Marketing lies about product features

8 Comments

1. AnonymousMay 9,2025 at 9:46PM UTC

   I always look, network and explore options regardless of what is going on. With that said, your CEO is working very hard to allow this push of erroneous messaging out.

   To be clear, there is no way the reason for losing an important account was ever communicated as due to this messaging and reliance on the marketing of failed or non-existing product features. I have never heard of any CEO being unaware of what was going long before the account went bad and had the "come to Jesus " talk to developers and product folks to save it. So I know you want to place the non-renewal at the feet of marketing but let's be real. She would have been shown the door.

   Your company is obviously struggling with growth and it's bottom line so your CEO will continue to try all sorts of drastic moves to stay vital and afloat. The issues are usually far worse at this stage than they appear. These are the initial cracks in the boat.

   I would start putting feelers out and test the waters.

2. AnonymousMay 10,2025 at 5:01PM UTC

   In a word, yes. I worked for a company like this that went out of business because of this and multiple SEC violations. If the CEO is willing to accept false advertising, then there is no limit to what they might do. Start looking, and push back as much as you feel comfortable doing. If you suspect and have evidence of illegal activity (altering contracts or something that is misrepresenting earnings, etc., to the SEC, which brought down the company I worked for), then consider the protections of being a whistleblower.

3. GirlBossanova934974May 11,2025 at 12:58PM UTC

   First question right off the top. Who is the Director of Product and why hasn't he or she spoken up? Who does Product report to? How about the Head of Legal? I hear what your CEO is really saying This has nothing to do with transparency. The CEO is now feeling a bit worried now that his prize hire is NOT quite working out. It happens to every manager. You think you have hired the best thing since sliced bread and then you find out otherwise. It is up to the CEO to fix his mistake. On the flip side, I have what happens when your marketing people cannot be bothered to point out the unique selling points of your product or service. The customers cannot figure out what he or she is buying.

4. AnonymousMay 11,2025 at 3:04PM UTC

   The marketing department can make a big splash and quick hits to get buzz resonating in the market place. Unless you are client facing stay out

   of it. Be careful not to let your attitude become negative about a business decision you do not completely understand.

5. AnonymousMay 12,2025 at 12:47AM UTC

   It is your integrity, so look for another job that does not lie to customers. On the receiving line of this type of business, my executives had to meet with a vendor promising what their product could not deliver, and in the healthcare industry, we cannot tolerate that. Unacceptable.

6. AnonymousMay 12,2025 at 1:10PM UTC

   You absolutely need to look for a new job - it's not desperation - it's a philosophy change in leadership that relies on everyone just turning a blind eye. Don't compromise yourself.

7. AnonymousMay 12,2025 at 4:41PM UTC

   I think your advice from commenters so far is pretty solid; I'd add that if you are not already tracking each time this comes up, which customer it came up with, and how it affects their sentiment (including direct quotes if possible), you should be. My suggestion would be to float this to your direct manager and ask them to share it upward as you are concerned about how this is affecting customer sentiment and retention; Don't share it up to the top yourself, as it'll look like you're trying to rock the boat (and in reality, you are). And yes, you should be looking for a new job, though I don't think particularly desperately provided you are not outright lying to customers yourself/directly.

8. AnonymousMay 13,2025 at 3:17PM UTC

   As someone who has worked extensively in this same type of situation there are 2 approaches. One show the CEO why you lost that one customer and how much the false information is affecting long term revenue and churn. Don't point the finger at her squarely but definitely lean the conversation in the direction of poor marketing. Alternative is to look for something new. Not sure if this is a sign of desperation or just the CEO letting the lower levels below get stuff done as they would and only caring about the bottom line and not the details. Remember his plane flies high over the airport and watches from above but doesn't likely get into the weeds unless the weeds get to him. Show him, and if it goes nowhere and you care enough to have things be better then yes, time to go. Reason misalignment with company marketing of their products.