Conifr SaaS Interview Series: Rishika Jhamb

What does it really take to create content that resonates in an era of AI, shrinking attention spans, and evolving buyer behavior? In this episode of the Conifr SaaS Interview Series, we sat down with Rishika Jhamb, Product Marketing Manager at TrueContext and former Head of Growth at Proto, to explore exactly that. Rishika shared her journey from freelance content writing to leading growth strategies, and unpacked how marketers can combine creativity, search, and a deep understanding of human behavior to drive real, lasting demand.

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INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT:

Rishika's Marketing Path

Michael: Today, I'm talking to Rishika Jhamb, a product marketing expert and former Head of Growth at Proto. Rishika, thank you so much for joining us on the show. Welcome! Tell us a bit about yourself, Proto, and the roles you've held over the years. I'd love to hear more.

Rishika: Thanks for having me! I was really excited to receive your message. As you mentioned, I’m a product marketing expert. I actually started my career quite a few years ago as a freelance content writer. What I did well back then was connect businesses with people—being that bridge—which eventually evolved into product marketing.

I transitioned through content marketing, global marketing, and marketing management, but everything always centered around product marketing. That includes go-to-market strategies, identifying product-market fit, figuring out the right value propositions, and understanding what customers actually need. And that wasn’t just for acquisition—it was about the entire journey: from getting signups and leads to improving conversions at every stage.

I’ve worked with B2B tech companies—both enterprise and product-led growth—and each has its own challenges. In product-led growth, you need a heavy focus on product marketing because the product speaks for itself. In enterprise, product marketing helps simplify learning, onboarding, and implementation. What I love most is creating content and adding a creative touch to technical information, making it more engaging and accessible.

Building Trust Before the Sale

Michael: That's lovely. I imagine that creativity makes things more interesting and authentic for prospects and customers on the other end.

Rishika: Absolutely. I don’t think there’s anything shorter than a customer’s attention span these days. And with the new formats of content gaining traction, that span is only shrinking. So creativity and storytelling have never been more critical.

Michael: Definitely. That’s a nice segue into some of your biggest wins and challenges in growth. What strategies have worked well for you, and what hasn’t?

Rishika: Let me start with what doesn’t work: trying to sell to people who don’t know you. If someone has no idea who you are or why they should trust you, they’re not likely to buy. That’s where demand generation comes in—getting in front of people before they’re ready to buy, so you’re top of mind when they are.

Building a brand and being a trusted, authentic presence is key. When I create buyer personas, I include personal goals. Sure, everyone has KPIs, but they also want validation, appreciation, and to be seen as creative or smart. That human side matters. And if you skip audience research—if you don’t talk to real customers—you’ll end up trying to sell to a version of someone that doesn’t really exist.

From Quick Wins to Deeper Insights

Michael: So it sounds like you've seen firsthand the downside of quick-win tactics. Have you tried that approach yourself? Or what’s one “quick win” that actually worked as a starting point?

Rishika: Usually, I come in when those quick-win tactics have already been tried and aren't working anymore. Then it’s time to do the real research and fine-tuning. That said, I do think there's value in starting with a basic persona and testing wider campaigns—like search or LinkedIn ads—to gather early insights. That response data helps shape more accurate personas going forward.

Michael: That’s a great point. So what are your top three data points when building buyer personas?

Rishika: First, I look at the KPIs that are important to that role. For a product manager, that might be app downloads, retention, or churn rates. Second, the tools they actually want to use—not just what we think they should use. Third, and most overlooked, is their interpersonal world: who they collaborate with, their communication preferences, and how they like to work. Understanding those human elements is key.

Michael: How do you gather that information? Through interviews?

Rishika: Ideally, yes—customer and stakeholder interviews. But if I don’t have direct access, I talk to sales and support teams. I’ve also put myself in the shoes of my personas—imagining I’m a product manager, for example—and exploring the tools, forums, and challenges they’d typically encounter. That research gets you into the mindset, even if you're not a specialist in that field.

The Role of Search in a Smarter Channel Strategy

Michael: So once you've nailed the persona, how do you think about your channel mix? Specifically, what's the role of search in your pipeline?

