partnerships. It's shifting how brands build strategy and execute campaigns—and why agility is the new superpower in PMM.
Meme of the Month 🎉
This month’s meme comes from Sairus B, perfectly capturing the daily chaos of product marketing.
Got a meme that nails the PMM experience? Share it with us on LinkedIn; you might just be featured next month!
Until next time, keep marketing smart and bold.
The Olivine Team
We're excited to hear from you!