ABOUT COURAGEOUS CAREERS
Build your product marketing career on your terms.
You’ve proven you can deliver. Now the questions are harder: how to be more strategic, lead with confidence, and keep growing as AI reshapes the role. I’ve helped 400+ PMMs work through exactly these moments.
The story behind Courageous Careers.
Hi, I’m Yi Lin.
Six years into a civil engineering career, I realized my real strengths were solving business problems and bringing people together. So I took a leap: an MBA at UC Berkeley Haas, then a move into marketing.
Making the transition was bumpy. As an immigrant and career switcher with no connections in tech, I struggled to find opportunities. Most career advice assumed I already had the right experience and background. So I had to figure out my own approach.
I started by identifying what employers valued and positioning my unconventional experience as a competitive advantage. That helped me land a brand management role at Nestlé, but breaking into tech was even harder.
When I interviewed at Autodesk, I was competing against someone with ten years of marketing experience. I knew I couldn't win on traditional qualifications alone. So over one weekend, I taught myself video editing, recruited friends to act, and produced a marketing video to demonstrate what I could do.
Forty-eight hours later, I sent it to the hiring team. I got the job, which launched my career in tech and product marketing. Within three years, I was a Director of Product Marketing.
I realized what I once saw as disadvantages could become my greatest strengths once I learned to recognize and use them.
I ALSO REALIZED I WASN’T ALONE.
So many talented professionals were navigating similar challenges, questioning whether they belonged, struggling to see their own potential, or feeling stuck despite everything they'd accomplished.
That's why I started Courageous Careers.
Five years and hundreds of clients later, that belief still drives everything I do. I don't believe successful careers come from following someone else's blueprint or trying to become someone you're not.
They come from understanding your strengths, having the courage to challenge your assumptions, and developing the skills, judgment, and confidence to navigate whatever comes next.
Who I Help
I work with mid-career product marketers: founding PMMs, Senior and Principal PMMs, and emerging Directors facing the inflection points that shape the next decade of their careers. At this stage, the challenge isn’t learning the basics. It’s becoming more strategic, stepping into leadership, and making big decisions with confidence.
Many of my clients are women, immigrants, career switchers, and people from underrepresented backgrounds.
My approach is rooted in three capabilities that I believe every product marketer needs to develop.
Strategic PMM Craft
Great product marketers never stop refining their craft. From customer insights and positioning to go-to-market strategy, it's about mastering the fundamentals while adapting them to the world we're in today.
In the age of AI, that means knowing how to apply new technology thoughtfully, strengthen your strategic thinking, and deliver measurable business impact rather than simply chasing the latest tools.
Leadership & Human Skills
As your career grows, success depends less on having all the answers and more on your ability to influence, communicate, navigate ambiguity, and exercise sound judgment.
These human capabilities become increasingly important as you take on greater responsibilities, and they're essential to becoming a trusted strategic partner and leader.
Career Agency
The best careers don't happen by accident. They're built through intentional decisions, the courage to embrace change, and the confidence to advocate for yourself and create opportunities rather than waiting for them.
Career agency means understanding what matters to you, recognizing your strengths, and taking ownership of the direction you want to grow.
What it’s like to work with me.
I believe great coaching starts by understanding the real problem, not just the problem you think you have.
Sometimes you come to me wanting a promotion, but what you really need is clarity about whether you're in the right environment. Or you think you need to master AI tools, when the bigger opportunity is learning how to contribute more strategically to your team.
My job is to help you see what you might be missing, challenge your assumptions, and turn that insight into practical action.
You can expect honest, direct feedback grounded in years of product marketing experience, alongside the empathy, encouragement, and accountability to help you put it into practice. I’ll help you develop capabilities that stay with you long after our work together ends.
Experience
- Roles across established companies and startupsAutodesk, Teachable, Brightflag, Nestlé
- Former hiring manager and current PMM recruiter
- B2B SaaS advisor on PMM strategy and team growthIncluding Navattic
Recognition
- Exit Five Top 25 Marketing Voice
- PMA Top PMM Coach
- Best Team AwardAs an in-house Director
Speaking & community
- Product Marketing Alliance conference speaker
- Podcast guestExit Five, Building with Buyers
- Advisor in Residence, Marketing Women
- Host of PMM career, leadership & AI workshops
Education
- MBAUC Berkeley Haas
- MS, Civil EngineeringGeorgia Tech
- BS, Civil EngineeringUniversity of Florida, Summa Cum Laude
Outside of work…
I'm a wife, mom of two young daughters, and someone who has never been particularly good at following a conventional path.
I was born in China, grew up in Zambia, and eventually moved to the United States when I was 16. I was raised by a single mother who built her own businesses, and that taught me a great deal about resourcefulness, perseverance, and finding opportunities even when the odds aren't in your favor.
Those experiences continue to shape how I see the world and the work I do today.
I believe our backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences make us who we are. And the more we understand them, the better equipped we are to build careers that are meaningful and uniquely our own.
Your next chapter starts here.
Whether you're searching for your next opportunity, navigating a new leadership role, or figuring out how to grow in an AI-driven world, you don't have to figure it all out alone.
I'd love to help you build the skills, confidence, and clarity to take your next step.
Group Programs
Structured learning with practical guidance, expert support, and a peer community to grow along with.
The PMM Job Search System →
The AI PMM Academy →
