Software Product Marketing eGroup

1
Software Product Marketing eGroup

• The Ultimate Recruiting Resource for Those
  Seeking Software and Networking Marketing
  Professionals
• Presentation for Santa Clara University MBA
  Marketing Network Club
• 1/31/03
• by
• Cynthia Typaldos, Founder Executive Director SPM

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Key Points

• Be prepared for boom and bust by being able to
  work in several industries
• Join industry groups composed of peers
• Utilize web-based collaboration tools

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What is SPM eGroup?

• Virtual organization whose product is the best
  collection of skilled software/networking
  marketing talent
• Target markets are internal external
  recruiters, VCs, hiring managers
• Run by volunteer members with the goal of finding
  their next great job

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Membership Highlights

• 3,000 software networking marketing business
  development professionals
• 31,000 combined years of relevant work experience
• 60 (1,800 members) have 10 or more years of
  experience in software/networking marketing
• 20 ( 600 members) have held VP or C-level
  positions
• 50 with MBAs another 15 with a technical
  Masters
• 55 with a technical or business undergrad degree
  
• Now marketing THEMSELVES!

as of 01/21/03
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More Highlights

• 80 with product marketing / product management
  skills
• 82 with enterprise software experience
• 75 with business plan development skills
• 63 with Internet software experience
• 56 currently in SF Bay Area, but organization
  is international
• 66 willing to relocate
• 28 employed fulltime 54 not employed
  (occasional consulting work only)

from 8/02 and 1/03 member surveys see SPM
website for complete results
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Press Articles (so far)

• About.com Entrepreneurs Section
• Silicon Valley Biz Ink
• Computerworld
• Technology Marketing
• San Francisco Examiner

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SPM Members are Industry Leaders

• 22 have ten business links or more about them on
  a Google Search of their name
• 13 come up first in a Google search of their
  name
• 17 quoted in top-tier media in last 2 years
• 16 invited to speak at conferences in last year

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SPM eGroups Unusual Approach

• Used new social network theory (Strength of Weak
  Ties) as way to achieve quality in membership
  and job poster targets
• Members gathered via contacts word of mouth
• Job poster targets came from members rolodexes
• Research shows tapping such acquaintances is best
  way to find a job
• Pooling these contacts extends each members
  reach by a factor of 1,000 or more

Job posters say SPM has the reliability of a
personal network
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Unusual Approach

• Created managed by software/networking
  marketing business development professionals
• Extensively uses free web collaboration tools to
  manage a worldwide virtual community
• Using proven tactics to market the eGroup,
  including surveys, email campaigns, media
  relations and more
• Includes 2 eGroups one for job seekers (SPM) and
  one for discussions (SPM Discussion)

• SPM eGroup is a zero-budget virtualorganization
  whose goal is jobs for members

or nearly free
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Collaboration Services Tools Used
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About me (Cynthia Typaldos)

• Founder Executive Director, SPM
• Previously
• Founder/CEO RealCommunities (founded 1998)
• Founder/COO GolfWeb (founded 1995)
• Director of SW Marketing Standards, Sun
  Microsystems
• Group Marketing Manager, SW/Systems, Data General
• Senior Software Developer, Bank of America
• Consulting gigs off and on
• UC Berkeley Extension Instructor Software
  Product Marketing, Web Communities, Standards as
  a Competitive Weapon
• Education
• MBA MIT
• UC Berkeley undergraduate science degree
• UC Berkeley grad school courses in computer
  science

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SPM Directors/Teams

• Surveys Analysis Jeremy McGee
• Consulting Scott Sandusky
• Product Reviews John During
• National Steve Wells
• Website Content Management Mark Gone
• Website Design and Operations Patrick Neeman
• Software Development and Database Management -
  Pete Kaminski

• Events Managing Director Debi Jones
• Alliances Lan Strickland
• Marketing Linda Popky
• Communications Susan Hathaway
• Resources Ken Mclaurin
• Membership Colin Miller
• Job Postings, Processes, Policies Rich Stamm

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SPM Volunteers

• 100 people
• Organization architected for high turnover in
  volunteers (goal is everyone gets a job!)
• Volunteers sorted into teams
• Directors draw from large talent pool (3,000
  members)

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Education
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Years of Relevant Experience
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Skills
56 more Skill categories see complete survey
results on website
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Domain Expertise
20 more Domain Expertise categories see
complete survey results on website
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Position Sought
1769
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Software Product Marketing eGroup

• The Ultimate Recruiting Resource for Those
  Seeking Software and Networking Marketing
  Professionals

www.softwareproductmarketing.com
7/9/2009 1011 AM
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Take Aways for SCU MBA Club

• Be prepared for boom and bust by being able to
  work in several industries
• Join industry group(s) for
• Networking
• Learning from peers
• Visibility (on and off web)
• With all of the collaboration tools that exist
  and the new ones being developed, you can
• Work virtually
• Do marketing on a very low budget