There has been some debate on the whether or not the product marketing role is on the decline. Some see it as a less technical role than a product manager, and some see it just merging all together. In nearly every technology company there’s a sizable gap between the product and the market. Product people, as great as they are, aren’t capable of the story-telling or empathy needed to properly market the tool. Go talk to your developer team for a bit and this will become instantly clear. Listing features and specifications doesn’t tell a potential customer why they need you. Joshua Duncan refers to product marketers as the voice of the customer, which is an entirely accurate depiction. You need to be able to successfully convey that your tool will dramatically enhance your customers’ lives and/or solve an immediate problem. What do you think? Do you find the role of the product marketer necessary?