Growth Product Manager vs. Growth Marketing Manager vs. Growth Manager: What’s the Difference?

omamuzo Samson
4 min readOct 25, 2023

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Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. — Steve Jobs

Photo by Fabien Bazanegue on Unsplash

Growth product manager, growth marketing manager, and growth manager are three related roles that are often intertwined. However, there are some key differences between them. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at each role, highlighting their responsibilities, expectations, and success metrics. We’ll also discuss how to build a career in each role and how to transition between them.

Growth Product Manager

Growth product managers (GPMs) are responsible for developing and executing strategies to improve product growth. They work closely with product engineers, designers, and marketers to identify and implement new features and functionalities that will attract and retain users. GPMs are also responsible for analyzing data to track product performance and identify areas for improvement.

Expectations for GPMs:

  • Develop and execute product growth strategies
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement new features and functionalities
  • Analyze data to track product performance and identify areas for improvement
  • Stay up-to-date on the latest growth trends and technologies

Success Metrics for GPMs:

  • Increased user engagement and retention
  • Improved product conversion rates
  • Increased customer lifetime value

How to build a career as a GPM:

To build a career as a GPM, you’ll typically need a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as computer science, business administration, or marketing — degrees are not really essential these days but they will give you an advantage. You may also want to consider getting a master’s degree in product management or business administration. Additionally, it’s helpful to have experience in product development, marketing, or data analysis.

Growth Marketing Manager

Growth marketing managers (GMMs) are responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns to drive user acquisition and retention. They work closely with product managers and other marketing team members to identify and target potential customers, create compelling content, and measure the results of their campaigns. GMMs are also responsible for managing marketing budgets and allocating resources to the most effective channels.

Hubspot

Expectations for GMMs:

  • Develop and execute growth marketing campaigns
  • Identify and target potential customers
  • Create compelling content to attract and engage users
  • Measure the results of marketing campaigns and optimize them accordingly
  • Manage marketing budgets and allocate resources to the most effective channels

Success metrics for GMMs:

  • Increased user acquisition
  • Improved customer retention
  • Reduced marketing costs
  • Increased brand awareness

How to build a career as a GMM:

To build a career as a GMM, you’ll typically need a bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or a related field. You may also want to consider getting a master’s degree in marketing or business administration. Additionally, it’s helpful to have experience in digital marketing, content marketing, or analytics.

Growth Manager

Growth managers are responsible for overseeing all aspects of growth, including product growth, marketing growth, and sales growth. They work closely with cross-functional teams to develop and execute growth strategies, track key metrics, and make adjustments as needed. Growth managers are also responsible for aligning the company’s growth goals with its overall business goals.

Digital Pioneers

Expectations for Growth Managers:

  • Oversee all aspects of growth, including product growth, marketing growth, and sales growth
  • Develop and execute growth strategies
  • Track key metrics and make adjustments as needed
  • Align the company’s growth goals with its overall business goals

Success Metrics for Growth Managers:

  • Increased revenue
  • Improved profitability
  • Increased market share
  • Increased customer lifetime value

How to build a career as a Growth Manager:

To build a career as a Growth Manager, you’ll typically need a bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing, or a related field. You may also want to consider getting a master’s degree in business administration or growth management. Additionally, it’s helpful to have experience in product management, marketing, sales, or analytics.

How to transition between the three roles:

If you’re interested in transitioning between the three roles, the best way to do so is to develop the skills and experience required for the role you’re interested in. For example, if you’re a GPM and you’re interested in transitioning to a GMM role, you could start by taking on more marketing responsibilities within your current role. You could also volunteer to lead marketing campaigns or participate in cross-functional marketing projects.

If you’re a GMM and you’re interested in transitioning to a Growth Manager role, you could start by taking on more responsibility for product growth or sales growth within your current role. You could also volunteer to lead cross-functional growth initiatives or participate in strategic planning meetings

If you are a SaaS or Enterprise company seeking growth, check out how can help at Giant Affairs. To drive growth, among other things, you need an efficient and cost-effective way to generate leads that are likely to convert — Quality Leads.

About Us. Giant Affairs is a growth agency focused on driving growth for B2B SaaS and Enterprise companies through demand generation and lead generation. Send us an email at giantaffairs@gmail.com Or drop a message for me on WhatsApp/SMS at +2348074727030.

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omamuzo Samson
omamuzo Samson

Written by omamuzo Samson

I’m a product manager and marketer helping to scale startup and technology products — driving demand, leads, growth and revenue. https://giantaffairs.softr.app/

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