Problem/goal
The core product offering, Smart Apartments, was growing but only offered smart access control at the resident’s door. Clients and prospects voiced interest in a SmartRent offering that addressed smart access in common areas. As a result, SmartRent decided to develop its own Access Control solution from the ground up. The goal was to stand up an innovative smart access control platform that better met the evolving needs of its users.
My role
Early in my time with SmartRent, I was assigned Access Control as the main product line I would manage. I was the first Product Marketer to manage the product. My role was to work closely with the Access Control PM and engineering team to develop and bring to market a compelling smart access control solution.
I championed strategy and research through customer insights. Developing deep buyer and user personas helped to identify the driver of the purchase. I also drove market Intelligence by monitoring competitors and industry trends to identify gaps and opportunities. I also assisted with pricing & packaging by working with finance and product teams to determine how much the product should cost and how offerings should be bundled.
I led messaging and positioning by creating value propositions that defined the core benefit of the product. I also drove narrative design by creating compelling stories that were used across the website, social media, sales collateral, pitch decks, and more. Clearly articulating unique differentiation was key culating why the product and platform was better than the alternatives found in the market.
I also led all related Go-to-Market (GTM) by orchestrating product launches. I managed a cross-functional laundry list of activities based on a tier rating so product launches from large to small received their due.
I also drove sales enablement by creating sales collateral, battlecards, pitch decks, one-sheeters, and any other resource that could help sales confidently sell our product and win. Feedback loops were created and nurtured to guide iteration so the product inched closer and closer to be what it needed to become.
Ultimately, I worked across nearly every aspect of the company to help it effectively sell and support new and existing products.
Strategy/process
Along with my fellow Access Control “pod” members, we collectively focused on:
Strategy & Vision: Understanding our buyers, users, and market to build a solution that meets needs and solves pain points.
Growth & Data: Use data and feedback to optimize the product offering.
Collaboration: Align with Marketing, Engineering, CS, and Sales through shared goals, education, and insights.
Execution: Communicate impact clearly and iterate constantly based on feedback.
Deliverables
SmartRent Access Control in 2025 is a key component of the SmartRent platform, providing a significant revenue contribution. As the product has been designed to work without additional SR products, it serves a new entrance point for prospective owners/operators, it isn’t just another upsell for clients who have an existing product. This helps the business diversify and reach a larger addressable market.
Results
When I started at SR, we had a small number of properties with the product installed. By the time I left, we had grown product adoption by 1,300% over 4 years (93% CAGR). Over the same timeframe, we also increased the doors-per-property (metric for calculating penetration at a property) by 40%.