We’ve been dead a LONG time.

But even we remember what it felt like to have a pulse, a dream…

…and a boss who side-eyed your LinkedIn activity like you were cheating on them.

Here lies a tale of an in-house PMM, buried alive under “culture guidelines” and egomaniacs.

Let’s dig up this awkward story of a man vs the man.

Welcome to the next episode of Dying 4 Influence. The weekly newsletter for misunderstood B2B product marketers.

Know how the best PMMs operate in B2B. Get a dose of knowledge to stand tall in a sea of unseasoned marketing.

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The fastest way to getting buried

So you’re an in-house PMM with a side gig or two.

You write some positioning and update product pages for ClickUp.

You consult on a few product tours.

You flex that brilliant, rotting brain of yours outside your 9-to-5.

And suddenly—HR is breathing down your clavicle because…

“Your LinkedIn makes it look like you’re not all in on us.”

“We need you to take down your side-hustles from your profile.”

Oh really?

So, instead of worrying about hitting revenue numbers for a change…they get worried about someone’s profile.

The same person' who doesn’t get invited to strategic conversations in the first place.

And, as of today, is currently doing a checkbox exercise for competitive intelligence?

Just making sure we have our priorities in order.

(is it getting spicy in here?)

This idea that PMMs must be chained to a single employer’s vision is a graveyard myth.

Because here’s what actually happens when you consult and work in-house:

You get better.

Faster.

Sharper.

You learn to think in different markets.

Adapt to multiple ICPs.

Handle founders who’ve had too much Patagonia and not enough strategy.

And you bring every single one of those battle scars back to your full-time role.

Yet…your in-house role sees a skeleton that’s not worthy of strategy meetings.

Meanwhile…your side clients see a skeleton that’s irreplaceable.

Just ask ClickUp.

We’ve seen it time and time again:

PMMs who consult on the side are the ones who actually know what “good” looks like.

Because they’re out there, in the wild, seeing what works.

They’re not stuck trying to justify a product launch with no roadmap.

Or manage the ego of a founder with too many investors and not enough strategy.

But instead of recognizing that…

…some VP with a fragile ego starts whispering “why doesn’t he post about us?”

Instead of saying “wow…we should let them do that type of work for us.”

They probably say things like.

“Too…independent.”

“Too…visible.”

“Too…unfocused.”

Heaven forbid a PMM build a personal brand in a world where founders are looking for ways to cut headcount.

Here’s what’s really happening:

They don’t own your bones…
…and that makes them uncomfortable.

They want your creativity (but only if it stays inside the Asana board)
They want your voice (but only if it writes slide decks for Sales)
They want your fire (but only if it doesn’t light one underneath their asses)

And when they try to guilt-trip you into hiding your work?

It’s not about loyalty.
It’s about control.

About managing perception, not talent.

Look—I’m just a pile of bones writing a fake newsletter.

But even I know that morale dies when you punish your most driven people for being, well…driven.

If a company feels threatened by a PMM who’s leveling up…

…that says more about them than you.

They’re clinging to the illusion that every employee should be a perfectly silent cog in their slow-moving machine.

But we weren’t meant to be cogs.

We are meant to create.

We are meant to build.

We are meant to fix.

And if you’re reading this, just know…

Your side work isn’t a distraction.

It’s the door that lets you leave when they stop respecting your time, your talent, or your spine.

(Which, luckily for me, is detachable.)

So this wasn’t a newsletter to complain about my opportunities.

This is a reminder for you to keep your opportunities open…no matter what.

🎙Featured Episode:
Create once, Dominate Forever: Why 2025 Content Decisions Determine Your 2030 Success w/ Ross Simmonds

If you’re tired of turning your content into overpriced digital confetti, this episode is your wake-up call from the grave.

Ross Simmonds, CEO of Foundation Marketing, joins the Boneyard Boys to break down why your marketing “strategy” is just expensive journaling if you’re not thinking about distribution.

We dig deep into:

• Why product marketing is just one cursed layer of the marketing onion

• The skills that actually get you promoted (spoiler: not your Canva templates)

• How SEO experts accidentally trained ChatGPT—and why that’s great for you

• The “content moat” playbook that’s going to decide who wins in 2030

• Why copying viral TikToks is the fastest way to become irrelevant

• How to turn your T-shaped skillset into something that actually holds weight (capital I energy)

• And the cold, hard truth: if you can’t sell your ideas internally, you’re in the wrong coffin

Ross doesn’t hold back.

If you want your content to outlive your job title and still drive impact years from now—press play.

Or don’t.
But don’t blame us if your content turns to dust.

Listen here 🎧

📢 Share the Word

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