“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” – Harry S. Truman
The Best Product Management Reading List For 2023 take a dive back into last year's best product management reading list. These resources laid the groundwork for the exciting developments we're seeing in 2024, and they're still essential reads for any PM looking to stay ahead of the curve.
Overview and 2024 Predictions
This section explores the evolving landscape of product management, looking ahead to emerging trends and predictions for 2024. It focuses on how various elements like Artificial Intelligence, top reading lists, and leadership strategies will shape the future of the PM role.
- Future of Product Management: What to Expect in 2024
- Product Predictions 2024 by Marty Cagan delve’s into the key areas that are expected to redefine product management in the coming year.
- Predictions 2024: Artificial Intelligence This dives into the specific impact of AI on product development, exploring its potential and challenges for 2024
- Deloitte’s Predictions 2024 This section analyzes Deloitte’s specific forecasts for the product management landscape, highlighting key takeaways and implications for the year ahead.
- The mindsets and practices of excellent CEOs by Mckinsey This delves into leadership insights from McKinsey, emphasizing essential mindsets and practices for PMs leading and building successful teams.
- Introducing the next-generation operating model This explores new organizational structures and frameworks designed to optimize product development for the challenges of 2024.
- The State of Organizations 2023 This offers a retrospective analysis of the past year, drawing key learnings and trends relevant to the future of product management.
- 2023: The year in charts This section visually summarizes key data and insights from 2023, providing a valuable context for understanding predictions and trends for 2024.
- Generative AI Reading list This provides a curated list of top resources to stay ahead of the curve in mastering generative AI for product applications.
Vision
One of the key responsibilities of a product manager is to define and evangelize the vision for their product. A compelling vision articulates how the world will be a better place if you succeed. I’ve found the best way for a product manager to learn to articulate a vision is to immerse themselves in a collection of compelling product visions as inspiration for their own. Below is a collection of my favorite vision narratives from a variety of successful technology companies over the past two decades.
- OpenAI Charter Open AI describes the principles we use to execute on OpenAI’s mission.
- Google’s Our approach to Search Putting users first with smart algorithms and global reach, unlocking a world of information.
- TED’s mission: Sparking curiosity with diverse voices, sharing knowledge, and igniting change, one talk at a time.
- Stripe’s operating principles Empowering businesses with customer-centric tools, built on lasting solutions and fresh thinking.
- Microsoft’s vision and mission Connecting people and organizations through technology, fueled by the Intelligent Cloud and one unified team.
- Tesla’s mission statement Electrifying the future with sustainable energy, pushing design boundaries, and doing good for the planet.
- Building a brighter future of transportation, connecting communities affordably and fairly, while leading the way with innovation.:
- Ebi’s playbooks and templates: Craft a compelling vision and communicate it effectively.
- Google Founders’ IPO Letter Google’s 2004 Founders’ IPO Letter introduced the company to the public (investor) world
- Alphabet announcement letter Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are stepping down from their posts at Alphabet, the parent company for the group.
- Bob Gaskins on Powerpoint The memo outlining the pitch for Powerpoint.
- Dave Packard speech to HP Not technically a memo. This is speech Dave Packard gave to HP managers in 1960, from the book “The HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company”
- Butler Lampson – Xerox Butler Lampson’s legendary memo asking for support from Xerox to build the Alto. Most modern computing and the internet can trace their lineage to this single moment.
- Ken Olsen memo on tractors Ken Olsen of DEC compares computers to tractors. H/T to Hal Berenson for sending me this.
- Brian Armstrong of Coinbase with an email to a new PM Brian Armstrong, CEO and Founder of Coinbase with a great email on what it means to be a PM. Reposted from here.
- Bill Gates on Movie Maker Bill Gates’s internal memo bemoaning the terrible end to end experience of downloading Movie Maker. I love this for many, many reasons.
Product Discovery
Master the art of building products users love with our comprehensive guide to Product Discovery. Uncover problem spaces, design impactful solutions, and make evidence-based decisions that drive success.
- 1/36 – Product Discovery Process Embark on the journey to uncover user needs and build products that truly solve problems.
- 2/36 – Pre-discovery Phase Set the stage for success by establishing goals, aligning stakeholders, and gathering initial insights.
- 3/36 – PD Preparation & Frameworks Choose the right tools to guide your discovery process and ensure a user-centric approach.
- 4/36 – Double Diamond Discovery Unleash creativity and structure with this model that balances exploration and refinement.
