A Personal Update

It’s been a while since I last sent a newsletter and there’s a reason for that. A diversion: I’m about to begin treatment for testicular cancer.

Some background…

Three years ago, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 seminoma. It’s widely considered the “best” kind of cancer you can get if such a thing exists. It has an almost 100% survival rate.

In most cases, it’s managed with an orchidectomy (farewell, lefty) followed by routine surveillance. And so, surveil we did; until six weeks ago when a couple of unpleasant biopsies revealed the cancer had spread to two lymph nodes in my groin and pelvis. This is an unusual trajectory for testicular cancer, which typically metastasizes to abdominal nodes first, so the discovery caught both me and my oncologist by surprise.

The good news? The survival rate for Stage 2 seminoma remains very high; over 90%.

The bad news? I’ll be undergoing further treatment: likely a single dose of chemotherapy (carboplatin), followed by targeted radiotherapy to the affected lymph nodes.

Since then, I’ve had nearly a dozen medical appointments. Add in twin babies, a rambunctious three-year-old, and a full-time job… well, you can understand how this newsletter naturally fell down the list of priorities.

Nevertheless.

I’ll be trying to extract some marketing wisdom from this unpleasant chapter and I hope you’ll stick with me as I navigate treatment, which begins in early May.

Finding purpose

“Purpose” is a big word in product marketing. Why does your product exist? Who is it for? That question underpins nearly everything a product marketer touches.

And, as you can imagine, this brush with mortality has me thinking more about purpose (and meaning) than usual.

I’ve come to believe the best marketing comes from a place of freedom.

Not the freedom to run wild campaigns or try every zany idea. I mean freedom in the deeper sense — the freedom to be yourself, to pursue the truth, to do the right thing, and to play the long game.

That kind of freedom is rare in marketing. But when you find it? It’s magic. Work becomes meaningful. Purpose becomes obvious. The stories write themselves and the results follow.

So, where do you find that kind of freedom?

In small companies. In independent businesses. Maybe even in starting something of your own.

I’ve noticed a lot of product marketers I admire going solo lately. I won’t pretend to know their reasons but I’d bet freedom and purpose have something to do with it.

Startups and small teams have a unique advantage: closeness. Closeness to the customer, to the product, and to the mission. That sense of connection tends to fade in bigger orgs.

So protect that closeness, and your freedom, at all costs.

Talk to your customers

As a solo PMM based on the other side of the world from most of my team, it can get lonely.

Whenever I feel jaded, frustrated, or adrift, I book a round of customer interviews. It doesn’t matter how busy I am. I just do it.

And it always helps.

I think it’s because talking to customers reconnects me with purpose. It’s easy to forget you’re building for real people when you’re buried in dashboards, sipping from your water bottle, half-listening to another Zoom call.

But then I talk to Marina — a Brazilian creator who advocates for people with disabilities and hear how Buffer helps her share her voice.

Or to the social media editor at The Spectator, figuring out how AI is reshaping his role and how Buffer fits into his strategy.

Or to the product manager-turned-catfluencer who built his own social network for pets.

After those calls, I feel grounded. Re-energized. More connected to the work — and armed with fresh insights to help guide my direction.

We’re going to Turkey

Thankfully, I’ll still be attending our annual company retreat later this month. It’s in Antalya, Turkey.

I’m a passionate advocate for remote work (health issues or not), but I also believe nothing replaces in-person connection.

Retreats are a rare chance to align on strategy, dream up big ideas, and build stronger bonds with the team. I can’t wait.

I’ll be sharing some behind-the-scenes moments from the retreat. If you’re curious, follow me on LinkedIn.

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Thanks for reading and as always, hit reply if you have any feedback or questions. I love hearing from you!