Work | Erin Paugh

Product Learning Experience

Scaling Product Learning Across a Growing Portfolio

The Situation

I joined a global team that had been combined under "Product Learning Experience" on paper, but was still operating as two separate functions - one focused on instructional design and training, the other on documentation. Each had different processes, different stakeholders, and different definitions of success. Meanwhile, the company was actively building its product portfolio and needed the team to scale fast.

The Approach

I restructured the 10-person team around unified roles and responsibilities, bringing the former groups together under a shared framework. I built centralized processes so work flowed the same way regardless of product line. Most importantly, I refocused the team on clearer outcomes - not just "create content" but "enable customers and internal teams to succeed with this product."

The Outcome

Within the first year, we delivered learning content for 3 additional products that previously had none, while continuing to support the existing portfolio. We shifted from a one-size-fits-all approach to differentiated content for customers and internal audiences. Course completion rates increased from 70% to 75%. We aligned directly with Product (which we now report into), and we're now expanding into in-app learning experiences.

Sales Engineering

Building a Technical Center of Excellence

The Situation

AEs and SEs were giving inconsistent answers to the same technical questions. New SEs couldn't find a source of truth, which slowed onboarding. AEs kept asking the same questions because the information lived in people's heads, not in a system. There was no central place for demo assets, integration documentation, or competitive positioning.

The Approach

I built a Technical Center of Excellence in Confluence - a wiki that included a demo library, customer-ready one-pagers, video walkthroughs of complex technical concepts, and detailed documentation of every integration (how they work, what problems they solve, and how to position them). Beyond the content, the wiki gave the SE team a clear brand and identity within the organization.

The Outcome

Win rates doubled on midmarket deals when SEs were engaged. New SEs ramped faster because they had a single source of truth. AE-SE trust improved because Sales knew they could rely on consistent, accurate technical answers. The system created leverage - work done once could be reused across hundreds of deals.

GTM Strategy

Accelerating a Technology Partner Ecosystem

The Situation

Competitors were winning deals through their partner ecosystems. Customers wanted integrations across their tech stack - especially between their LMS and HCM systems - and we didn't have the partnerships to deliver. There was significant opportunity in the HR technology space, but no framework for identifying, engaging, or enabling partners.

The Approach

I identified strategic technology integration partners aligned with our upmarket goals, focusing on the HCM space where customers were asking for connected workflows. I built the framework for partner engagement and enablement - how we'd co-sell, what materials we'd create together, and how we'd position joint value to customers.

The Outcome

Cultivated 10 strategic technology partnerships in one year. Expanded our reach into new market segments we couldn't access through direct sales alone. Gave our sales team a stronger story to tell in competitive deals where partner ecosystem was a decision factor.

Product Narrative

Evolving the Product Narrative for Upmarket Growth

The Situation

The existing product narrative wasn't landing. It felt dated in a market that was moving fast, and it wasn't positioning us as innovative or differentiated. As the company set its sights on moving upmarket, we needed a story that would resonate with more sophisticated buyers and stand up against larger competitors.

The Approach

I led the narrative development process over three consecutive years, collaborating with executive leadership, Sales, and Customer Success. I ran competitive analysis focused specifically on how we needed to position ourselves to win upmarket deals, and incorporated customer research to understand what was actually resonating. Each year, the narrative evolved to reflect product changes, market shifts, and lessons from the field.

The Outcome

Delivered clear, compelling positioning that the entire GTM team could use confidently. Sales had a story that differentiated us in competitive deals instead of defaulting to feature comparisons. Created a repeatable annual process for narrative evolution that kept our positioning fresh and aligned with company strategy.