- 6/36 – Managing Product Ideas for Product Discovery Capture, evaluate, and prioritize the most promising ideas to fuel product innovation.
- 7/36 – Crafting a Problem Statement Artfully articulate the specific problem you aim to solve, keeping user needs at the heart.
- 8/36 – Product Logic Model : Input, Output, Outcome Visualize the impact of your product by mapping inputs, outputs, and desired outcomes.
- 9/36 – Understanding Problem Space Deeply empathize with users to uncover their challenges, motivations, and unmet needs.
- 13/36 : Lean Prioritization Framework Make evidence-based decisions that align with user value and business goals.
- 19/36 : 🧠 Product Discovery – Inception Kickstart the discovery journey by aligning stakeholders and establishing a shared vision.
- 36/36 – 📊 Product Management Templates Streamline your workflow and ensure consistency with these practical tools.
User Experience
User Experience (UX) crafts meaningful interactions at every touchpoint, building trust and joy. From intuitive apps to inviting spaces, good UX keeps users coming back. Learn more, design better, and unleash the power of happy encounters.
- Two Truths About Customer Service
- Loyalty thrives on experiences, not just solutions. While resolving issues matters, creating positive interactions builds deeper customer connections and drives retention.
- Retention is your biggest growth engine. Repeat customers not only spend more, but also act as brand advocates, attracting new business organically.
- Why is customer retention important Loyal customers fuel growth, spending more and singing your praises.
- Anatomy of a Design Decision User needs guide the way: understand them first, then craft solutions that delight.
- How to Measure Learnability of a User Interface Listen to their whispers: gather feedback and iterate, making UI a seamless learning journey.
- User-Centered Design Process Test, tweak, repeat: gather insights, refine your design, and keep user satisfaction the ultimate goal.
- Science of price experimentation at Amazon Pricing like alchemy: data, psychology, and constant testing unlock the magic formula.
Product Strategy
A product strategy is a plan that outlines how a company will achieve its goals with a product or feature. It includes how the product will be created, how it will impact buyers, and how it will help the business achieve its goals.
- Defining a Tech Strategy Invest in the right tools and infrastructure to empower your team and build products that stand the test of time.
- Product Strategy Template Chart your course towards success with a roadmap that aligns your team and inspires action.
- The Power of Product Thinking Empathize deeply, iterate constantly, and create products that truly resonate with your audience.
- Hypothesis-Driven Product Management Transform gut feelings into data-backed decisions. Craft clear hypotheses about user behavior and validate them through experiments.
- The second most important metric for every company Prioritize retention, identify pain points, and win back lost customers – they’re your untapped growth potential.
Product Leadership
Product leadership is the process of guiding a company’s product development towards success.
- The Surprising Secret to Being a Good Boss Forget titles and micromanagement, discover the unexpected truth about effective leadership.
- What Great Managers Do Go beyond tasks, learn the key habits and actions that set exceptional managers apart.
- Why Leaders Need to Step Back to Get Perspective Gain insight by letting go, learn how distance can empower leaders and guide better decisions.
- 23 Tools to Make Your Feedback Meaningful Ditch generic platitudes, discover actionable methods for delivering impactful and motivating feedback.
- The Science Behind The Art Of Storytelling Craft compelling narratives, unlock the science of storytelling for captivating audiences and driving change.
- Solitude and Leadership Embrace quiet retreats, explore how introspection fuels powerful leadership with renewed perspective.
- Good Leaders Are Good Learners Commit to lifelong learning, discover how continuous growth empowers effective leadership.
- Team 360 Reviews By Vinod Khosla Get the full picture, delve into Vinod Khosla’s unique approach to comprehensive team evaluation.
- How Successful Leaders Think Crack the code, understand the cognitive patterns and mental models that define exceptional leaders.
- Kennedy’s Quest: Leadership in Space Take a historical journey, analyze JFK’s leadership through the lens of the moon landing, and extract timeless lessons.
- Jeff Bezos on acquiring Ring Learn from the master, decode Jeff Bezos’ strategic insights from his acquisition of Ring and apply them to your own ventures.
Product Delivery
Product Delivery is a process that focuses on delivering value to customers quickly and efficiently. It is based on the idea that the best way to deliver value is to break down a project into smaller pieces and deliver them in short cycles.
- When and how to escalate an issue at work Understand the right timing and approach for raising concerns to higher levels, ensuring your voice is heard.
- Everything looks like a failure in the middle Embrace the messy middle in project development and learn valuable lessons from setbacks.