Rishika: Search is critical—especially for inbound. It’s not just about capturing people ready to buy. It’s about becoming a trusted resource so that when the time comes, they think of you. I want to be a go-to voice for someone in their role—not just for our product, but for the insights we share.

Search also plays a role lower in the funnel—especially when people compare solutions. But it’s most powerful when it builds trust and awareness. That’s why it’s important to create content that addresses real pain points—not just content that ranks.

Michael: Right—and that’s something we’re seeing a lot with big players like HubSpot, who recently lost a ton of blog traffic. Their content strayed from buyer intent.

Rishika: Exactly. HubSpot was amazing at building trust and being a thought leader. But they leaned hard into educational content, and maybe moved too far from their product. That’s why product marketing is so important—it helps bridge that gap.

You don’t want all your content to be product-centric. But you also can’t go 100% broad and hope people figure out what you actually do. Things like product tours or walkthroughs let people experience your solution. That speaks louder than a landing page ever could.

Why Engagement Beats Vanity Metrics in Content Strategy

Michael: So how do you balance those content types and measure what’s working?

Rishika: Engagement is my North Star. I look at how far people read, what search terms bring them in, and how long they stick around. For videos, it's watch percentage. That data helps you refine everything—from content length to subject matter.

Michael: And when the C-suite asks, “How many leads are we getting from this?”—how do you respond?

Rishika: I remind them that content is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s one part of a broader ecosystem. And while attribution is tricky, I show how pipeline grows when we combine content with other channels—like social or paid. It’s about the mix, not just one asset.

Navigating Through the AI Search Era

Michael: Let’s shift gears—how do you see search evolving with AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity?

Rishika: I think AI search changes the surface, but not the core. These engines still rely on quality content. So creating thoughtful, specific, high-engagement material is just as important as ever. What’s new is that it’s easier to publish—and unfortunately, that means there’s more noise.

I use tools like Jasper or ChatGPT to get started, but I never rely solely on them. AI can speed you up, but real thought leadership comes from people with perspective. You need to write for someone—not just for search engines

Michael: Absolutely. Any tools you’ve seen that help monitor AI search performance?

Rishika: Yes, I came across something on Product Hunt—kind of like SEMrush for AI search. Can’t recall the name off the top of my head, but it showed how your content performs on AI platforms.

Final Thoughts

Michael: One last question—who should marketers be following right now?

Rishika: There’s Katelyn Bourgoin! She writes the Why We Buy newsletter, which focuses on biopsychology in marketing. She talks a lot about selling to real people, not just personas or job titles. It’s practical and rooted in real behavior. Highly recommend it.

Michael: That’s great. We’ll make sure to link to her work. Rishika, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your insights!

Rishika: Thank you! It was a pleasure chatting with you.

Key Takeaways from Our Chat with Rishika Jhamb

• Know your audience beyond the surface – Rishika emphasized the importance of building personas.
• Trust comes before conversion – Content should focus on building brand credibility and offering real value before trying to close a sale.
• Search is about intent, not just rankings – High-quality, audience-aligned content builds awareness and trust better than keyword-stuffed blog posts ever will.
• Balance product and thought leadership content – Brands must combine helpful, broad problem-solving content with product-specific messaging to guide users through the full journey.
• Engagement is the ultimate success metric – Rishika measures content effectiveness through scroll depth, watch time, bounce rate, and intent-based traffic.
• AI hasn’t changed the core of content strategy – Tools like ChatGPT may speed up workflows, but authentic, well-informed content still wins in both traditional and AI-driven search.
• Collaborate cross-functionally for real insights – When direct access to customers isn’t available, teams should tap into the knowledge of sales and support to understand audience behavior.

Rishika’s journey from freelance writing to leading growth at a SaaS company is a reminder that great marketing is rooted in empathy, curiosity, and continuous learning. Whether it’s crafting content that builds trust or adapting to evolving search behavior, her insights offer a practical roadmap for marketers navigating today’s fast-moving landscape.

Stay tuned for more expert interviews in our Conifr SaaS Interview Series as we continue exploring how today’s marketing leaders are adapting to tomorrow’s challenges.