Some days, I sit near my nana (dad) for a couple of hours to work before moving to my room. On one such day, I was trying to complete a product marketing collateral when I asked him, “What do you think I should bake this weekend?”
It’s been some weeks since I baked his favorites, which were brownies and vanilla cake. So, I knew his answer was going to be one of the two.
He replied, “I want vanilla cake. No ganache. Nothing. Just plain sponge cake.”
I had an Instagram bookmark for the vanilla cake recipe. Yet, I wanted to find another one that will suit my baking pan size. That night, I was browsing for a while before I came across ‘yellow layer cake with fudge frosting.’
Planning to omit the frosting part and the optional way of baking in layers, I took a look at the ingredients. I had all except a half a cup of yogurt.
Had it been April, I would have straight away moved on to the next recipe that didn’t require yogurt. Because why mix in curd or buttermilk as a substitute and ruin the whole cake?
Fast forward to July end. I immediately decided that I would use buttermilk as a yogurt substitute and reduce its quantity to balance the liquid ratio.
As I look back, this transition has happened in every work or hobby I do. It can be product marketing, writing for Silent Marketer’s Journal, designing, etc. The list is endless.
Take this article, for example. It took me some time to write its first part as I was very hesitant and not sure how to give shape to it. I shared the draft with some of my friends and got their opinion before finalizing the format. That was not the case with the second part. All I had to do was include the advanced similarities between baking and product marketing from my notes. And, here they are:
6. Doing a final check
7. Executing new ideas
8. Getting better
9. Knowing when to stop
10. Resources
Tried-and-tested recipes:
Dhanya’s fudgy brownies + Heena’s Insta highlights
Rasa Malaysia’s butter walnut cake
Cookie + Kate’s healthy banana bread
Dessertedgirl’s yellow cake with fudge frosting
Marketing related recommendations:
Product Marketing Alliance’s slack community
Positioning: the Battle for Your Mind by Al Ries and Jack Trout
I will cover the rest of my marketing recommendations in another article.
That’s all from me!
By drawing parallels between baking and product marketing, I came one step forward in trying out a crazy idea and being okay with it. Being a perfectionist who hesitates to experiment in writing, publishing both these articles for the world to read was a huge step. And, I can’t thank you enough for giving me that strength :)
Want to read my articles from the comfort of your mailbox?
Author’s note: For those who’re curious about how the yellow cake turned out after the buttermilk substitute, it was super moist and delicious. My nana loved it.
Disclaimer note: None of the recommendations are sponsored.
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