- Getting a senior leader to take action Discover ways to engage senior leaders and inspire them to champion your initiatives.
- Practices that can help lead to Balanced Team Foster a healthy team environment with communication, trust, and collaborative practices.
- Best Practices for a Modern Data Team Equip your data team with the right tools and strategies for success in today’s dynamic environment.
- Seven Shipping Principles by 37 signals Learn from Basecamp’s renowned approach to rapid iteration and efficient product development.
- The paradox at the heart of A/B testing Navigate the complexities of A/B testing and make informed decisions based on data and insights.
- Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule Understand the different rhythms of makers and managers to optimize collaboration and productivity.
- Speed as a Habit Cultivate a culture of speed and agility to respond quickly to challenges and opportunities.
- Learning by Shipping Embrace the learning journey inherent in launching projects and continuously iterate for improvement.
- Predictable Delivery Achieve consistent and reliable project delivery with effective planning, communication, and feedback loops.
Decision making
Decision making is the process of making choices by identifying a decision, gathering information, and assessing alternative resolutions
- The micromanager’s dilemma Balancing control with innovation – can micromanagement ever be effective?
- Elon Musk’s approach to complex problem solving First principles thinking, iteration, and audacious goals – deconstructing complex challenges like a modern-day Einstein.
- What makes effective decision making so challenging for product managers? Juggling data, intuition, and user needs – navigate the tightrope of product development decisions.
- How We Make Decisions at Coinbase Transparency, data-driven insights, and asynchronous communication – peek into the decision-making engine of a crypto giant.
- Make Product Decisions Without Doubt — My Lessons from Twitter and Slack Learn from a seasoned leader at iconic tech companies – battle-tested strategies for confident product decisions.
- The 37signals Guide to Making Decisions Embrace speed, trust your gut, and avoid analysis paralysis – a minimalist handbook for agile decision-making.
- “Speed and Tempo” – Fearless Decision Making for Startups Act early, act often, and embrace calculated risks – fuel your startup’s growth with decisive action.
- This Matrix Helps Growing Teams Make Great Decisions Balancing urgency with thoroughness – a visual framework for navigating decision-making complexity.
Managing up
Managing up is a workplace concept that involves managing your manager to get what you need to do your job well. It can also be defined as being the most effective employee you can be, creating value for your company and your boss
- Guide to managing up Navigate the power dynamic, influence your boss, and create a harmonious working relationship.
- The five rules of managing up Master the essentials for building trust, aligning goals, and achieving success.
- 101 Questions to Ask in One on Ones Spark fruitful conversations with your boss, go beyond small talk, and gain valuable insights.
- Disagree and Commit Learn to respectfully voice your opinion, find common ground, and commit to collaborative action.
- Golden Rule of Managing Up Treat your boss like you want to be treated – build respect, communication, and mutual support.
- Getting meaningful feedback Don’t settle for generic platitudes, unlock actionable insights and growth opportunities from your boss.
- Why Managing Up to Your Boss Is Not Enough Expand your influence, build bridges across departments, and create a culture of collaboration.
- Why effective leaders must manage up, down, and sideways by Mckinsey Mastering communication and alignment in all directions for successful leadership.
Career in Product Management
Starting and then navigating a career in product management still remains fairly amorphous for many. These essays dive into the details of getting your first product management role and ultimately navigating a career path.
- Product Manager Resume Checklist Craft a resume that screams “hire me” – land your dream PM job with this essential checklist.
- Guide for Product Improvement Interview Questions Master the art of answering product improvement questions – turn lemons into interview lemonade.
- PM Top Interview Questions Face the music, not the mic drop – conquer common PM interview questions with confidence.
- 30-Day Google Product Manager Interview Prep Guide Fast-track your Google PM dream – a month-long plan to ace the interview marathon.
- The STAR Framework Unveiled Structure your stories for success – master the STAR framework to narrate your achievements like a pro.
- GAME Method Crack the case, don’t break a sweat – this proven framework keeps your product case interviews flowing effortlessly.
- Master the PM Product Design Interview Sketch your way to success – ace the PM product design interview with practical tips and strategies.
- The 10 commandments of salary negotiation Know your worth and get it – negotiate your salary like a seasoned pro with these golden rules.
- How to Hire Flip the script – learn from an expert recruiter’s perspective on navigating the interview process as a candidate.
- Brainteasers and guesstimates Don’t let the curveballs curve you – conquer brainteasers and guesstimates with clever thinking and cool calculation.
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